František Šmahel (born 17 August 1934 in Trhová Kamenice) is a Czech

historian A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the st ...

of medieval political and intellectual history, known for his works about

Hussitism The Hussites ( cs, Husité or ''Kališníci''; "Chalice People") were a Czech proto-Protestant Christian movement that followed the teachings of reformer Jan Hus, who became the best known representative of the Bohemian Reformation. The Hussi ...

universities A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, ...

in the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

humanism Humanism is a philosophy, philosophical stance that emphasizes the individual and social potential and Agency (philosophy), agency of Human, human beings. It considers human beings the starting point for serious moral and philosophical in ...

, and

Monarch A monarch is a head of stateWebster's II New College DictionarMonarch Houghton Mifflin. Boston. 2001. p. 707. for life or until abdication, and therefore the head of state of a monarchy. A monarch may exercise the highest authority and power i ...

representation in the Middle Ages. He is a globally-recognized expert on the

Bohemian Reformation The Bohemian Reformation (also known as the Czech Reformation or Hussite Reformation), preceding the Reformation of the 16th century, was a Christian movement in the late medieval and early modern Kingdom and Crown of Bohemia (mostly what is n ...

and the medieval Prague University. His scholarly activities are diverse, covering historical figures (

Jan Hus Jan Hus (; ; 1370 – 6 July 1415), sometimes anglicized as John Hus or John Huss, and referred to in historical texts as ''Iohannes Hus'' or ''Johannes Huss'', was a Czech theologian and philosopher who became a Church reformer and the insp ...

, Jerome of Prague), university texts, political history, research into rituals, and the publication of source editions. After the

Velvet Revolution The Velvet Revolution ( cs, Sametová revoluce) or Gentle Revolution ( sk, Nežná revolúcia) was a non-violent transition of power in what was then Czechoslovakia, occurring from 17 November to 28 November 1989. Popular demonstrations agains ...

in 1989, Šmahel was head of the Historical Institute of the

Czech Academy of Sciences The Czech Academy of Sciences (abbr. CAS, cs, Akademie věd České republiky, abbr. AV ČR) was established in 1992 by the Czech National Council as the Czech successor of the former Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences and its tradition goes back ...

for eight years. Together with Petr Sommer, he initiated the foundation of the Centre for Medieval Studies in Prague and he became its first director in 1998–2004. In 1996, Šmahel was awarded the Hans Sigrist Prize. František Šmahel is a member of many prestigious scholarly associations and is the recipient of a number of foreign and Czech honours, including the ''Česká hlava'' National Prize for Science (2013).

References

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Works
in Bibliography of the Czech Lands History (Historical Institute, Czech Academy of Sciences) {{DEFAULTSORT:Smahel, Frantisek 1934 births Living people 20th-century Czech historians Recipients of Medal of Merit (Czech Republic) People from Chrudim District Corresponding Fellows of the Medieval Academy of America Czech medievalists Charles University alumni Charles University faculty 21st-century Czech historians