Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk - Famous Czech Personality
Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk - Famous Czech Personality
Tomáš Masaryk was born 7th March 1850 in Hodonín as the oldest
son in a poor family. There he attended the primary school. In 1865 he was accepted at German secondary school. After he finished this secondary
school he moved to Vienna where he studied philosophy, psychology, history and modern languages. In 1872 he enrolled at University in Vienna where
he was interested in natural and state sciences. He had to earn money for studies and so he worked as a private teacher of children from rich
families. Studies at Vienna’s University were easy for him and so he went to study on University in Leipzig.
There he met his future wife Charlotte Garrigue from United States of
America. Her surname behind Masaryk’s first name is symbol of a fortunate marrige. After his habilitation for senior lecturer at Vienna University
they lived in Vienna in very modest conditions. In 1882 he went back to Prague where he taught at afresh opened Charles University.
In the
1890s he began to assert himself more in politics. He was a member of Youngczech party and Imperial Council in years 1891 - 1893. But this politics
was at variance with his principles and so after he left Imperial Council, he again gave himself up to problem of new national political programme.
It was typical for Masaryk that he entered to all social and political contests with outstanding personal bravery and dauntlesstion. From the
beginning of our century he was aware of new problems in whole Europe which would result in a big shock. In 1907 he became a member of Imperial
Council for the second time.
At the beginning of The First World War he was 64 years old so he decided to emigrate at the end 1914. In 1915
in Switzerland there he proclaimed national revolt against Habsburgs. He risked not only his life but also the life of his family that stayed in
Prague. He took on role of a leader of national and democratic revolution. He conducted negotiations in France, England, Russia, United States of
America and other countries. He organized foreign army - legions of Czech and Slovak volunteers.
At the end of the revolt he made
Declaration of independence - Washington’s declaration which established Czechoslovak rebublic on 18th October. In the new republic there
T.G.Masaryk was elected the first president by National Council on 11th November 1918, he was elected again in years 1920, 1927, 1934. He died in
Lány in 1937. He wanted Czechoslovakia to be an independent and democratic state.
I chose Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk because I think that he
was really outstanding Czech personality. He was president of our country for the longest time - 17 years. He founded Czechoslovakia and risked his
life for independent state.