Szymon Zacjusz or Szymon Żak (1507 in

Proszowice Proszowice is a town in southern Poland, situated in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship (since 1999), previously in Kraków Voivodeship (1975–1998). Its population numbers 6,206 inhabitants (2004). It is the capital of Proszowice County, and the t ...

– 1591 in Bochnia) was a Polish Protestant pastor, supporter of Reformation in

Lesser Poland Lesser Poland, often known by its Polish name Małopolska ( la, Polonia Minor), is a historical region situated in southern and south-eastern Poland. Its capital and largest city is Kraków. Throughout centuries, Lesser Poland developed a s ...

and the

Grand Duchy of Lithuania The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a European state that existed from the 13th century to 1795, when the territory was partitioned among the Russian Empire, the Kingdom of Prussia, and the Habsburg Empire of Austria. The state was founded by Li ...

. He spent his childhood in

. In the years from 1523 to 1526 he studied at the

Jagiellonian University The Jagiellonian University (Polish: ''Uniwersytet Jagielloński'', UJ) is a public research university in Kraków, Poland. Founded in 1364 by King Casimir III the Great, it is the oldest university in Poland and the 13th oldest university in ...

in Cracow, where he passed his Licentiate. After the graduation he attended a castle school in Wawel where he was one of the best

humanists Humanism is a philosophical stance that emphasizes the individual and social potential and agency of human beings. It considers human beings the starting point for serious moral and philosophical inquiry. The meaning of the term "humanis ...

at his time. He studied Greek,

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

and

Hebrew language Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...

s. After 1535 he established himself as a proponent of

Calvinism Calvinism (also called the Reformed Tradition, Reformed Protestantism, Reformed Christianity, or simply Reformed) is a major branch of Protestantism that follows the theological tradition and forms of Christian practice set down by John Cal ...

. From 1540 to 1548 he was a Calvinist pastor in Krzyżanowice, near the town Bochnia. There he married Catherine Przeklotowna (Katarzyna Przeklotówna) and they had two daughters. As a Calvinist he couldn't be buried at a Catholic cemetery near his town, so he was buried in his own garden in Bochnia.

External links

Short biography of Szymon Zacjusz
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zacjusz, Szymon 1507 births 1591 deaths People from Proszowice Polish Calvinist and Reformed ministers Jagiellonian University alumni Translators of the Bible into Polish