Hanka, Václav |
| LITERARY MAN (CZECHIA) |
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BORN 10 Jun 1791, Horineves - DIED 13 Jan 1861, Praha GRAVE LOCATION Praha: Vysehrad Cemetery (06B-27 (277) (not far from the right of the gate entrance near the front of the church)) |
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Václav Hanka was educated at the gymnasium of Hradec Králové before he studied Theology in Prague and Law in Vienna. In 1813 he met the philologist Josef Dobrovský, He made himself a name with two very old manuscripts of epical poems that he claimed to have found in 1817 in a church tower. They were published in 1818 and translated in German. In later years Tomás Masaryk proved that these were falsifications. From 1819 onwards he worked at the Czech Museum, where he became librarian in 1822. He was involved in a spelling reform of the Czech language. In 1848 he was elected to the imperial diet in Vienna, but he never took his seat. In 1849 he became a professor in Prague. |
| Images |
 Václav Hanka's grave at Vysehrad Cemetery, Prague. Picture by Androom (16 Aug 2000) |
Sources • Edwards, Ivana, Praguewalks, Five intimate walking tours of Prague's most historic and enchanting quarters, Boxtree Limited, London, 1994 • Winkler Prins Encyclopedie (editie 1909), 1909 • Václav Hanka – Wikipedia |
