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Important Countrymen and Personalities

related to Opočno

• Town holders - up to the 15th century:

Trčka,
Colloredo
- see History
• Friedrich Büthner (Fridericus Buthnerus) (*1622 Opočno; †1701 Gdańsk)
  Scientist - Mathematics, Astronomy
  Works: Disputatio astronomica prior de phaenomenis motum primum conseqventibus; Fernere Continuation des Cometen, darinnen sein Lauff, Enderung, Wechsel, Schwantzstreckung und andere Züfalle aus natürlichen und optischen Gründen dargethan und erwiesen werden; Neuer und Alter Schreib-Calender auffs Jahr nach unsers Herrn Christi Geburt MDCLXVI. Auff den Dantziger und umbliegender Oerter Horizont mit Fleiss gestellet von M. Friderico Büthnero Matheseos Professore und Rectore zu S. Johan, ...
  
  

• Vaňhal, Jan Křtitel (Johann Baptist) (*1739; †1813)
  Opočno organist from 1757, composer
  
  
• Maximilian Otto von Ottenfeld (*7.12.1777 Opočno; †12.2.1858 Wien-Hietzing)
  Chief Post Office Administrator in Vienna (Leiter der Obersthofpostamtsverwaltung in Wien) (Oberster Hofpostverwalter in Wien), Mayor of Wien-Hietzing
  Works: Express Mail and Transport of Persons (1823); Post Law of 1837
  

• Josef Mirovít (Alois) Král (*16.2.(?3.)1789 Opočno - Semechnice; †13.2.1841 Jilemnice - Horní Branná)
  National revival priest, writer, poet, translator.
  
• František Alois Skuherský (Med. dr.) (*12.3.1794 Opočno, Zámecká 65; †12.8.1864)
  
  Physician, Opočno hospital founder, physician, culture organizer
  The plate is on the hospital building in Nádražní street.
  
• Josef Vorel (*14.11.1801, Opočno; †19.12.1874, Zdice)
  Czech patriot, pastor, composer of famous songs, Czech revival activist
  Studied in Rychnov (n. Kn.), then philosophy and theology in Prague to 1825
  Lived in Cerhovice, Žebrák, Počáply. From 1832 in Zdice.
  The plate is on the house no. 29 in Hradební street.
  

• Josef Mnohoslav Roštlapil (*15.8.1809 Kostelec nad Orlicí; †10.10.1888 Dobruška)
  From 1857 pastor in Opočno, historian, astronomer; author of Paměti města Dobrušky a panství opočenského (History of Dobruška and Opočno) (1887) and the Latin–German–Czech Medical Dictonary (1844)
  
• MUDr. Filip Stanislav Kodym (*1.5.1811 Opočno Kodymova 22; †4.5.1885)
  Physician, newspaper editor (Hospodářské noviny, Posel Prahy), representative (Czech Parliament), writer (Nedělní zábavy, Naučení o živlech, Lučba rolnická, Navedení k lučebnictví, Hospodářský klíč, Hospodářská kniha, Luběneckého včelaření v úlech dzierzonských, Zdravověda, Úvod do tělovědy člověka, Spolky na vzájemné pomáhání). Born in Opočno, Kodymova street, No. 22
  
• Václav Vilém Trnobranský (Trnobranský Wáclaw Wilém), pseudonym Jan Městecký (*3.11.1819 Rosice u Chrastě; †27.3.1883 Opočno)
  Writer and poet, author of the scenario to Smetana's Rolnická
  The plate is on the house no. 134 on Kupka square.
  České mládeži, Václ. V. Trnobranského Vybrané spisy veršem i prosou., Památník národního písemnictví, ...
  
• Jan Sekavec (*1824; †15.6.1851 Praha-Hradčany)
  Revolutionary and poet in 1848, 1849, The Twelfth of June or A Warning to the Czechs (1849)
  Information in Czech: Bouza, Erik: Před stošedesáti lety se narodil Jan Sekavec; Baštecká Lydia : Jan Sekavec z Opočna - básník revolučních let 1848-1849 (Orlické hory a Podorlicko 10/2000 ISBN 80-86076-23-7)
  
  
• Antonín Flesar (*14.5.1828, Sirákov; †29.7.1898, Dobruška)
  From 1886 vicar in Dobruška, local theatre supporter and local historian (Poznámky o faře Třebechovické, Dějiny gruntů města Dobrušky, Dějiny gruntů farnosti Přepyšské, Popis historicko-archaelogicko-statistický okresu Opočenského)


• Rudolf Skuherský (*23.4.1828 Opočno; †9.10.1863 Praha Vysočany (diphtheria))
  Studied mathematics, physics, botanics, descriptive geometry
  Teacher at Vienna University
  Professor of mathematics (geometry) at the Royal Czech Polytechnical Institute in Prague (first presented lessons in Czech language)
  Czech national revival supporter
  From 1861 Country Parliament deputy
  Son of F. A. Skuherský
  
• František Zdeněk (Zdenko Xavier Alois) Skuherský (*31.7.1830 Opočno; †19.8.1892 České Budějovice)
  Musician, composer, Prague organ school director, teacher of Leoš Janáček and Josef Bohuslav Foerster.
  Son of F. A. Skuherský
  The plate is on the post office building in Nádražní street.
  
• František Řivnáč (*1842, Praha; †23.8.1891, Opočno)
  Forest administrator in Colloredo-Mannsfeld large manor.
  Developed a network of forest roads and mountain huts in Eagle Mountains area.
  
• Phil. Dr. Raimund Simeon Vjačeslav Ivanovič Petr (*17.2.1848, Opočno; †5.4.1923, Brno)
  Professor in Kyjev, Nižyn and Odessa (high scholols), later at universities in Kamjanec-Podilskij, Kyjev, Bratislava and Brno.
  Famous by his philological works and music theory development. More in Czech
  
  
• Jan Dvořák (*1849; †1916)
  Physician, from 1880 in Opočno, after 1903 director of Prague maternity hospital. District mayor and parliament deputy. Editor of newspapers ("Posel od pomezi Kladského" and "Rozhledy lidové"). Enforced women's right to study medicine at the university (1900).
  
• Emanuel Štěpán Petr (*25.12.1853 Opočno 14; †18.or 26.2.1930 Prague)
  Organ builder. Studied organ construction in Dobruška, Breslau and Prague. In 1881 founded his own Organ building company in Prague that has built cca 350 organs. The only well preserved one is in Prague (Vinohrady) St. Ludmila church.
  Inventor of patented organ constructions, Monarchy-Royal Court expert, Christian Academy committee member, etc.
  

• František Kupka (*23.9.1871 Opočno, Bohemia, Austrian-Ungarn Monarchy [now Czech Republic]; †24.6.1957, Puteaux, France)
Painter and graphic artist, professor in Paris and Prague (sample images (13) or more images (65))
Pioneer of abstract painting and one of the first completely nonrepresentational artists. His mature works contributed much to the foundations of purely abstract painting in the 20th century. Kupka studied at the Prague and Vienna art academies. French Legion of Honor (Legion d'Honneur) officer.
The plate is on the house no. 6 in Zámecká street.

Exhibitions
Opočno: FRANTIŠEK KUPKA paintings (2001)
Opočno: HOMMAGE TO FRANTIŠEK KUPKA (2006)
Opočno lecture: Ludmila Vachtová about František Kupka (2007)
Opočno: František Kupka & Otto Gutfreund - Czech Legionaries in France (2008)
Return to Opočno (2011)
Centre Georges Pompidou Museum 1
Centre Georges Pompidou Museum 2
Louis Stern Fine Arts
Yellow Spot, Museum moderner Kunst Stiftung Ludwig Wien
Encyclopaedia Britannica


• Miloslav Hégr (*1891 Sušno u Mladé Boleslavi; †1968 Opočno)
  Painter, art scientist, art teacher
  


• Václav Marel (*18.7.1904 Opočno; †9.12.1964 Písek)
  Classical music composer, writer; lived in Opočno, Dobruška, Náchod, Písek.
  Father of Václav Marel jr. (*21.5.1936 Písek; †20.3.2021 Pelhřimov) - choirmaster, music teacher
  


• Alois Fišárek (*16.7.1906 Prostějov; †6.2.1980 Praha)
  Painter, professor at Vysoká škola umělecko-průmyslová and Akademie výtvarných umění in Prague; awarded by the title National Artist (národní umělec)
  Lived in Opočno from 1939 to 1945. Married with Marie Vaníčková (daughter of Opočno mayor) - parents of Alois Fišárek
  Exhibitions in Opočno in 1943 and 2010.

Miroslav Polák (*2.1.1920 Praha; †12.1.2006 Opočno)
Painter, graphic artist and poet lived in Opočno since 1978 and worked here as a teacher in primary and art schools.
Exhibitions in many Czech towns and in the Netherlands. Mini gallery.
Exhibition in Opočno in 2005.

• Naděžda Kavalírová, born Morávková (*13. 12. 1923, Opočno; †20. 1. 2017, Pardubice)
  student of medicine, political prisoner, worker, officer at the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, politician
  Chair of Confederation of Political Prisoners, accused of collaborating with the communist government.
  In 2007 awarded as "Personality of the region of František Kupka birth".


• Luboš Sluka (*13. 9. 1928 Opočno)
  Freelance composer: Compositions - orchestral, chamber, for solo instruments; songs; choirs; cantata; musical comedies; film music
  Award of the Ministry of Culture for contribution in the field of theatre, music, visual arts and architecture; T. G. Masaryk Medal of Honour; Awards of the Prague Conservatory, Czech Music Fund, Panton, and more
  Script editor at the Czechoslovak Television, editor-in-chief at Panton, Chairman of the Association of Czech Composers, Chairman of the Association of Music Artists and Scientists, founder of music company Editio Musica Humana (more in Czech)
  
  
• Václav Rathouský (*15.12.1922 Opočno)
  For decades keeping the Opočno town chronicles. Co-author of the book OPOČNO 1068-2000
  
  
• MUDr. Miloslav Mühlstein (*1931; †1991 Opočno)
  Pediatrician, Opočno mayor from 1990.
  Opočno honorary citizen (in memoriam).
  
  
• Ludmila Mojžíšová (*25. 10. 1932 Užhorod; †3. 1. 1992 Praha)
  Therapeutist, famous mainly for developing exercises preventing sport related diseases and women infertility.
  She grew up in Opočno, later worked mainly in Prague.
  
  
• Ladislav Falta (*20. 1. 1936 Opočno; †18. 12. 2021)
  Sport shooter who competed in Summer Olympics 1964, 1968, 1972. Silver medal in the rapid fire pistol event at the 1972 Summer Olympics. Silver medal at the World Championship 1970. Three times European champion.
  
  
• Miloň Čepelka (*23. 9. 1936 Opočno (Pohoří))
  Theatre and film actor; writer; poet.
  Co-founder of Prague Theatre of Jára Cimrman (DJC). As a poet he focused on haiku style. Regular broadcasts on brass-music and new books.
  
  
• Alois Fišárek (*7. 1. 1943 Opočno)
  Film editor ( Akumulátor 1, Kolja, Kanárek, Tmavomodrý svět, Kuky se vrací, ...). Prague Academy of Fine Arts (Film and TV Faculty, FAMU) teacher. Awarded as Český lev (Czech Lion) Prize (five times) and František Kupka Region Personality.
  Son of painter Alois Fišárek
  
  
• Martin Holanec
  Motorbike racer, winner of Přebor ČR klasiků 350" in 2006, 2007, 2009.
  

• Vladimír Vávra (*1958)
  Czechoslovak cycling team member 1980 - 1987.
  Later head of the Elkov Kasper Cycling Team.
  Awarded as Sport celebrity of Rychnov nad Kněžnou region in 2022.
  
  

• Pavel Brendl (*23.3.1981 Opočno)
  HC Olomouc, New York Rangers, Calgary Hitmen, Hartford Wolf Pack, Philadelphia Flyers, Philadelphia Phantoms, Carolina Hurricanes, Lowell Lock Monsters, HC Oceláři Třinec, Jokipojat Joensuu, HC Thurgau, San Antonio Rampage, Mora IK Sweden, Brynas IF Gavle Sweden, Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod, ...
  Awarded the Bob Clarke Trophy (WHL Top Scorer) in 1999.
  Ice hockey legends, Elite hockey prospects, wikipedia
  

• Taťána (Táňa) Kuchařová (*23.12.1987 Trnava (SK))
  She grew up in Opočno.
  Miss World 2006
  Besides Miss ČR 2006, Miss Sympathy ČR 2006, Miss Moravia (semifinal of Miss ČR), Vice-Miss Bikini 2006, Miss Northern Europe 2006, ...

Hieronymus Bosch
HIERONYMUS FOUNDATION
Jesus among the doctors in the gallery

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