Famous Czech people
Bedřich Smetana
Bedřich Smetana was a famous composer. He was born in Litomyšl and lived in 19th century. He wrote many operas. His opera Libuše was a first performance that was played in the National Theater. Other operas are Dalibor,The Bartered Bride, Two Widows and The Secret. The Bartered Bride tells about peasant life. It´s very humorous and full of dance sequences. Polka and furiant are often heard in the concert. His well- known piece is also a cycle of symphonic poems titled My Country. I´m not fond of classical music so much but I like The Vltava, which is one of 6 symphonic poems by Smetana. That´s why I chose Smetana to speak about. I don´t know much information about life and work of Bedřich Smetana. I learned music only at basic school, then I chose arts instead of music. That´s why I can´t remember many details. I think that Smetana wrote Czech Dances but I´m not absolutely sure. This music was based on Czech folk music. At the end of his life Smetana turned deaf.
Alfons Mucha
I´m interested in the fine arts. I admire especially the Art Nouveau style. This style is very decorative and marked by flowers, foliage and sinuous lines. Alfons Mucha is one of representatives of this style. He was born in Ivančice. He was a great painter and decorative artist, but he also mastered sculpture, interior design and jewellery making. His posters, prints and calendars reached a huge succes. This ‘style Mucha’ acted as a template for a generation of designers. Typical features of his style are beautiful long-haired women, framed with fruit, foliage and Egyptian-styled symbols.Mucha is known for his posters (especially those created for Sarah Bernhardt. He also designed stamps for the newly-founded state of Czechoslovakia. Mucha has also designed a Czechoslovak Banknote of 10 Korunas in his typical Art Nouveau Style.
Otto Wichterle
I couldn´t remember any Czech scientist and that´s why I had to open an encyclopedia and look up. Otto Wichterle was a very important man. He studied at the then Chemical and Technological Faculty of the Czech Technical University but he was also interested in medicine. After completion of his course he had some problems with the reign, because it blocked his activities. He was able to continue in his scientific work, however, by joining the research institute at the Baťa works in Zlín. He dealed with polyamides and caprolactam chemistry. He developed his research skills and his ability to put these to practical use. By working of his team Czechoslovakia could use caprolactam and its polymer, nylon-6 (under the name of silon). But above all he is known for inventing gel contact lenses.
Jaroslav Heyrovský
He is the only Nobel prize winner in the field of science from our country. After his discovery of polarography in 1922 he devoted all his work to the development of this new branch of electrochemistry. He created a new Czech polarographic school at Charles University. His invention made possible to do an accurate qualitative analysis of substances.
Bohumil Hanč a Václav Vrbata
There are many famous Czechs among sportsmen. They excel in ice-hockey, football, tennis,.. I have read a book about Hanč and Vrbata and that´s why I would like to speak about them. I think, that they are not world well-known but the Czech know some information about them. They were successful skiers at the beginning of 20th century. Bohumil Hanč was very good at langlauf. He was considered to be a leader in an international race in the Giant Mountains in 1913. But the weather fell off so hardly therefore the race had to be interrupted. Hanč´s friend Vrbata went to encourage him. He lent him his own coat because Hanč was chilled to the marrow. He didn´t know about the interruption of the race. He continued. Some time later he was found by Emmerich Rath who set out for help. But it was too late. Vrbata died because of hard winter, too. In commemoration of this event, every year since 1923 a ski race is held.
Emil Zátopek
He was a track-and-field athlete. Zátopek’s greatest achievement came at the 1952 Olympics, where he won gold medals in the 5000-meter, 10,000-meter, and marathon races .He become the first runner to win all three events at one Olympics. During his career Zátopek set 18 world records at various distances. Zátopek was noted for his combination of strength and stamina. After he retired from track and field sport, he became a colonel in the army. My grandfather was also a carreer soldier. He told me that he had met Emil Zátopek. They contested once in running. Zátopek won of course but he said that it was very difficult to beat my grandfather. I ´m not sure if it is true but my grandfather doesn´t tell lies so probably it truly happened.
Václav Havel
He was the last Czechoslovak and the first Czech President. He is also a writer and dramatist. Now there are only few days left when he stays in his function. He played an active role in democratization and renewal of culture during the era of reforms, known as Prague Spring, which ended with the Warsaw Pact invasion in August 1968. He actively opposed the invasion.He continued inhis activities against the Communist regime. He co-founded the Charter 77 human rights initiative and was one of its original spokesmen. He was imprisoned several times for his beliefs. He was one of the leaders of the Velvet Revolution, which brought about the end of Communist rule.
Then he was elected the president of Czechoslovakia. As President of the Czech and Slovak Federative Republic, he established new relationships with many world leaders and helped lay the foundations for Czechoslovakia’s new foreign policy. He was elected the first president of the Czech Republic in 1993. In 1996his wife Olga died. In 1997 he married Dagmar Veskrnova, a popular and acclaimed Czech theatrical, television and movie actress. In 1998 he was elected for the second time as the president.