Josef Vítězslav Šimák

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Šimák's grave in Turnov

Josef Vítězslav Šimák (born August 15, 1870 in Turnov , Austro-Hungarian Monarchy , † January 30, 1941 in Prague ) was a historian and from 1921 professor at the Charles University in Prague .

youth

The son of the director of the Turnov citizen school, was mainly promoted by his mother, a teacher. Through her he learned to read early and was introduced to poetry. The young Šimák soon became interested in old chronicles, knight sagas and calendars. In school he was mainly influenced by the historical stories of the writers Prokop Chocholoušek and Václav Beneš Třebízský . However, his great role model was the historian Alois Jirásek . In Turnov he also met Josef Pekař , with whom he later attended the grammar school in Mladá Boleslav . The love for their homeland and its castles, palaces and ruins led both young people to study history.

Career

Šimák studied history at the University of Prague, where he received his doctorate in 1895. After that he was a teacher at the grammar school on the Lesser Town in Prague , after a year he switched to the secondary school in Pardubice and another year later back to Prague. From 1900 he taught for 21 years at the Girls' Higher School in Prague; part-time he devoted himself to studying archeology. He also published several scientific papers.

In 1921 he was appointed full professor of local history at the Charles University. For several years he was director of the historical seminary and curator of the Ministry of Education and National Enlightenment. He was also a full member of the Czech Academy of Sciences and Arts , an extraordinary member of the Education Association, a member of the Agricultural Association and an honorary member of the Society of Friends of Antiquity. In total he gave over 400 lectures.

Relationship to home

Šimák was very attached to his native Turnov. He devoted much of his scientific research to him. In 1886 he founded the Museum of the Bohemian Paradise in Turnov, in which he worked for a long time. He took part in archaeological excavations, some of which he also directed.

A hiking trail from Turnov via Klokočské skály , Betlémské skály to Kozákov ( Šimákova stezka ) was named after Šimák by the Czech tourist club .

Works

He dedicated most of his works to his home region. These include the history of the town of Turnov in 3 volumes, as well as monuments from the political districts of Turnov and Mnichovo Hradiště . In addition, he dealt with the historical development in the late Middle Ages.

Works in German

  • The invasion of Bohemia by the Germans through colonization in the 13th and 14th centuries. Translation of the publication office of the Prussian Secret State Archives . Publication office of the Prussian Secret State Archives, Berlin-Dahlem 1940 (translated from: Pronikání němců do čech: Kolonisací ve 13. a 14. století. Laichter, Prague 1938).
  • Historický vývoj Čech severovýchodních . In: Od kladského pomezí, Volume IX, 1931/1932, pp. 51–58, 81–86, 99–104, 114–117, 130–135 online , accessed October 22, 2016

literature

  • Hana Kábová: Josef Vítězslav Šimák: Jeho život a dílo se zvláštním zřetelem k historické vlastivědě. Společnost pro kulturní dějiny, České Budějovice 2013, ISBN 978-80-904446-9-0 .

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Šimák, Josef Vítězslav
BRIEF DESCRIPTION historian
DATE OF BIRTH August 15, 1870
PLACE OF BIRTH Turnov , Austro-Hungarian Monarchy
DATE OF DEATH January 30, 1941
Place of death Prague