Published : 2025-12-21

Johann Mochinger as a Translator of Janua linguarum reserata in the Light of the Correspondence with the Author

The First Comenius’ Letter from 1631 to the Translator from Danzig in a Polish Translation with Commentary

Abstract

This article presents a commented translation into Polish, along with the original Latin text, of the first letter from John Amos Comenius (1592-1670) to Johann Mochinger (1603-1652), a Gdańsk Lutheran clergyman and professor of rhetoric and poetry at a local Academic Gymnasium. The letter – although copied without the date formula – was likely written in 1631. During this period, Johann Mochinger continued working on a German translation of a Latin language textbook, which Comenius titled "Janua linguarum reserata." 

The Polish translation of the letter is preceded by an introduction explaining the circumstances of the textbook's authorised translation into German: it provides a state of research on Mochinger's biography, his translation work included, then discusses the circumstances in which Comenius approached Mochinger, and also the problems that contributed to the delay in publication, i.e., a conflict between the local printers from Danzig, Georg Rhete and Andreas Hünefeld, who was favoured by the main author. Despite these challenges, Comenius highly valued Mochinger's translation work, which he expressed in his subsequent correspondence.

Keywords:

Johann Mochinger (1603–1652), Jan Amos Komenský (1592–1670), Janua linguarum reserata, correspondence, Republic of Letters, pedagogy–history



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Pokrzywnicki, J. (2025). Johann Mochinger as a Translator of Janua linguarum reserata in the Light of the Correspondence with the Author: The First Comenius’ Letter from 1631 to the Translator from Danzig in a Polish Translation with Commentary. Biografistyka Pedagogiczna [Biographical Studies in Education], 10(3), 625–642. https://doi.org/10.36578/BP.2025.10.59

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"Biografistyka Pedagogiczna" received funding for the years 2022-2024 from the funds of the Minister of Education and Science under the programme „Rozwój Czasopism Naukowych”.

Project duration: 2023-2024.

The amount of co-financing is 65 992,00 PLN

Contract number: RCN/SP/0434/2021/1