26.5. 1876 František Palacký died

The funeral of František Palacký was spoken of as the royal funeral and the grandest since the death of Charles IV. The "Father of the Nation" died on May 26, 1876.

František Palacký was born at the very end of the 18th century, exactly on 14 June 1798 in Hodslavice. He came into the world as the fifth of twelve children of a local teacher who very much wanted František to follow in his footsteps. However, after studying at the Protestant Lyceum, Palacký chose a career as an educator and thus penetrated the higher social circles.

Educating himself, he was interested in history, literature and languages, of which he eventually mastered twelve. From 1848 onwards he was active in politics. "He had unprecedented authority among the Bohemians. His personal life was also quite happy; in 1827 he married a much richer girl, Terezie Mechur. However, the marriage was not motivated by money, and Palacký did not intend to change his choice, even though Terezie suffered from a heart defect and many talked him out of the marriage," writes Marie Michlová in her book Death and Funerals of the Famous.

Two children were born to Mr and Mrs Palacký. The future naturalist Jan and a daughter Marie, who married František Ladislav Rieger. Terezie eventually lived quite a long life and died in August 1860 at the age of fifty-three. Palacký outlived his wife by sixteen years.

Almost to his last day he worked on his historical work. "However, on May 7, 1876, he had to lie down and died on the 26th of the same month. His death had been expected; for some time he had been looking exhausted, suffering from dyspnoea and cough, but at last his demise caused surprise in society. He was treated mainly with morphine, and his temperature was taken and recorded daily," Michlová adds.

Immediately after the news of his death was announced, many people ran to his home, banners were hoisted on many houses, and the telegraph office sent the news of his death to the larger villages. The next day all the newspapers reacted to the death with a mourning announcement. "Like few mortals, he was wished to have accomplished a great work from its first beginnings to its near completion.that with the same eye which has gazed on the ruins of the adverse ages, he might see the new building, of which he was the foremost builder. This building is the spiritual life of the Bohemian nation," was the example given in the obituary published in Světozor.

The funeral was even postponed by one day to 31 May so that people from further afield could come. And because it was known in advance that the funeral would be a really big event and a national manifestation, the costs were borne by the city of Prague. "After the death, the death mask and the cast of the hand were removed. The family had already said goodbye to Palacký on the 26th. The body was then taken to the small meeting room of the Old Town Hall, where an ornate coffin with a glass lid, through which the deceased could be seen, was displayed. The hall was decorated with candlesticks, exotic flowers and canopies. During the two days, around forty thousand people arrived," Michlová writes.

It was not until May 30 that an autopsy was performed and the brain was removed and preserved as a relic and curiosity. The funeral was held a day later. The funeral procession was meticulously organized. Every society, delegation, group of students and professors had a precise place. There were about a hundred thousand people in the streets. The hearse was pulled by six wreckers and followed by relatives. At noon the procession arrived at Karlín, where it was greeted by girls in white dresses with black sashes over them. From Invalidovna the hearse set off for the other villages, which were mournfully decorated. This funeral was spoken of in society as almost royal and the grandest since the death of Charles IV. Palacký was buried in the cemetery at Lobkowitz.

Marie Michlová: Death and Funerals of the Famous, Marek Nekula: Death and Resurrection of a Nation, www.wikipedia.org

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