Angel of Peace

Joys, sorrows and losses in the life of Jan Amos Komenský

In his novel about Jan Amos Komenský, František Kožík describes the life of the scholar, thinker and teacher from his birth in Nivnice near Uherské Hradiště to the last minutes of his life in Amsterdam.

František Kožík did not write a mere biography of Jan Amos Komenský, but a reflection on a great personality of European history. It describes Comenius' life from his early childhood, when he already surprised his teachers with his desire for education ("We do not learn for school, but for life."). At Herborn University, he was struck by ideas about the importance of science that would connect the world. In Heidelberg he read Copernicus with excitement. On his return home, he confided to the Bishop of the Unity of the Brethren what his intentions were in returning home: "I want to collect the treasure of the Czech language - and then write a great translation of all the knowledge and expertise." Kožík describes Komenský's immeasurable pain at leaving his beloved country and the irreplaceable loss of the burnt thesaurus of Czech in Lešno. He also mentions his disappointment with politicians and rulers who did not understand his peaceful ideas. The author concludes: "I wish the young people would accept Comenius as their great friend. To see in him a man who overcame immeasurable pain and triumphed over it with an even stronger love for his country, a love for all humanity, whose fate was close to his heart."