Miroslav Tyrš

Miroslav Tyrš was born Friedrich Emanuel Tirsch to a German doctor in Děčín. The family moved to Döbling near Vienna where his father, mother and two sisters died from tuberculosis leaving Miroslav orphaned at the age of six years. He was brought up by his Czech uncle in Kropáčova Vrutice near Mladá Boleslav and was assimilated into the Czech community.

In 1844, Tyrš, along with nine other scholars, undertook physical training with R. Stephany. He studied at the gymnasium in Malá Strana, Prague and passed its final exam in Czech in 1850. At a time when students were required to take exams in the German language, yet Tyrš insisted on taking the exam in Czech to make a patriotic, pro-Czech stance.

As a 16-year-old boy he fought in the streets of Prague during the Revolution of 1848, and then boasted of his shot-through cap. He also changed his Christian name first to Bedřich (Czech version of Friedrich) and then to Slavic Miroslav. He became doctor of philosophy in 1860. His thesis dealt with the philosophy of Arthur Schopenhauer. He contributed philosophical articles to the first Czech encyclopaedia – Riegrův Slovník naučný, František Rieger's "Reference Book". After failing to secure an academic job, he left Prague to work as a tutor for the sons of a businessman in Nový Jáchymov near Beroun.