Vojtěch Náprstek

Vojtěch Naprstek ( born April 17, 1826 in Prague, † September 1, 1894 ibid ) called Vojta Naprstek also Adalbert thimble, was a philanthropist, anthropologist, booksellers, founder of a museum and an important figure in the public life of Bohemia.

Life

He comes from an old family in Prague. Father was Antonín Naprstek ( Foxglove), mother Anna.

Even as a youth he worked with Asian and Middle Eastern cultures. First, he completed a grammar school. Then he studied at the University of Prague philosophy, but his mother sent him to study law in Vienna, where he earned as an educator in a noble family 's livelihood.

After his legal studies in Vienna, where he actively participated in the revolutionary movement in 1848, he spent ten years as an immigrant in the United States of America. There he worked first as a laborer and mason, he established himself as a book and paper dealers in Milwaukee (Wisconsin ). Later translators of Slavic languages ​​and notary. In 1856 he organized the first meeting of people living in America Czechs.

In 1858 he returned to Prague and brought not only technical innovations, but also ethnographic exhibitions and objects of daily use with. He made these things available to all people, and thus followed the opening of Prague to Asian, African and American cultures. He collected not only objects, but also books, magazines, postcards, prints, historic photographs of Czechs and their families who had emigrated, and phonograph records. These materials ( over 62,000 different ) now preserved in the library of Naprstek Museum and prepared for exhibitions and publications.

The development of Vojta Naprstek for charitable and public education -advancing people was particularly moved by his mother. Anna Fingerhutová (1788-1873), owner of the beer and brandy brewery "U Halánků " was known as a charitable woman and patron of Prague. She regularly made ​​bread and money to distribute among the poor. At the same time they also worked to bring a corresponding development of education. Thanks to their efforts, regular meetings took the so-called " American Women's Club" instead. Your financial legacy enabled her son Vojta, to found the Naprstek Museum. Naprstek even made ​​sure that the thoughts and ideas of his mother were continued. He was a great supporter of the economic independence of women. He knew, however, that conditions are certain skills and education. In his home on a regular basis leading Czech politicians, scientists, artists, writers, musicians and scientists met traveling.

June 1, 1888, he founded with Dr. Vilém Kurz Club Czech tourists.

Vojta Naprstek died in Prague on September 1, 1894

Services

Museum

The museum was founded in 1862 under the name "Czech Industrial Museum " by Vojta Naprstek. The collections include more than 95,000 exhibits from the ancient Near East, Africa, America, Asia, Australia and Oceania.

Library

To Náprsteks lifetime had his library a universal character and was based on contemporary literature. In 1900, the backlog included approximately 47,000 units. Today there are 200,000.

In his estate Naprstek bequeathed to the museum and library of the Czech people. Both were placed under the care of a Board of Trustees in Prague. The museum began collecting activities of the founder continued with a focus on non-European ethnology. Thus evolved from the original Arts Museum is a museum of ethnology.

In 1932, the museum and the library were placed under state administration, and since 1949 they form an independent department of the National Museum (Narodni Muzeum ) in Prague. The current name Naprstek Museum of Asian, African and American cultures carries the Museum since 1962.