Juraj Ribay

Juraj Ribay was born in March 27, 1754 in Bánovce nad Bebravou – Dolné Ozorovce in Slovakia. Elementary school attended in Horné Ozorovce and (after its demolition) in Uhorec (1763-1766). After that he studied in evangelical lycée in Banská Štiavnica (1766-1769) and in Modra (1769-1771), following he studied theology in Sopron (1773-1776), in Erlangen (1779) and in Jena (1780-1782).

Before departure to Sopron he was for short time a teacher in Nemescso, after that worked as a private teacher in the estate of A. Karacsay in Egyhazas Radosz and as an organist and supply teacher in Modra (1776-1779). After return from Jena he stayed in Prague, where he met several representatives of Czech folk revival. After return from Hungary he was private teacher of Ľ. Ostrolúcky, after that worked as a pastor in Príbovce (1783-1784), in Bohunice (1784-1785) and in Cinkota (1785-1786), further as a librarian, corrector and a worker in antiquarian bookshops in Pest (1796-1798) and finally – since the year 1799 – as a pastor in Torža (today Savino Selo), where he worked in German parish.

He died in December 31, 1812 in Savino Selo. – He published poetic bibliophilia Better widower than a single young man (1791), dedicated to the wedding of Peter Záborský and Rebeka Blažkovičová; we don’t know, however, if are his Latin bibliophilias from the years 1780 and 1784 written in verses. During his life he published also three brochures and two literary translations. Post mortem was also published in a book form his correspondence with Josef Dobrovský (1913). His large lexicographic work remained in manuscript and its greater part is saved in the Szecheny library in Budapest.