EN
This paper was presented as a memorial speech about the first secretary of the Hungarian Scholarly Society, the predecessor of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (founded in 1825). The author briefly presents the linguistic activities of the eminent all-round cultural organiser by situating Dobrentei's life and work within the age of enlightenment and the Hungarian Reform Age (first half of the nineteenth century) as well as within the context of the state and situation of the Hungarian language.