Czech Republic

Famous Czech People: Czech Artists, Scientists, Leaders, Musicians, Politicians and Athletes

The Czech Republic is home to outstanding individuals who made a difference with their remarkable achievements. The following people made their mark on both the local and international scenes. They are just some of many famous Czechs who have lifted Czech’s Republic’s name worldwide and made a difference in our world. Their purpose and stories inspired awe if not greatness.

:: List of Famous People from Czech Republic ::

Franz Kafka
Franz Kafka was a culturally influential German-language novelist. Contemporary critics and academics regard Kafka as one of the best writers of the 20th century. The term “Kafkaesque” has become part of the English vernacular. Kafka was born to middle class German-speaking Jewish parents in Prague, Bohemia, then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The house in which he was born, on the Old Town Square next to Prague’s Church of St Nicholas, now contains a permanent exhibition devoted to the author. Most of Kafka’s writing, much of it unfinished at the time of his death, was published posthumously

Jan Neruda
Jan Neruda was a Czech journalist, writer and poet, one of the most prominent representatives of Czech Realism and a member of “the May school”. In his work Neruda promoted the idea of rebirth of Czech patriotism. He participated in all the central cultural and political struggles of his generation, and gained a reputation as a sensitive critic. Neruda became, with Vítezslav Hálek, the most prominent representative of the new literary trends.

Vítezslav Hálek
Vítezslav Hálek was a Czech poet, writer, journalist, dramatist and theatre critic. He is considered one of the most important representatives of the May school, besides Jan Neruda and Karolína Svetlá. Since 1861 he worked as editor in Národní listy; later he helped to publish newspapers and journals (Lumír, Zlatá Praha, Kvety etc.). He worked as journalist until his death in Prague (1874).

Martina Navratilova
Martina Navratilova is a Czech American and former Czechoslovak tennis player and a former World No. 1. Navratilova won 18 Grand Slam singles titles, 31 Grand Slam women’s doubles titles (an all-time record), and 10 Grand Slam mixed doubles titles. She reached the Wimbledon singles final 12 times, including 9 consecutive years from 1982 through 1990, and won the women’s singles title at Wimbledon a record 9 times. She and King each won 20 Wimbledon titles, an all-time record. Navratilova is one of just three women to have accomplished a career Grand Slam in singles, women’s doubles, and mixed doubles (called the Grand Slam “boxed set”) a record she shares with Margaret Court and Doris Hart. She holds the open era record for most singles titles (167) and doubles titles (177). She recorded the longest winning streak in the open era (74 consecutive matches) and three of the six longest winning streaks in the women’s open era. Navratilova, Margaret Court, and Maureen Connolly share the record for the most consecutive Grand Slam singles titles (six). Navratilova reached 11 consecutive Grand Slam singles finals, second all-time to Steffi Graf’s 13. In women’s doubles, Navratilova and Pam Shriver won 109 consecutive matches and won all four Grand Slam titles in 1984. Also the pair set an all time record of 79 titles together and tied Louise Brough Clapp’s and Margaret Osborne duPont’s record of 20 Grand Slam women’s doubles titles as a team.

Navratilova is a member of the Laureus World Sports Academy. She also serves the Health and Fitness Ambassador for AARP in an alliance created to help AARP’s millions of members lead active, healthy lives.

Ivan Lendl
Ivan Lendl is a former World No. 1 professional tennis player. Originally from Czechoslovakia, Lendl became a United States citizen. He was one of the game’s most dominant players in the 1980s and remained a top competitor into the early 1990s. He is considered to be one of the greatest tennis players of all time.[2] Lendl captured eight Grand Slam singles titles. He competed in 19 Grand Slam singles finals, a record for a man since surpassed by Roger Federer in 2009. He reached at least one Grand Slam final for 11 consecutive years, a record for a man since equaled by Pete Sampras. Before the formation of the ATP Lendl reached 12 year end championships (a record shared with John McEnroe) with the record of 9 consecutive finals. Competing on the World Championship Tennis tour, winning 2 WCT Finals titles and the Grand Prix Tennis Circuit where he won a record 5 Masters Grand Prix titles, since tied with Pete Sampras and Roger Federer. Lendl first attained the World No. 1 ranking on February 28, 1983 and bolstered his claim to the top spot when he defeated John McEnroe in the 1984 French Open final. For much of the next five years, Lendl was the top ranked player until August 1990 (with a break from September 1988 to January 1989 when Mats Wilander was at the top). He finished four years ranked as the world’s top player (1985–1987 and 1989) and was ranked World No. 1 for a total of 270 weeks, breaking the record previously held by Jimmy Connors (this has since been surpassed by Pete Sampras and Roger Federer).

Karolína Kurkova
Karolína Kurkova is a Czech model, best known as a former Victoria’s Secret Angel, and an aspiring actress.