
''Největší Čech'' (''The Greatest Czech'') is the
Czech
Czech may refer to:
* Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe
** Czech language
** Czechs, the people of the area
** Czech culture
** Czech cuisine
* One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus
*Czech (surnam ...
spin-off of the BBC ''Greatest Britons'' show;
a television poll of the populace to name the greatest
Czech
Czech may refer to:
* Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe
** Czech language
** Czechs, the people of the area
** Czech culture
** Czech cuisine
* One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus
*Czech (surnam ...
in history. The series was broadcast by the national public-service broadcaster,
Czech Television
Czech Television ( ; abbreviation: ČT) is a public television broadcaster in the Czech Republic, broadcasting six channels. Established after breakup of Czechoslovakia in 1992, it is the successor to Czechoslovak Television founded in 1953.
H ...
.
The presenter of the programme was
Marek Eben, who was also nominated to be in the Top 100; however, since he was presenting the show he was not eligible to be included in the final list.
The counting and ranking of the nomination votes took place during January 2005; the top 100 were announced on 5 May; and the final rankings were announced on 10 June 2005. The first round was won by the fictional genius
Jára Cimrman, but he was disqualified.
List of Greatest Czechs
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King Charles IV, Bohemian king (1346–1378) and Emperor (1355–1378), founder of Charles Bridge and Charles University – 68,713 votes
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Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk Tomáš () is a Czech name, Czech and Slovak name, Slovak given name, equivalent to the name Thomas (name), Thomas. Tomáš is also a surname (feminine: Tomášová). Notable people with the name include:
Given name Sport
*Tomáš Berdych (born 198 ...
(1850–1937) – first Czechoslovak president (1918–1935) – 55,040 votes
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Václav Havel
Václav Havel (; 5 October 193618 December 2011) was a Czech statesman, author, poet, playwright, and dissident. Havel served as the last List of presidents of Czechoslovakia, president of Czechoslovakia from 1989 until 1992, prior to the dissol ...
(1936–2011) – last Czechoslovak (1989–1992) and first Czech president (1993–2003)
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John Amos Comenius
John Amos Comenius (; ; ; ; Latinized: ''Ioannes Amos Comenius''; 28 March 1592 – 15 November 1670) was a Czech philosopher, pedagogue and theologian who is considered the father of modern education. He served as the last bishop of the Unit ...
(1592–1670) – philosopher and pedagogue, "Teacher of Nations"
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Jan Žižka
Jan Žižka z Trocnova a Kalicha (; 1360 – 11 October 1424) was a Czechs, Czech military leader and Knight who was a contemporary and follower of Jan Hus, and a prominent Radical Hussite who led the Taborites, Taborite faction during the Hu ...
(1360–1424) –
Hussite
file:Hussitenkriege.tif, upright=1.2, Battle between Hussites (left) and Crusades#Campaigns against heretics and schismatics, Catholic crusaders in the 15th century
file:The Bohemian Realm during the Hussite Wars.png, upright=1.2, The Lands of the ...
general, leader of Czech resistance to the Holy Roman Empire and Catholic Church
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Jan Werich (1905–1980) – actor, playwright and author
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Jan Hus
Jan Hus (; ; 1369 – 6 July 1415), sometimes anglicized as John Hus or John Huss, and referred to in historical texts as ''Iohannes Hus'' or ''Johannes Huss'', was a Czechs, Czech theologian and philosopher who became a Church reformer and t ...
(1369–1415) – religious reformer
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Antonín Dvořák
Antonín Leopold Dvořák ( ; ; 8September 18411May 1904) was a Czech composer. He frequently employed rhythms and other aspects of the folk music of Moravia and his native Bohemia, following the Romantic-era nationalist example of his predec ...
(1841–1904) – composer
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Karel Čapek
Karel Čapek (; 9 January 1890 – 25 December 1938) was a Czech writer, playwright, critic and journalist. He has become best known for his science fiction, including his novel '' War with the Newts'' (1936) and play '' R.U.R.'' (''Rossum' ...
(1890–1938) – writer, author of ''
R.U.R.''
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Božena Němcová
Božena Němcová () (4 February 1820 in Vienna – 21 January 1862 in Prague) was a Czech writer of the final phase of the ''Czech National Revival'' movement.
Her image is featured on the 500 CZK denomination of the Česká koruna.
Biography ...
– writer, author of ''
The Grandmother''
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Bedřich Smetana
Bedřich Smetana ( ; ; 2 March 1824 – 12 May 1884) was a Czech composer who pioneered the development of a musical style that became closely identified with his people's aspirations to a cultural and political "revival". He has been regarded ...
(1824–1884) – composer
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Emil Zátopek
Emil Zátopek (; 19 September 1922 – 21 November 2000) was a Czech long-distance runner best known for winning three gold medals at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki. He won gold in the 5,000 metres and 10,000 metres runs, but his final ...
(1922–2000) – athlete, Olympic winner
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Karel Gott (1939–2019) – pop singer
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George of Poděbrady
George of Kunštát and Poděbrady (23 April 1420 – 22 March 1471), also known as Poděbrad or Podiebrad (; ), was the sixteenth King of Bohemia, who ruled in 1458–1471. He was a leader of the Hussites, but moderate and tolerant toward the ...
(1430–1471) – utraquist king
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František Palacký
František Palacký (; 14 June 1798 – 26 May 1876) was a Czech historian and politician. He was the most influential person of the Czech National Revival, called "Father of the Nation".
Life
František Palacký was born on 14 June 1798, at ...
(1798–1876) – historian and politician
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Ottokar II of Bohemia
Ottokar II (; , in Městec Králové, Bohemia – 26 August 1278, in Dürnkrut, Austria, Dürnkrut, Lower Austria), the Iron and Golden King, was a member of the Přemyslid dynasty who reigned as King of Bohemia from 1253 until his death in 1278 ...
(1233–1278) – king, known as "Iron and Gold King"
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Saint Wenceslaus (907–935) – duke (922–935) and patron saint of Bohemia
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Václav Klaus
Václav Klaus (; born 19 June 1941) is a Czech economist and politician who served as the second president of the Czech Republic from 2003 to 2013. From July 1992 until the dissolution of Czechoslovakia in January 1993, he served as the second ...
(1941–) – second president of the Czech Republic (2003–2013)
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Jaroslav Heyrovský
Jaroslav Heyrovský (; 20 December 1890 – 27 March 1967) was a Czech chemist and inventor who received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1959 for his invention of polarography.
Life and work
Jaroslav Heyrovský was born in Prague on December 2 ...
(1890–1967) – chemist,
Nobel prize
The Nobel Prizes ( ; ; ) are awards administered by the Nobel Foundation and granted in accordance with the principle of "for the greatest benefit to humankind". The prizes were first awarded in 1901, marking the fifth anniversary of Alfred N ...
laureate
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Saint Agnes of Bohemia (1211–1282) – princess and saint, founder of first Prague hospital
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Tomáš Baťa
Tomáš Baťa () (3 April 1876 – 12 July 1932) was a Czech entrepreneur and founder of the Bata shoe company. His career was cut short when he died in a plane accident due to bad weather.
Baťa's half-brother Jan Antonín Baťa took over h ...
(1876–1932) – first republic businessman
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Edvard Beneš
Edvard Beneš (; 28 May 1884 – 3 September 1948) was a Czech politician and statesman who served as the president of Czechoslovakia from 1935 to 1938, and again from 1939 to 1948. During the first six years of his second stint, he led the Czec ...
(1884–1948) – second Czechoslovak president (1935–1938, in exile 1940–1945, 1945–1948)
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Otto Wichterle
Otto Wichterle (; 27 October 1913 – 18 August 1998) was a Czech chemist, best known for his invention of modern soft contact lenses.
Wichterle was the author or co-author of approximately 180 patents and over 200 publications. The studie ...
(1913–1998) – chemist, inventor of contact lenses
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Jaroslav Seifert
Jaroslav Seifert (; 23 September 1901 – 10 January 1986) was a Czech writer, poet and journalist. Seifert was awarded the 1984 Nobel Prize in Literature "for his poetry which endowed with freshness, sensuality and rich inventiveness provides ...
(1901–1986) – poet,
Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prizes ( ; ; ) are awards administered by the Nobel Foundation and granted in accordance with the principle of "for the greatest benefit to humankind". The prizes were first awarded in 1901, marking the fifth anniversary of Alfred N ...
laureate
#
Zdeněk Svěrák
Zdeněk Svěrák (born 28 March 1936) is a Czech actor, humorist, playwright and scriptwriter, and one of the most well-known and popular Czech cultural personalities. Since 1968 he has appeared in 32 films.
Career
In 1958, he graduated in Czec ...
(1936–) – playwright, screenwriter, actor and "
cimrmanologist"
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Emmy Destinn
Emmy Destinn ( (); 26 February 1878 – 28 January 1930) was a Czech operatic dramatic soprano. She had a career both in Europe and at the New York Metropolitan Opera. She was one of the greatest opera singers of the 19th and 20th centuries. ...
(1878–1930) – opera singer
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Jaromír Jágr
Jaromír Jágr (; born 15 February 1972) is a Czech professional ice hockey Winger (ice hockey), right winger and owner of Rytíři Kladno of the Czech Extraliga (ELH). He previously played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Pittsburgh ...
(1972–) – ice hockey player
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Maria Theresa
Maria Theresa (Maria Theresia Walburga Amalia Christina; 13 May 1717 – 29 November 1780) was the ruler of the Habsburg monarchy from 1740 until her death in 1780, and the only woman to hold the position suo jure, in her own right. She was the ...
(1717–1780) – Bohemian queen
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Karel Kryl (1944–1994) – dissident singer-songwriter
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Miloš Forman
Jan Tomáš "Miloš" Forman (; ; 18 February 1932 – 13 April 2018) was a Czech Americans, Czech-American film film director, director, screenwriter, actor, and professor who rose to fame in his native Czechoslovakia before emigrating to the Uni ...
(1932–2018) – film director
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Vlasta Burian
Josef Vlastimil Burian, better known as Vlasta Burian, (9 April 1891 – 31 January 1962) was a Czechs, Czech actor, singer, comedian, footballer and film director. He is among the most famous Czech actors and comedians of the first half of the 2 ...
(1891–1962) – actor, "king of comedians"
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Roman Šebrle (1974–) – decathlete, Olympic winner
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Ivan Hlinka
Ivan Hlinka (January 26, 1950 – August 16, 2004) was a Czech professional ice hockey player and coach. He is considered to be one of the most important figures in Czech ice hockey history. A big centre, his playing style was comparable to Ph ...
(1950–2004) – ice hockey player and coach
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Karel Havlíček Borovský
Karel Havlíček Borovský (; 31 October 1821 – 29 July 1856) was a Czech writer, poet, critic, politician, journalist, and publisher.
Early life and education
He lived and studied at the gymnasium in Německý Brod (today Havlíčkův Brod, ...
(1821–1856) – journalist and writer
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Daniel Landa (1968–) – singer
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Milada Horáková
Milada Horáková (born: Králová, 25 December 1901 – 27 June 1950) was a Czech politician and a member of the underground resistance movement during World War II. She was a victim of judicial murder, convicted and executed by the Communis ...
(1901–1950) – victim of Nazism and later communism (hanged in 1950)
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Vladimír Menšík
Vladimír Menšík (9 October 1929 – 29 May 1988) was a Czech actor and entertainer. He is considered one of the greatest Czech comedians, storytellers and improvisers.
Life
Vladimír Menšík was born on 9 October 1929 in Ivančice, Czechosl ...
(1929–1988) – actor
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Jaroslav Hašek
Jaroslav Hašek (; 1883–1923) was a Czechs, Czech writer, Humorism, humorist, Satire, satirist, journalist, Bohemianism, bohemian, first anarchist and then communist, and commissar of the Red Army against the Czechoslovak Legion. He is best k ...
(1883–1923) – writer, author of ''
The Good Soldier Švejk
''The Good Soldier Švejk'' () is an unfinished satirical dark comedy novel by Czech writer Jaroslav Hašek, published in 1921–1923, about a good-humored, simple-minded, middle-aged man who appears to be enthusiastic to serve Austria-Hungary i ...
''
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Alfons Mucha
Alfons Maria Mucha (; 24 July 1860 – 14 July 1939), known internationally as Alphonse Mucha, was a Czech painter, illustrator, and graphic artist. Living in Paris during the Art Nouveau period, he was widely known for his distinctly stylized ...
(1860–1939) – art nouveau painter
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Jan Evangelista Purkyně
Jan Evangelista Purkyně (; also written Johann Evangelist Purkinje) (17 or 18 December 1787 – 28 July 1869) was a Czech anatomist and physiologist. In 1839, he coined the term " protoplasma" for the fluid substance of a cell. He was one of th ...
(1787–1869) – biologist and physician
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Pavel Nedvěd
Pavel Nedvěd (; born 30 August 1972) is a Czech former professional Association football, footballer who played as a midfielder. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest Czech players of all time and he won numerous trophies with Italian cl ...
(1972–) – footballer (European footballer of the year 2003)
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Jan Janský
Jan Janský (; 3 April 1873 – 8 September 1921) was a Czech serologist, neurologist and psychiatrist. He is credited with the classification of blood into four types (I, II, III, IV).
Life and education
Janský was born on 3 April 1873 in ...
(1873–1921) – neurologist and psychiatrist, discoverer of four blood types
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František Křižík
František Křižík (; 8 July 1847 – 22 January 1941) was a Czech inventor, electrical engineer and entrepreneur.
Biography
Křižík was born on 8 July 1847 in a poor family in Plánice. His father, a shoemaker, died early. When he was 12 ...
(1847–1941) – inventor, engineer and industrialist
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Jan Železný
Jan Železný (; born 16 June 1966) is a Czech former track and field athlete who competed in the javelin throw. He is a IAAF World Championships in Athletics, World and Olympic Games, Olympic champion and holds the Javelin throw#Men, world reco ...
(1966–) – Olympic athlete
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Jan Palach
Jan Palach (; 11 August 1948 – 19 January 1969) was a Czech student of history and political economics at Charles University in Prague. His self-immolation in 1969 at age 20 was a political protest against the end of the Prague Spring resul ...
(1948–1969) – protester against Soviet invasion of 1968 (self-immolated)
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Věra Čáslavská (1942–2016) – Olympic athlete
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Leoš Janáček
Leoš Janáček (, 3 July 1854 – 12 August 1928) was a Czech composer, Music theory, music theorist, Folkloristics, folklorist, publicist, and teacher. He was inspired by Moravian folk music, Moravian and other Slavs, Slavic music, includin ...
(1854–1928) – composer
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Alois Jirásek
Alois Jirásek () (23 August 1851 – 12 March 1930) was a Czech writer, author of historical novels and plays. Jirásek was a high school history teacher in Litomyšl and later in Prague until his retirement in 1909. He wrote a series of histor ...
(1851–1930) – playwright and author
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Jaromír Nohavica
Jaromír Nohavica or Jarek Nohavica (born 7 June 1953, in Ostrava) is a Czech recording artist, songwriter, lyricist and poet.
Early life
He was born in Ostrava and has played guitar since he was 13. He began studies at the Technical Unive ...
(1953–) – musician
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Jan Masaryk
Jan Garrigue Masaryk (14 September 1886 – 10 March 1948) was a Czech diplomat and politician who served as the Foreign Minister of Czechoslovakia from 1940 to 1948. American journalist John Gunther described Masaryk as "a brave, honest, turbule ...
(1886–1948) – Czechoslovak secretary of foreign affairs (1940–48)
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Bohumil Hrabal
Bohumil Hrabal (; 28 March 1914 – 3 February 1997) was a Czech Republic, Czech writer, often named among the best Czech writers of the 20th century.
Early life
Hrabal was born in Židenice (suburb of Brno) on 28 March 1914, in what was then ...
(1914–1997) – writer
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Jan Neruda
Jan Nepomuk Neruda (Czech: �jan ˈnɛpomuk ˈnɛruda 10 July 1834 – 22 August 1891) was a Czech journalist, writer, poet and art critic; one of the most prominent representatives of Czech Realism and a member of the " May School".
Early li ...
(1834–1891) – writer
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Josef Jungmann
Josef Jungmann (16 July 1773 – 14 November 1847) was a Czech linguist and poet, and a leading figure of the Czech National Revival. Together with Josef Dobrovský, he is considered to be a creator of the modern Czech language. The literary aw ...
(1773–1847) – linguist and translator
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Gregor Mendel
Gregor Johann Mendel Order of Saint Augustine, OSA (; ; ; 20 July 1822 – 6 January 1884) was an Austrian Empire, Austrian biologist, meteorologist, mathematician, Augustinians, Augustinian friar and abbot of St Thomas's Abbey, Brno, St. Thom ...
(1822–1884) – geneticist, "father of genetics"
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Franz Kafka
Franz Kafka (3 July 1883 – 3 June 1924) was a novelist and writer from Prague who was Jewish, Austrian, and Czech and wrote in German. He is widely regarded as a major figure of 20th-century literature. His work fuses elements of Litera ...
(1883–1924) – writer
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František Tomášek (1899–1992) – archbishop of Prague
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Saint Adalbert (956–997) – saint
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Josef Bican
Josef "Pepi" Bican (25 September 1913 – 12 December 2001) was an Austrians, Austrian-Czechs, Czech professional Association football, footballer who played as a Forward (association football)#Striker, striker. He is regarded by some to be the ...
(1913–2001) – football player
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Josef Kajetán Tyl (1808–1856) – playwright
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Lucie Bílá
Lucie Bílá (born Hana Zaňáková on 7 April 1966) is a Czech pop singer. According to her label, EMI Czech Republic, the singer has sold over one million albums. She won the Czech musical award, Český slavík, 13 times, more than any other ...
(1966–) – pop singer
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Karel Hynek Mácha
Karel Hynek Mácha () (16 November 1810 – 5 November 1836) was a Czechs, Czech Romanticism, romantic poet. His poem ''Máj'' is among the most important poems in the history of Czech literature.
Biography
Mácha was born on 16 November 1810 ...
(1810–1836) – poet
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Saint Ludmila (860–921) – grandmother of the Czech patron St. Wenceslaus
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Boleslav Polívka (1949–) – actor
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Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor
Rudolf II (18 July 1552 – 20 January 1612) was Holy Roman Emperor (1576–1612), King of Hungary and Kingdom of Croatia (Habsburg), Croatia (as Rudolf I, 1572–1608), King of Bohemia (1575–1608/1611) and Archduke of Austria (1576–16 ...
(1552–1612) – king
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Josef Dobrovský
Josef Dobrovský (17 August 1753 – 6 January 1829) was a Czech philologist and historian, one of the most important figures of the Czech National Revival along with Josef Jungmann.
Life and work
Dobrovský was born at Balassagyarmat, N� ...
(1753–1829) – philologist
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Josef Lada
Josef Lada (born 17 December 1887 in Hrusice, Bohemia – 14 December 1957 in Prague, buried at Olšany Cemetery) was a Czech painter, illustrator, cartoonist and writer. Pioneer of the Czech comicbook tradition and founder of the “Czech m ...
(1753–1829) – painter
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Rudolf Hrušínský
Rudolf Hrušínský (17 October 1920 – 13 April 1994) was a Czech actor. He was one of the most popular Czech actors. Many of his movies such as ''The Good Soldier Švejk'', '' The Cremator'' or '' Capricious Summer'' are considered classics of ...
(1920–1994) – actor
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Wenceslaus II of Bohemia
Wenceslaus II Přemyslid (; ; 27 SeptemberK. Charvátová, ''Václav II. Král český a polský'', Prague 2007, p. 18. 1271 – 21 June 1305) was King of Bohemia (1278–1305), Duke of Cracow (1291–1305), and King of Poland (1296–130 ...
(1271–1305) – king
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Madeleine Albright
Madeleine Jana Korbel Albright (born Marie Jana Körbelová, later Korbelová; May 15, 1937 – March 23, 2022) was an American diplomat and political science, political scientist who served as the 64th United States Secretary of State, United S ...
(1937–2022) – politician, US secretary of state
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Aneta Langerová (1986–) – pop singer, ''
Česko hledá SuperStar'' winner
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Ottokar I of Bohemia
Ottokar I (; 1155 – 1230) was Duke of Bohemia periodically beginning in 1192, then acquired the title of King of Bohemia, first in 1198 from Philip of Swabia, later in 1203 from Otto IV of Brunswick and in 1212 (as hereditary) from ...
(1155–1230) – king, conqueror
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Ludvík Svoboda
Ludvík Svoboda (; 25 November 1895 – 20 September 1979) was a Czech general and politician. He fought in both World Wars, for which he was regarded as a national hero,[Dominik Hašek
Dominik Hašek (, ; born 29 January 1965) is a Czech former ice hockey goaltender who played 16 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL), mostly for the Buffalo Sabres. Widely regarded as one of the best goaltenders in history, Hašek also p ...]
(1965–) – ice hockey player
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John of Bohemia
John of Bohemia, also called the Blind or of Luxembourg (; ; ; 10 August 1296 – 26 August 1346), was the Count of Luxembourg from 1313 and King of Bohemia from 1310 and titular King of Poland. He is well known for having died while fighting ...
(1296–1346) – king, father of Charles IV
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Milan Baroš
Milan Baroš (; born 28 October 1981) is a Czech former professional footballer who played as a forward.
In 2005, he was part of the Liverpool team which won the UEFA Champions League. He went on to win Ligue 1 with Lyon in 2007, the FA Cup w ...
(1981–) – footballer
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Karel Jaromír Erben
Karel Jaromír Erben (; 7 November 1811 – 21 November 1870) was a Czech folklorist and poet of the mid-19th century, best known for his collection '' Kytice'', which contains poems based on traditional and folkloric themes.
He also wrote ''Pí ...
(1811–1870) – poet
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Saint Zdislava (1200–1252) – saint
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Jaroslav Foglar
Jaroslav Foglar (6 July 1907 – 23 January 1999) was a Czech writer for children and youth. He wrote many novels about youths (partly also about the Boy Scouts movement) and their adventures in nature and dark city streets. His signature serie ...
(1907–1999) – writer
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Ladislav Smoljak
Ladislav Smoljak (9 December 1931 – 6 June 2010) was a Czechs, Czech film and theater director, actor and screenwriter.
Biography
Smoljak was born in Prague. He tried to study at an art academy but failed the admission process. He went on to ...
(1931–2010) – actor and writer, actor and "cimrmanologist"
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Olga Havlová
Olga Havlová (nee Šplíchalová; 11 July 1933 – 27 January 1996) was a Czech dissident, activist, and the first wife of Václav Havel, the last President of Czechoslovakia and first President of the Czech Republic. Havlová, the inaugural F ...
(1933–1996) – wife of Václav Havel, former Czechoslovak and Czech president
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Martina Navratilova
Martina Navratilova (, ; ; born October18, 1956) is a Czech-American former professional tennis player. She was ranked as the world No. 1 in women's List of WTA number 1 ranked singles tennis players, singles for 332 weeks (List of WTA number ...
(1956–) – tennis player
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Helena Růžičková
Helena Růžičková (13 June 1936 – 4 January 2004) was a Czechs, Czech actress. She was known for her characteristic corpulent figure and comedic talents. She became popular especially thanks to her roles in Jaroslav Papoušek's ''Homolka'' co ...
(1936–2004) – actress
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Pavel Tigrid
Pavel Tigrid (27 October 1917 – 31 August 2003) was a Czech Republic, Czech writer, publisher, author and politician. He is considered one of the most important personalities of the Czech exile journalism.
Biography
Pavel Schönfeld was born in ...
(1917–2003) – writer
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Elisabeth of Bohemia (1292–1330) Elisabeth (or Elizabeth) of Bohemia may refer to:
* Elisabeth Richeza of Poland (1286–1335), daughter of Przemysl II of Poland and wife of Wenceslaus II of Bohemia.
* Elisabeth of Bohemia (1292–1330), daughter of Wenceslaus II of Bohemia and w ...
– queen
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Milan Kundera
Milan Kundera ( ; ; 1 April 1929 – 11 July 2023) was a Czech and French novelist. Kundera went into exile in France in 1975, acquiring citizenship in 1981. His Czechoslovak citizenship was revoked in 1979, but he was granted Czech citizenship ...
(1929–2023) – writer
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Vladimír Remek (1948–) – cosmonaut and politician
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Boleslaus I, Duke of Bohemia
Boleslaus I (Czech: ''Boleslav I. Ukrutný''; 915–972), a member of the Přemyslid dynasty, was ruler ( ''kníže'', "prince") of the Duchy of Bohemia from 935 until his death in 972. He is notorious for the murder of his elder brother Wences ...
(915-972?) – king
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Magdalena Dobromila Rettigová (1785–1845) – writer
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Mikoláš Aleš (1852–1913) – painter
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Emil Holub
Emil Holub (7 October 1847 – 21 February 1902) was a Czechs, Czech physician, explorer, cartographer, and ethnographer in Africa.
Early life
Holub was born in Holice in eastern Kingdom of Bohemia, Bohemia (then within the Austrian Empire, no ...
(1847–1907) – physician, traveler and writer
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František Fajtl
Lieutenant General František Fajtl (20 August 1912 – 4 October 2006) was a Czech fighter pilot of World War II. He was a British Royal Air Force (RAF) squadron and wing commander and led a group of Czechoslovak fighter pilots who formed an a ...
(1912–2006) – fighter pilot in World War II
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Klement Gottwald
Klement Gottwald (; 23 November 1896 – 14 March 1953) was a Czech communist politician, who was the leader of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia from 1929 until his death in 1953 – titled as general secretary until 1945 and as chairman f ...
(1896–1953) – first Communist president of Czechoslovakia
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Zdeněk Matějček (1922–2004)– pediatrician
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Jiří Voskovec
Jiří Voskovec () (born Jiří Wachsmann; June 19, 1905 – July 1, 1981), known in the United States as George Voskovec, was a Czech-American actor. Throughout much of his career, he was associated with actor and playwright Jan Werich. In the ...
(1905–1981)– actor
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Marta Kubišová (1942–) – singer and actress
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Jiřina Bohdalová (1931–) – actress
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Miloslav Šimek
Miloslav Šimek (7 March 1940 – 16 February 2004) was a Czech comedian and satirist. He was most famous for his double act with Jiří Grossmann on their show ''Návštěvní den'' at the Semafor, presented in 1968–1971. Later he cooperated ...
(1940–2004) – actor
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Sigmund Freud
Sigmund Freud ( ; ; born Sigismund Schlomo Freud; 6 May 1856 – 23 September 1939) was an Austrian neurologist and the founder of psychoanalysis, a clinical method for evaluating and treating psychopathology, pathologies seen as originating fro ...
(1856–1939) – psychiatrist, teacher of Carl Gustav Jung
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Samo
Samo (–) was the founder and sole ruler of the first recorded political union of Slavs, Slavic tribes, known as Samo's Empire ("realm", "kingdom", or "tribal union"), ruling from 623 until his death in 658. According to Fredegarius, the only ...
(600–658) – ruler of the so-called Samo's Realm
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Miloš Zeman
Miloš Zeman (; born 28 September 1944) is a Czech politician who served as the third president of the Czech Republic from 2013 to 2023. He also previously served as the prime minister of the Czech Republic from 1998 to 2002. As leader of the Cze ...
(1944–) – third Czech president (since 2013)
The Greatest Villain
At the same time as the nominations, an Internet vote for the greatest villain of Czech history was held. The top ten were:
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Klement Gottwald
Klement Gottwald (; 23 November 1896 – 14 March 1953) was a Czech communist politician, who was the leader of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia from 1929 until his death in 1953 – titled as general secretary until 1945 and as chairman f ...
(1896–1953) – first Communist president of Czechoslovakia (1948–53)
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Stanislav Gross
Stanislav Gross (; 30 October 1969 – 16 April 2015) was a Czech lawyer and politician who served as the prime minister of the Czech Republic and leader of the Czech Social Democratic Party from 2004 until 2005 when he resigned as a result of ...
(1969–2015) – 20th/21st-century politician, Czech Republic PM
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Václav Klaus
Václav Klaus (; born 19 June 1941) is a Czech economist and politician who served as the second president of the Czech Republic from 2003 to 2013. From July 1992 until the dissolution of Czechoslovakia in January 1993, he served as the second ...
(1941–) – 20th/21st-century politician, president of Czech Republic
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Vladimír Železný
Vladimír Železný (born 3 March 1945) is a Czech businessman and politician. He was the first CEO of Nova (Czech TV), TV NOVA, a popular Czech television station and was a member of the European Parliament between 2004 and 2009. As a media mogu ...
(1945–) – 20th/21st-century television businessman, founder of
TV Nova, charged with an extensive
tunnelling fraud
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Miroslav Kalousek (1960–) – 20th/21st-century politician, leader of Christian Democratic party
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Miroslav Grebeníček (1947–) – leader of Communist Party of Moravia and Bohemia
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Viktor Kožený (1963–) – 20th/21st-century financial figure, fugitive financier, nicknamed "the pirate of Prague"
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Milouš Jakeš (1922–2020) – 20th-century politician, General Secretary of Czechoslovak Communist Party before and during Velvet Revolution
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Zdeněk Škromach (1956–) – former minister of work and social affairs
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Gustáv Husák
Gustáv Husák ( , ; ; 10 January 1913 – 18 November 1991) was a Czechoslovak politician who served as the long-time First Secretary of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia from 1969 to 1987 and the President of Czechoslovakia from 1975 ...
(1913–1991) – 20th-century politician, last Communist president of Czechoslovakia
Jára Cimrman
The first round of official voting for Greatest Czech was won by the fictional character
Jára Cimrman created by Czech humorists
Jiří Šebánek,
Zdeněk Svěrák
Zdeněk Svěrák (born 28 March 1936) is a Czech actor, humorist, playwright and scriptwriter, and one of the most well-known and popular Czech cultural personalities. Since 1968 he has appeared in 32 films.
Career
In 1958, he graduated in Czec ...
(who himself took the 25th place) and
Ladislav Smoljak
Ladislav Smoljak (9 December 1931 – 6 June 2010) was a Czechs, Czech film and theater director, actor and screenwriter.
Biography
Smoljak was born in Prague. He tried to study at an art academy but failed the admission process. He went on to ...
(79th). The fact that he is not a real person disqualified him from taking the title, as the rules stated that "it is only possible to vote for someone who was either born on, lived on, or in any way acted on the soil of
Bohemia
Bohemia ( ; ; ) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. In a narrow, geographic sense, it roughly encompasses the territories of present-day Czechia that fall within the Elbe River's drainage basin, but historic ...
,
Moravia
Moravia ( ; ) is a historical region in the eastern Czech Republic, roughly encompassing its territory within the Danube River's drainage basin. It is one of three historical Czech lands, with Bohemia and Czech Silesia.
The medieval and early ...
or
Czech Silesia
Czech Silesia (; ) is the part of the historical region of Silesia now in the Czech Republic. While it currently has no formal boundaries, in a narrow geographic sense, it encompasses most or all of the territory of the Czech Republic within the ...
."
The Prague Post
/ref>
References
External links
Official site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nejvetsi Cech
Cech
Lists of Czech people
Historiography of the Czech Republic
Czech Television original programming
Czech television series based on British television series
2005 Czech television series debuts
2005 Czech television series endings