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 means to saving it, especially in the churches. To this end he assisted the clergy with various homiletic editions, founded and directed for 28 years the periodical *Kasatel'ha* (The Pulpit, 1881–1908). Moreover, he initiated and organized a literary movement which took its name from him, the *Osvaldova družina* («Osvald’s Circle»), uniting Catholic writers around the review *Literárne listy*, which he founded and directed for 18 years (1891–1908). This school devoted itself especially to historical-literary research, studying above all the services rendered by Catholics to Slovak culture, which had been 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.