© Slovak Post, 2006 Karol Kuzmány – poet, novelist and theologist – was born on 16 November 1806 to the family of a protestant priest from Brezno. He went to school in Dobšiná in the Gemer Region, and in Bratislava. He completed his education in theology, history and philosophy at a university in Jena. He worked as a private tutor and later accepted a teaching position at Kežmarok secondary school. He started performing pastoral activities in Banská Bystrica, then moved to Zvolen before returning to Banská Bystrica two years later. In 1849, the Faculty of Theology in Vienna conferred on Kuzmány the title Professor of Practical Theology. Following the publication of his scientific work on protestant cannon law in Austria, he was awarded the golden medal of the King of Prussia for Science and Art, and subsequently in 1863 a Doctorate Honoris Causa in theology. The greatest achievement of Kuzmány’s work devoted to the Slovak nation was when he was elected a vice-chairman of Matica slovenská (the Slovak National Foundation). He was based in Martin for a short time where he worked as a parish priest, as well as assisting in the establishment of the Lutheran secondary grammar school in Turčiansky Sv. Martin. As a publisher of the literary journal Hronka, he devoted his time to religious literature. He wrote the novel Ladislav and the hymn Sláva šľachetným – Kto za pravdu horí (Glory for the Noble – He Who Truth Defends). He was a committee member of the Tatrín Association and one of the representatives of the Slovak deputation before the Emperor in 1849. The exceptionally fruitful life of Karol Kuzmány ended prematurely on 14 August 1866 in Turčianske Teplice. He is buried in the National Cemetery in Martin. Motifs for the stamp, a portrait of Karol Kuzmány and his manuscript pictured in the background, are from the collections of the archive of literature and art of the Slovak National Library in Martin. The First Day Cover portrays the house in Brezno where Karol Kuzmány was born, and fragments of the poem composed for the occasion of the establishment of Matica slovenská. Mgr. Magdaléna Brincková