Anna Náprstková (24 April 1788,

Prague Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...

– 20 October 1873, Prague) was a businesswoman and philanthropist from Bohemia. She made a name for herself as a

brewer Brewing is the production of beer by steeping a starch source (commonly cereal grains, the most popular of which is barley) in water and fermenting the resulting sweet liquid with yeast. It may be done in a brewery by a commercial brewer, ...

in Sturm in the

Old Town of Prague The Old Town of Prague (, ) is a medieval settlement of Prague, Czech Republic. It was separated from the outside by a semi-circular moat and wall, connected to the Vltava river at both of its ends. The moat is now covered up by the streets (fro ...

with her second husband Antonín Fingerhut, whom she married in 1823. The couple bought the Renaissance house U Halánků House, which they converted into a

distillery Distillation, also classical distillation, is the process of separating the component substances of a liquid mixture of two or more chemically discrete substances; the separation process is realized by way of the selective boiling of the mixt ...

and wine shop. It became a successful business. Náprstková became known for charitable work, particularly her patronage of national events and education. A trip to the United States in the 1840s inspired Náprstková to take a proactive role in development. She was responsible for the establishment of an industrial museum and the American Ladies Club at U Halánků House on Bethlehem Square. She has been described as a "determined and life-hardened woman who had an extraordinary business spirit but also an open heart and hands for those who needed it."

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Naprstkova, Anna 1788 births 1873 deaths Czech women in business Philanthropists from Bohemia Businesspeople in brewing Businesspeople from Prague Businesspeople from the Austrian Empire 19th-century philanthropists 19th-century businesswomen Burials at Olšany Cemetery