Matthias Bel
Matthias Bel | |
|---|---|
Matthias Bel | |
| Born | 22 March 1684 |
| Died | 29 August 1749 (aged 65) |
| Citizenship | Hungarian |
| Occupation(s) | Lutheran priest, writer, historian, geographer, alchemist |
| Spouse | Susanna Hermann |
Matthias Bel or Matthias Bél (German: Matthias Bel; Hungarian: Bél Mátyás; Slovak: Matej Bel; Latin: Matthias Belius; 22–24 March(?), 1684 – 29 August 1749) was a Lutheran pastor and polymath from the Kingdom of Hungary. Bel was active in the fields of pedagogy, philosophy, philology, history, and theoretical theology; he was the founder of Hungarian geographic science and a pioneer of descriptive ethnography and economy. A leading figure in pietism. He is also known as the Great Ornament of Hungary (Magnum decus Hungariae).