Ágoston Pável

Ágoston Pável, also known in Slovenian as Avgust Pavel (around August 28 1886 Cankova, Kingdom of Hungary, today in Slovenia – January 2. 1946 Szombathely, Hungary) was a Hungarian Slovenian writer, poet, ethnologist, linguist and historian.

Ágoston Pável was born in Cankova (then part of the Vas county) as the third child of Iván Pável, a tailor, and Erzsébet Obal. He attended elementary school in his native village.

Despite his Slovene mothertongue, Ágoston Pável graduated with excellence from a Hungarian-speaking high school in Szentgotthárd, being the top of 28 students in 1897-1901. Already in the early days, an amicable relationship developed between Ágoston Pável and his class teacher Győző Schmidt, who taught him Hungarian and Latin and who was the director of the high school library and the editor of the local newspaper.Pável continued his studies at Premont College in Szombathely (1901-05). While attending college, he participated in the "Society for Volunteer Further Education". In the internal gazette called "Bimbófüzér" some of his first epigrams, ballads and historical elegies appeared.In 1905-09, Pável studied Hungarian and Latin at the Philosophical Faculty of Péter Pázmány University in Budapest. Beside his specialist area he attended classes in Serbian, Croatian and Russian language and the subject called The Comparative Research of the Slavic Languages. At that time, the friendship with professor Oszkár Asbóth, whose lectures Pável attended and together with whom he worked as research associate, was contracted. Pável gained a scholarship, was exempted from tuition fees and in addition he also taught as an assistant prfessor. One of his students was Albert Szent-Györgyi, Nobel Prize winner in Physiology.

The first verses of Pável Ágoston were published in Hungarian in the newspaper called "Murska Sobota and Neighborhood" and, in Windish, in the gazettes "Novine", "Martijin List" and "Kolendar".

In May 15, 1909 on this day, his first printed essay on two disquisitions on Slavic-Hungarian speech forms, in which Oszkár Asbóth scrutinized on the one hand Slavic stem words and the mutations of the sounds "j" and "gy" in Slovene language in Hungary and on the other hand the academic speech based in western Hungary, which was mainly researched by Pável.In November 13, 1909 Pável read some Slovene vers translations and some of his own verses at the Hungarian folklore symposium.

In 1909 Pável's essay on the phonology of the Slovene language in the language district of Vashidegkút, which was part of his dissertation, appeared in the edition of the Hungarian Academy of Science. This work won an award at the University and was highly recognized. Professor Oszkár Asbóth said: "I am a little angry indeed, however not at Pletersnik (Slov. linguist and literary historian), but at such Hungarian linguists who use their vocabulary with simplicity. I explicitly recommend them Pável's rich essays, because they can learn a lot from them!"

1909-1910

In 1909-10 Ágoston Pável served in the 7th Graz and then in the 82nd Székhelyudvarhely (Transylvania) infantry. Due to an administrative mistake, the infantry number 83 was mistakingly written as number 82, he was detailed to military service in Transylvania. The People's News of 1986 wrote in memory of Pável that he spent his little spare time in the army on collecting popular verse, songs, customs and clothing. In 1910-11 Pável spent his practical year as a teacher at the academic main high school in the second district in Budapest.

1911-13 Pável worked as a substitional teacher at the national main high school of Torda. His fellow teachers and friends were: Károly Visky and Gábor Kemény.In April 14, 1914 married Irene Benko in Szentgotthárd. In June 1914 he was drafted into military service. June 10, 1914 that day became a teacher. September 6, he was badly injured in the battles of Lemberg (Lviv), which caused 5 years of sickness. In 1986 the People's News wrote: "Pável Ágoston despised the war a lot. What bigger joy could have befallen him than being injured right in the first battle, since he could get away from this senseless war. During the years of sickness he kept writing and translating."

In 1916 Ágoston Pável's work "The Newest Windish Literary Language" was awarded at the academy. "With his work the author shows the ambitions that can be noticed in the field of literary language with great poetic linguist expertise and with the basic knowledge of the national Slovene language, which approximates the Slovene language that can be found in Austria and differs from it in its popularity". Academic information sheet, May 1917. In May 1919 was elected member of the Department of Public Education of Dombóvár and furthermore, he was appointed to the editorial committee of the local weekly paper. May 1920 between August 1933 he worked as a teacher at the national girls' high school of Szombathely. November 16, 1920 was appointed to the Philosophical Faculty of the University of Ljubljana.

In 1924, he was in charge of the library of the cultural organisation of Vas County and of the city of Szombathely. In 1925 compiled and published a composition of the directory service of the cultural organisation library of Vas County and the city of Szombathely. In January 1, 1926 after indexing and restructuring the museum library he inaugurated it. "The year 1926 marks a watershed in the history of the cultural organisation library, because due to the cooperation of Pável Ágoston a new vitality ran through the veins of the library, and thus the former strict rules of restrictions were lifted."

February 1928 the beginning of a friendship with Ferenc Móra and Vilko Novak. In September 1928 took charge of the museum of Vas County and of the folklore magazine. In November 1928 Pável founded the Association of Amity of the Vas County Museum.

1928-29 he opened his home to Hungarian poet Sándor Weöres during his High School years.

In April 27, 1932 Pável became a member of the caucus of the Folklore Society, and on June 12, 1939 a member of the corespondency department.In December 1932 the date of publication of his first compendium of verse called "Praying in The Bosom of The Blind Valley".

In March 1933 was in charge of the scientific journal "Vas Review" ("Vasi Szemle"), of which he was the editor until his death in 1946. Pável formulated the program of the journal as follows: "Our objective...dedication to the cultural problems in the history of Vas County and west Hungary and being appreciative of it."

In August 1, 1933 he was shifted to Faludi High School. In 1934 became an honorary secretary member of the Hungarian National Culture Association. In the same year he gained membership of the "Erdély Szépmíves Céh" publishing company. In March 26, 1936 ordinary member of the "Tömörkény-Society" in Szeged. Spring 1936 together with Dr. Sándor Gonyei Pável went on a journey through the national park "Örség", which resulted in his work "Pictures from Örség". In 1936 his second compendium of verse entitled "Forest On Fire" was published.

In 1937 in the "Nyugat" Pável's translation of the most significant literary works of Ivan Cankar "The Bailiff Yerney and His Right" ("Hlapec Jernej in njegova resnica"), "Scapegrace Marko" ("Potepuh Marko") and the novels entitled "King Matthew" ("Kralj Matjaž") were published.

In 1940 due to the fusion of Vas and Zala County expanded the Vas review to a review for west Hungary. In June 15, 1940 he became a member of the "Gárdony"-Society. In August 26, 1940 Ágoston Pável started an expedition to Örség. Together with István Győrffy and Károly Visky he accumulated material for his monography.
December 13, 1940 he was elected member of the "Pen Klub".

In 1941 the translation of the literary works of Ivan Cankar appeared as part of the series on south Slavic authors. The Hungarian culture review wrote on March 15, 1941: "The translation by Ágoston Pável is artistic and perfect." In February 1941 at the Philosophical Faculty of Szeged University Pável habilitated as private tutor for the subjects south Slavic language and literature due to his paper King Matthew about Slovene folklore and literature. In September 27, 1941 he became member of the Janus Pannonius Society.

In 1944 elaborated the curricular about the knowledge of the Hungarian language and composed the Hungarian literary history in favor of the schools in the Mura region in Slovene. in May 1945 was elected president of the local pedagogic "Free Province Organisation". Furthermore, he worked as an official interpreter for Russian in Vas County. In June 1945 on the initiative of Ágoston Pável the first Russian course was held in Szombathely, which he also designed on his own. In November 18, 1945 he was elected ordinary member of the János Batsányi Literary Society of Pécs.

Died on January 2, 1946 in Szombathely.

References

*Francek Mukič - Marija Kozar: Slovensko Porabje, Mohorjeva družba, Celje 1982.
*Mária Kozár: Etnološki slovar Slovencev na Madžarskem, Monošter-Szombathely, 1996. ISBN 963 7206 620
*Francek Mukič - Marija Kozar: Spoznavanje slovenstva, Croatica, Budapest 2002. ISBN 963 9314 31 1
*Mária Kozár: The Hungarian Slovenes, Press Publica, Changing world, ISBN 963 9001 83