A heraldist without a coat-of-arms
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Jozef Novák was born on 22 November 1930 in Vrútky. After graduating from grammar school in Trenčín in 1950, he began his studies at the Faculty of Arts of Comenius University as one of the first students of the newly opened Archival Studies programme. He graduated in Archival Studies in 1955. In 1954, still as a student, he became an Assistant in Archival Studies. In the summer of 1969, he replaced the late Professor Alexander Húšťava as the Head of the Department, keeping the position until 31 January 1996. In 1964, he obtained the title of Candidate of Historical Sciences in Auxiliary Historical Sciences. In 1966, he was appointed as an Associate Professor of Auxiliary Historical Sciences (he habilitated in 1963). On 20 February 1968, he was awarded the academic degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhDr), and in 1987 he was awarded the academic degree of Doctor of Historical Sciences. He was awarded the Professor’s Degree by the President of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic on 1 October 1989. Between 1989 and 1990, he held the office of the Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Arts at Comenius University, and between 1990 and 1999 he was a member of the Research Board of the Faculty of Arts. As a university professor, he taught numerous subjects, namely Heraldry, Sigillography, Genealogy, Chronology, Numismatics, Metrology, and Palaeography. He retired on 1 September 2000.
