Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Komenský,JanAmos
(1592-1670).LeaderoftheProtestantCzechBrethren.Forcedtoflee
the country and settle in England during the Counter-Reformation. Better known to English-
speakers as Comenius.
Mácha, Karel Hynek
(1810-36). Romantic nationalist poet, great admirer of Byron and
Keats who, like them, died young. His most famous poem is
Maj
, published just months be-
fore his death.
Masaryk,JanGarrigue
(1886-1958).Sonofthe
founderoftherepublic
,foreignministerin
the postwar government and the only non-Communist in Gottwald's cabinet when the Com-
muniststookoverinFebruary1948.Diedtendaysafterthecoupinsuspiciouscircumstances.
Masaryk, Tomáš Garrigue
(1850-1937). Professor of philosophy at Prague University,
president of the Republic from 1918 to 1935. His name is synonymous with the First Repub-
lic and was removed from all street signs after the 1948 coup. Now back with a vengeance.
Mucha, Alfons
(1860-1939). Moravian graphic artist and designer whose Art Nouveau
posters and artwork for Sarah Bernhardt brought him international fame. After the founding
of Czechoslovakia, he returned to the country to design stamps, bank notes, and complete a
cycle of giant canvases on Czech nationalist themes.
Němcová, Božena
(1820-62). Highly popular writer who became involved with the nation-
alist movement and shocked many with her unorthodox behaviour. Her most famous book is
Grandmother
.
Neruda, Jan
(1834-91). Poet and journalist for the
Národní listy
. Wrote some famous short
stories describing Prague's Malá Strana.
Palacký,František
(1798-1876).Nationalisthistorian,CzechMPinViennaandleadingfig-
ure in the events of 1848.
Purkyně, Jan Evangelista
(1787-1869). Czech doctor, natural scientist and pioneer in ex-
perimental physiology who became professor of physiology at Prague and then at Wrocław
University.
Rieger, Ladislav
(1818-1903). Nineteenth-century Czech politician and one of the leading
figures in the events of 1848 and the aftermath.
Rilke, Rainer Maria
(1876-1926). Despite having been brought up as a girl for the first six
years of his life, Rilke ended up as an officer in the Austrian army, and wrote some of the
city's finest German
fin de siècle poetry
.
Santini, Jan Blažej
(1677-1723). The most unusual architect of his day, Santini was innov-
ative in his use of symbolism and his attempt to fuse Gothic and Baroque elements.
Smetana, Bedřich
(1824-84). Popular Czech composer and fervent nationalist whose
Má
vlast
(My Homeland) traditionally opens the Prague Spring Music Festival.
