Bedřich Havlíček

Bedřich Havlíček (Czech pronunciation: [ˈbedr̝ich ˈɦavliːtʃɛk) (6 October 1922 in Valašské Klobouky - 16 January 1994 in Český Těšín) was a high school teacher, a regional historian, ethnographer and homeland worker. Born as the eldest son of Frederick Havlicek and Frances, née Bařinková. He had two brothers Ladislav and Zdenek.

Bedřich Havlíček
Bedřich Havlíček
Born	Bedřich Havlíček (1922-10-06)6 October 1922 Valašské Klobouky, Moravia, Czechoslovakia
Died	16 January 1994(1994-01-16) (aged 71) Český Těšín, Silesia, Czech Republic
Nationality	Czech
Alma mater	Gymnasium in Vsetin, FF Masarykovy univerzity
Occupation	teacher, regional historian

Grave of Bedřich Havlíček in Český Těšín Cemetery

With wife Vlasta in the year 1976

Life

He was born in a glazier’s family which had deep roots in southern Valassko. In 1941 he graduated from High school in Vsetin. He intended to study on university but Protectorate occupational regime excluded such opportunity. For a short time he attended private business school in Veverska Bityska due to forced labour order. In 1942 – 1944 he worked as a surveyor for an Institute in Prague. After war he enrolled at the Faculty of Arts where in 1948 he graduated in History and Geography subjects as school teacher. During his studies he also attended lectures on museology and ethnography lectures. Especially relationship with prof. Vaclavik motivated his interest in respective subjects for his entire life.

During his high school studies he was focused on Valassko history but only after liberation he could fully unfold this interest. His career as a teacher started on Business academy in Cesky Tesin which was from other offered locations closest to Valassko where he was born. He was inspired by culture, local traditions and life style of northern part of Moravia. He gathered and documented a lot of genuine knowledge from witnesses and this formed a major part of his ethnographic and historical documentation.

Thematically Mr. Bedrich Havlicek covered local history of drapery, the history of labour movement in Valassko and consequences of labour crisis in glass manufacturing in 1930. He also covered the “pulcinske” legends and the history of Broumov–Bylnice castle and also local development of Haluzice village incl. traditions of folk embroidery, an antifascist movement and significant parts of Valassko development in the middle ages and recent history. All his findings and conclusions were published in Anniversary publication about VK (1956), in news OM VK (1958 – 59) and in the book Vlachovice history (1988).

In later years he focused primarily on Těšín, were the subject of his interest was an economical development of the district of Karvina (1965), mining workers struggles during industrial revolution (in 1968), past and present situation in Český Těšín (1970), the history of some Těšínsko municipalities incl. monuments and sights, folk architecture and celebrations in Dolni Lomná, which were edited by Bedrich Havlicek since 1969. The magazine Těšínsko published around 70 reports on literature, obituaries and jubilee memories of celebrities and cultural anniversaries. During his lifelong presence on Business academy in Český Těšín he prepared several generations of graduates for the economic profession, he initiated Těšínsko magazine (from r. 1957) to be published and worked as its editor; he founded the Museum reports OVM CT, significantly contributed to the cultural activity in the town of Těšín. He anonymously participated on monograph publication Český Těšín 1920-1970, due to the fact that he was not allowed to publish at the time of normalization period.

Biography

• A clear overview of the historical development of the Wallachian region in the period of feudalism and capitalism. In: Jubilee Reader about VK.1956, 55 - 72;
• From the History of Soukenic and Papuer Production in VK. In: JČ o VK, 76-89
• Castle Brumov in the History of our Region, I. In: Vlastivědné kapitoly z VK, 1, 1959, 4 - 11
• From the Battle Traditions of our People at the University of Economics in 1939 - 1945. In: Vlastivědné kapitoly z VK, 2, 1959, 1 - 16
• Materials for ethnography, folklore and workers' movement in southern Wallachia. In: MM VK 1964
• Haluzice 1768 - 1968. From the history and memory of the village. Haluzice 1968
• The past and the presence of CT in the main outlines. In: T4,1970,1 - 7
• Chapters from the history of the village of Komorní Lhotka. In: T 4, 1978, 9-17
• Traditions of ethnographic research and ethnographic festivities in Jablunkov and the valley of the river Lomná. In: Study T 14, 1989, 205-214.

Literature

• Red .: B. K 65 years In: T 4, 1987, 23-24;
• Tomolová, V .: Life Jubilee B. H. In: T 4 1992, 31;
• Prokop, R .: One of us has left (over the death of B.H.). In: T 4, 1994, 28-29 FP - JVS,
• Bibliographic Dictionary of Silesia and Northern Moravia, issue 5, Issued by Ostrava University, Ostrava 1998.