January 21st marked the 150th anniversary of the death of one the most famous and influential Czech writers, Božena Němcová who was born in Vienna. When she was 17 years old, she married Josef Němec who a state customs officer and 15 years older than her. Although the marriage lasted nearly 25 years, it became an unhappy one since the married couple didn’t understand one another very well. Němcová died in poverty, estranged from her husband. Bohemian patriots arranged a dignified funeral for her. Her most popular work is the novel The Grandmother, considered a classic work of Czech literature. The book was inspired by Němcová‘s own childhood in the village of Ratibořice, where she lived with her parents, siblings and maternal grandmother, Magdalena Novotná.
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