OSVALD, FRANKO RICHARD. - Priest, archiepiscopal vicar of Trnava and writer, b. at Hodruša on 3 Oct. 1845, d. at Trnava on 14 Apr. 1926.
He wrote many books of religious instruction for the people. When the Slovak language began to lose ground under Magyar pressure, O. devoted his energies and resources to saving it, especially in the churches. For this reason he assisted the clergy with various homiletic editions, and for 28 years founded and directed the periodical Kazatel'ka (= The Pulpit, 1881-1908). Moreover, he was the initiator and organizer of a literary movement, named after him Osvaldova družina (= Osvald School), which brought together Catholic men of letters around the journal Literárne listy, founded and directed by him for 18 years (1891-1908). This school devoted itself especially to historical-literary research, studying first and foremost the merits of Catholics in Slovak culture, neglected by non-Catholic scholars. At the beginning of the 20th century O. was the most significant figure in Slovak cultural life as regards the Catholic milieu.