One-fifth of Czechs consider King Charles IV to be the most important Czech in history, according to a poll conducted by the Public Opinion Research Center (CVVM).
Charles IV is followed in popularity by Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk, the first Czechoslovak President and former President Václav Havel, who often poll favorably with Czechs.
Charles IV, who placed first, was King of Bohemia and the Holy Roman Emperor in the 14th century. During his reign, the Czech kingdom experienced unprecedented cultural and political growth.
Recently deceased singer Karel Gott placed fourth in the ranking, with 15 percent of Czechs picking him as the most important Czech. He also had the biggest boost in support since the last survey in 2013.
The four personalities were followed by theologian and church reformer, Jan Hus, President Miloš Zeman and the “teacher of nations” Jan Amos Comenius. Two percent of respondents also named the ice-hockey player Jaromír Jágr as an important Czech personality.
Hussite Wars military commander Jan Žižka, former President Václav Klaus and the fictional Czech genius Jára Cimrman are considered to be important figures by one percent of respondents.
The CVVM survey also looked into the most important Czech periods. Overall, 36 percent of respondents stated that the era of Charles IV was the peak of Czech history followed by the era of the First Czechoslovak Republic in the 20th century.
The respondents were also asked to name three key events of Czech history since the end of the First World War. The 1989 Velvet Revolution was the most common answer. However, respondents also often mentioned the establishment of the Czechoslovak Republic in 1918, the end of the Second World War and the dissolution of Czechoslovakia in 1993.
