Czech National Revival

A nationalist movement called the National Revival started at the end of the 18th century, attempting to bring the Czech language, culture and national identity back to life. Some of the most prominent figures of the revival movement were Josef Dobrovsky and Josef Jungmann who succeeded in introducing the study of the Czech language in schools, and historian Frantisek Palacky, author of the History of the Czech People. Czech literature was reborn with novelist Bozena Nemcova, Romantic poet Karel Hynek Macha, political columnist Karel Havlicek Borovsky, and others. The first dictionary of the Czech language (the Czech-German Dictionary) was written by Josef Jungmann and published in five volumes in 1834-1839. Czech institutions were established to celebrate the Czech history and culture. The National Theatre opened in 1883 and the National Museum in 1890. The 19th century is also characterized by the Industrial Revolution and the building of factories. A railway between Vienna and Prague was opened in 1845. The growing industry resulted in an increase of Prague's Czech population as people moved to the city from the countryside. The beginning of the end of the Habsburg dynasty came with the assassination of Francis Ferdinand in 1914, an event that preceded World War I.