The grave of Sámuel Markusovszky

In the bulletin of the Evangelical Lyceum in Bratislava published in 1914, we can read the following about Sámuel Markusovszky. ; "The retired and highly meritorious director of the Evangelical Lyceum in Bratislava died on the evening of August 10, 1913, after a long illness. ; He worked tirelessly at our educational institution for thirty years and was the worthy director of the Lyceum for six years. He earned great, immortal merit by writing the three hundred-year history of the Lyceum. He retired to rest on September 1, 1910, which, unfortunately, he could hardly enjoy for three years. This was also made bitter by his serious illness, which medical science and the self-sacrificing care of his wife were able to alleviate, but not eliminate. ; He spent his last months in excruciating pain, from which only death saved him. His coffin was surrounded with sincere pain and deep respect by his colleagues, students, and admirers. ; Markusovszky was truly known only by those who saw and they learned to appreciate him here. He always did his work with joy and cheerfulness, and even his illness could not darken the constant cheerfulness of his soul. ; Markusovszky was born on December 23, 1849 in Stósz, Abauj-Torna County, where his father was a knife manufacturer. He began his secondary school studies at the Nagyszalonta Gymnasium and finished them at the Reformed College in Debrecen. From 1872 to 1874, he studied theology in Debrecen, but in 1874 he switched to philology, went to Budapest and enrolled at the university. Here he dealt with Roman and Greek literature and humanities and became a member of the then-established teacher training institute. In 1878-79, he worked at the practicing high school, where he acquired excellent theoretical and practical pedagogical knowledge. In 1879, he obtained his secondary school teacher's certificate in Latin and Greek philology. ; The following year he was a substitute teacher at the Royal High School of Arad. In 1880, the Evangelical parish of Bratislava invited him to the lyceum as a regular teacher, replacing Pál Lichner, and his entire career was spent at this educational institution. In 1899, he was elected director of the lyceum, and in this capacity he led the institution for six years, in whose gradual development and flourishing he also has great, indelible merits. ; His six-year directorship will always be memorable in the history of our lyceum. He played a large part in the fact that, at the initiative of the unforgettable supervisor of our parish, Royal Councilor Günther M. V., in 1901, he transformed the alumneum and convict into a boarding school and erected a building suitable for its purpose, which has since then corresponded to his noble pedagogical and philanthropic vocation in every respect. Markusovszky wrote in his memorandum prepared with great care showed that the situation of poor students could be most effectively helped by setting up a boarding school. The ministry repeatedly entrusted him with representing the government at the graduation examinations of the Evangelical high schools. ; In 1905, he retired from the board of the institute and was elected honorary director in recognition of his merits by the parish. Five years later, he retired. A serious eye problem that had been going on for years prompted him to make this decision, and it also made his years of peace difficult. Struggling with this and his organic heart problem, he lived through the few 5 years that cruel fate gave him as a rest after the persistent and fruitful work of a blessed life. ; Markusovszky produced considerable literary work. “Why do we study Latin and Hellenic languages in high school and is there any benefit or advantage in studying these languages?” He held his chair in the lyceum in 1880. His first major work, “On the Purpose and Structure of the Poetics of Horace,” was also published in the lyceum bulletin in 1881. “Teaching Classical Languages and Their Literature in the Gymnasium” in 1889. “The Greek Language and Protestant Secondary Schools” in 1890. At the 1892 general meeting of the National Secondary School Teachers’ Association in Bratislava, he read a dissertation entitled “On the Teaching of the Latin Language at the Primary Level,” which was published in the bulletin of the K. T. E. “Teaching the Greek Language Based on the Homeric Text” was published in the II. in the first booklet of the year 1894. "Memoirs of the inauguration of the new building of the lyceum 1896. Also in 1896, in the millennium year, his independent, great work was published. "The history of the Bratislava branch. evangelical lyceum", which received general approval and praise and for which the then Minister of Religion and Public Education expressed his appreciation in a separate description. In this work, he arranged and wrote the data he collected with extensive source study with excellent historical sense and knowledge. He made an immortal memory for himself not only in the lyceum, but also in our domestic historiography. "The March Days of Bratislava in 1848." 1898. He also wrote the part on the Bratislava branch. evangelical church for the volume "Pozsony county" of the Hungarian counties and cities (Monograph of Hungary). 1905. In the great work entitled “History”, published in 1906 and written to commemorate the three hundredth anniversary of the existence of the Bratislava Ág. h. ev. parish, he also wrote the extensive section entitled “The School”. He also wrote numerous articles for the newspaper “Evang. Egyház és Iskola”, which was edited for fourteen years by the late Ferenc Trsztyénszky, dean of the parish. ; We accompanied Sámuel Markusovszky on his last journey on August 13, 1913, with true sympathy and emotion. His comrades and students who were staying at home participated in his funeral as a body, and laid a wreath on his coffin. In addition to the Bratislava Ág. ev. congregation, the presidency and numerous members of the Dunáninnen Ág. h. ev. parish were also present at the final service, who were holding their annual general meeting at that time. The eulogy was delivered by Pastor Adolf Okályi, and at the graveside, our colleague József Hamvas gave a farewell address on behalf of the teaching staff. His hardworking, dedicated life has come to an end, but his achievements will remain as an eternal memory in his work and will live on in the grateful love of his students! ; May his memory be blessed! ; ; Nándor Hirschmann