January Tomicek

Education

He graduated from a gymnasium in Jičín and studied philosophy in Prague.

Career

He did not graduate, though, as he left in an effort to become an independent writer Very soon, however, he had to start giving private lessons to earn enough money. He was invited to join this newspaper by F. L. Čelakovský.

A criticism of the Russian tsar, written by the liberal-minded Tomíček, cost Čelakovský his position.

Tomíček contributed to other magazines as well, and also translated. He published several books, of which Doba prwního člowěčenstwa (The Age of the First Manitoba, publ by Matice česká, 1846) in particular outraged the censorship and the Archbishop of Prague so much that it threatened the existence of its publishing house.

Sadly, the Czechs remember him chiefly for his famous criticism of Máj, published in Česká wčela (The Czechoslovakian Bee) in 1836.

Achievements

• However, he never attained a university professorship, which, together with facing poverty, made him feel disillusioned.

Membership

He was a member of the fellowship of the magazine Čechoslav. He also contributed to Světozor published by Pavel Josef Šafařík, and in 1834 he became an editor of Pražské noviny (The Prague News). In 1848 he became a substitute teacher of the Czechoslovakian language at Charles University and an associate member of the Royal Czechoslovakian Society of Sciences.