Študoval filozofiu a teológiu na univerzite v Halle. V roku 1708 sa stal prorektorom a v roku 1710 rektorom Evanjelického gymnázia v Banskej Bystrici. Od roku 1714 bol rektorom lýcea v Bratislave. Venoval sa vlastivednej činnosti, ktorú podporoval aj cisársky dvor. Belovým životným dielom sú Historicko-zemepisné poznatky o súvekom Uhorsku (Notitie Hungariae novae historico geografica), ktoré vychádzali v rokoch 1735 – 1742. Za vedecké zásluhy dostal veľa pôct od učených spoločností doma i za hranicami. Bol síce uhorský vlastenec – veľká ozdoba Uhorska, ale zároveň aj uvedomelý Slovák. V Banskej Bystrici je na jeho pamiatku umiestnená pamätná tabuľa v Dolnej ulici na dome č. 47, pomenovaná je po ňom jedna z ulíc mesta. Od roku 1992 nesie jeho meno tunajšia univerzita a pred jej sídlom stojí od roku 2017 socha tejto osobnosti.
Matej Bell studied philosophy and theology at the University of Halle and became the Vice-Chancellor of the Lutheran Grammar School in Banská Bystrica in 1708 and its Chancellor in 1710. Since 1714, he was the Chancellor of the Lyceum in Bratislava. His activities as a geographer and historian were supported by the imperial court. Bel‘s most important work, the History and Geography of Contemporary Hungary (Notitia Hungariae Novae Historico Geographica) was published from 1735 to 1742. He received a number of awards from learned societies at home and abroad for his achievements in science. Although a Hungarian patriot – referred to as the Great Adornment of Hungary – he was also a proud Slovak. There is a commemorative plaque in his honour on the house No. 47 on Dolná street and one of the streets in the town is named after him. Since 1992, the local university also bears his name and his statue was installed in front of its seat in 2017.
Autor textu: PaedDr. Jana Borguľová
