Sunday, NOVEMBER 13 at 4 pm on ZOOM!
Dr. Michael Schouten will provide an overview of the fascinating life and times of his ancestor, Vojtech Náprstek, who is affectionally known as “nejvetší ceský democrat” (foremost Czech democrat).
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Jan Šejbl of the Náprstek Museum in Prague will address its current exhibitions.
Born in 1826, Vojta Naprstek came of age when Czechs were reasserting their national identity after 200 years of Austrian oppression. Exiled to the United States for his role in the 1848 Revolution, he spent ten years living on the American Frontier, heavily influenced by America’s progressive thinking and democratic values. Upon his return to Prague, he made numerous contributions to the Czech National Revival (národní obrození) as a philanthropist, politician, and innovator. Notable examples still endure today include the Naprstek Museum of Asian, African, and Native American Art (now part of the National Museum), the American Ladies Club, and the Naprstek Library.
Surrounded by colorful, influential, and dynamic personalities, Vojtech Naprstek’s life is entertaining, informative, and historically significant.
This event will celebrate the anniversary of the Velvet Revolution on November 17, 1989, and a return to democracy in Czechoslovakia.
Michael Schouten was raised in New York but has settled in Scotland after receiving a Ph.D. in Artificial Intelligence from the University of Edinburgh. He has a longstanding interest in Vojtech Naprstek’s life and has previously delivered a similar presentation to the Edinburgh Czech Society. He is related to Vojta Naprstek through Vojtech’s Grandfather.
