A century before the Enlightenment, Comenius (1592-1670), born in what is today the Czech Republic, was a theologian, philosopher and pedagogue who believed that only through education could man achieve his full potential and lead a truly harmonious life. He was one of the founding fathers of modern education, but, having lived through the period of the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648), Comenius was also a cosmopolitan and universalist who strove incessantly for human rights, peace between the nations, social peace and the unity of mankind.