The Life and Oeuvre of Antal Both

Antal Both (born in Nagyberezna on 2 September 1875 – dead in Balassagyarmat on 30 July 1963)

He went to primary school at his birthplace and to secondary school in Nagykároly and Szatmár. Thereafter, he graduated in theology from the College of the Szatmár Roman Catholic Diocese and went on to study liberal arts at the Pázmány Péter University of Science. He received his diploma as a Latin-Greek philologist and teacher on 29 April 1903. Even before his graduation he worked as a substitute teacher in the Balassagyarmat state secondary school and he continued as a full time teacher in the same institution until his retirement. He taught classical languages with enthusiasm and accuracy, he tried to sensitise his students to classical culture and also endeavoured to demonstrate the impact of classical culture on Hungarian culture. He was also actively involved in community culture and held presentations in theology, literature and sociology. Beside teaching, he was primarily interested in pedagogy and literature. His oeuvre mainly consists of theological and literary works.