Jiří Stanislav Guth-Jarkovský
Jiří Stanislav Guth-Jarkovský | |
|---|---|
Guth-Jarkovský in 1937 | |
| Born | Jiří Karel Guth 24 January 1861 |
| Died | 8 January 1943 (aged 81) |
| Resting place | Olšany Cemetery, Prague |
| Alma mater | Charles University |
| Occupations | Writer, pedagogue |
| Known for | Co-author of the Olympic Charter, president of the Czech Olympic Committee |
Jiří Stanislav Guth-Jarkovský (24 January 1861 – 8 January 1943) was a Czech sports administrator, writer and pedagogue. He is known as the co-author of the Olympic Charter and the first president of the Czech Olympic Committee. During the presidency of Tomáš Masaryk, he was Master of Ceremonies of the President of the Czechoslovak Republic. He is one of the most important figures in Czech sports, culture and administration.[1]
Life
Jiří Stanislav Guth-Jarkovský (baptised Jiří Karel Guth) was born on 24 January 1861 in Heřmanův Městec. He was sickly as a child. He could not swim for a long time and never became an active athlete.[1][2]
From 1870 to 1878, he attended the gymnasium in Rychnov nad Kněžnou. He thed studied philosophy, mathematics and physics at Charles University in Prague, and graduated in 1883. Between 1883 and 1887, he was employed as a tutor to the sons of the Schaumburg-Lippe noble family, which owned the Náchod estate. He lived with the family in Náchod, Ratibořice and Lancy (Switzerland) and travelled the world with them. From 1888 to 1919, he worked as a teacher at gymnasiums in Prague and Klatovy and teached Czech, French and physical education. In 1897, he married Anna Černá, with whom he had a son, Gaston.[2]
In 1919, he changed his name to Jiří Stanislav Guth-Jarkovský. At the end of his life, he moved to Náchod, where he died of a stroke on 8 January 1943. He is buried in the family tomb at Olšany Cemetery in Prague.[2]
Sports administration
Guth-Jarkovský was a prominent official in the field of Czech sports, especially tourism.[2] He was a friend with Pierre de Coubertin, who is known as the father of the modern Olympic Games. He attended the first Olympic Congress, held in 1984, and was elected a member of the International Olympic Committee. He attended the first modern Olympic Games, the 1896 Summer Olympics, as the only Czech. After returning from the Olympics, he became the initiator of the establishment of the Czech Olympic Committee[a], which was founded in 1899. He was its first president and held the position until 1929. Thanks to his friendship with de Coubertin, Bohemia participated in the Olympics from 1900, even though it was part of Austria-Hungary and not a sovereign country.[3]
Guth-Jarkovský he served as Secretary General of the International Olympic Committee from 1919 to 1923 and is a co-author of the Olympic Charter.[2]
In 1908, Guth-Jarkovský became a co-founder of the Czech Sports Council, which coordinated Czech sports organisations within the Austria-Hungary. From 1915 to 1926, he was the president of the Czech Tourist Club[b].[2]
Master of Ceremonies
Guth-Jarkovský had a refined demeanor and a perfect knowledge of etiquette. Thanks to this, he obtained the position of Master of Ceremonies of the President of the Czechoslovak Republic Tomáš Masaryk in 1919.[4] He introduced new standards of office and proposed the creation of the Order of the White Lion, an award for merit by Czechoslovakia for foreign citizens, which is today the highest order of the Czech Republic. He also introduced the office of Czechoslovak and later Czech presidents in Lány Castle.[1][2]
Writing
Guth-Jarkovský wrote short stories, novels and poems. He was a member of the Máj group of authors. His most notable works include books on etiquette, books about sports, and translations of literary works from French and German. He also wrote memoirs.[2] His best known work is Společenský katechismus ('social catechism') from 1914.[3]
Although he did not like tourism, he wrote several books about it.[4] He contributed to the development of Czech tourism as an editor of the magazine Turista.[1]
Honours and legacy
Guth-Jarkovský's popularisation of the sport and etiquette brought him international recognition and many honours, including: Order of the Crown of Italy (Italy), Legion of Honour (France), Order of Orange-Nassau (Netherlands), Order of the Crown of Romania (Romania), and Order of Polonia Restituta (Poland).[2]
Guth left behind a significant collection of literature, numbering over 3,360 volumes, which he bequeathed to the National Museum during his lifetime.[2]
Jiří Guth-Jarkovský Award (Czech: Cena Jiřího Gutha-Jarkovského is a sports award given by the Czech Olympic Committee for the most valuable sports performance of the year. It was introduced in 1933 and first awarded in 1934, making it the oldest Czechoslovak and Czech sports award.[5][6]
A gymnasium in Prague 1 bears his name.[7]
Notes
References
- ^ a b c d Netolická, Romana (2024-12-05). "Rodný dům Guth - Jarkovského v Heřmanově Městci. Ostuda volá po záchraně". Deník.cz (in Czech). Retrieved 2025-10-27.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Jiří Stanislav Guth-Jarkovský" (in Czech). Město Česká Skalice. Retrieved 2025-10-27.
- ^ a b Němcová, Barbora (2016-08-08). "Mistr etikety dal Čechům už za Rakouska-Uherska olympijskou samostatnost". iDNES.cz (in Czech). Retrieved 2025-10-27.
- ^ a b "Jiří Stanislav Guth-Jarkovský. Co ukrývá balíček, který se smí otevřít až v roce 2093?" (in Czech). Czech Radio. 2025-01-23. Retrieved 2025-10-27.
- ^ "Sportovci hlasujte: Cena Jiřího Stanislava Gutha-Jarkovského" (in Czech). Czech Olympic Committee. 2015-03-17. Retrieved 2025-10-27.
- ^ "Cenu Jiřího Gutha-Jarkovského za nejhodnotnější výkon roku získali šermíři". České noviny (in Czech). Czech News Agency. 2025-06-04. Retrieved 2025-10-27.
- ^ "Základní informace o škole" (in Czech). Gymnázium Jiřího Gutha-Jarkovského. Retrieved 2025-10-27.