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Václav Havel
Antonín Dvořák
gr e at c zec h com p oser s
Václav Havel (*1936) – Czech writer and
dramatist. In 1977, his involvement with
the human rights manifesto Charter 77
brought him international fame as the
leader of the opposition in Czechoslovakia;
it also led to his imprisonment. After
the Velvet Revolution in 1989 he became
tenth and last president of Czechoslovakia
and then the first president of the
Czech Republic.
Jan Palach (1948 – 1969) – a Czech student
who committed suicide by self-immolation
as a political protest against the
Soviet-led invasion of Czechoslovakia in
1968. Palach died after setting himself
on fire in Wenceslas Square in Prague.
Bedřich Smetana (1828 – 1884)
Major works: Bartered Bride, Dalibor,
The Kiss, My Country
Antonín Dvořák (1841 – 1904)
Major works: Slavonic Dances,
Stabat Mater, Rusalka,
The New World Symphony
Leoš Janáček (1854 – 1928)
Major works: Jenufa, The Cunning Little
Vixen, The Macropoulos Case
Bohuslav Martinů (1890 – 1959)
Major works: The Opening of the Wells,
Dandelion Romance, The Kitchen Revue 10
Alfons Mucha – posters
gr e at c zec h v isu a l a rt ists
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Václav Hollar (1607 – 1677)
Petr Brandl (1668 – 1735)
Josef Mánes (1820 – 1871)
Mikoláš Aleš (1852 – 1913)
Alfons Mucha (1860 – 1939)
František Kupka (1871 – 1957)
Emil Filla (1882 – 1953)
Josef Lada (1887 – 1957)
Jan Zrzavý (1890 – 1977)
Josef Šíma (1891 – 1971)
great czech theatre artists
Jaroslav Kvapil (1868 – 1950) – poet and theatre director, 1910-1918 led the National
Theatre in Prague, mainly an artist of symbolism
Harel Hugo Hilar (1885 – 1935) – theatre director, poet, dramatist, translator, cooperated
closely with visual artists, brought expressionism and civilism to Czech Theatre.
Emil František Burian (1904 – 1959) – theatre director, musician, singer, actor. He
created voiceband and theatregraph, led his own alternative theatre D34 until his
death in 1959.
Alfréd Radok (1914 – 1976) – one of the most famous European directors of the 20 th
century, creator of Laterna Magika.
Otomar Krejča (*1921) – theatre actor and director, established his own Theater
Behind the Gate (Divadlo Za Branou) that made him famous all over the Europe.
Jan Grossman (1925 – 1993) – writer and theatre director, led the Theatre on the Ballustrade
(Divadlo Na Zábradlí) in the 1960s and cooperated with Václav Havel, which
made him famous all over Europe.