The early 19th century marked a period of national awakening in Bohemia, as Central Europe experienced a wave of nationalism inspired by both the French Revolution and Napoleonic expansion. For Czechs, this translated into a cultural revival led not by the Germanized nobility but by a rising Czech intelligentsia, primarily drawn from peasant origins. These intellectuals initiated the Czech National Revival, which aimed to revive Czech language, literature, and identity.
Initially, the revival focused on linguistics. Scholars like Josef Dobrovský and Josef Jungmann documented and modernized the Czech language, which had largely survived only as a vernacular among rural communities. Dobrovský's linguistic work and Jungmann's efforts to develop Czech as a literary language helped create a platform for Czech literature. Their contributions fueled a growing Czech readership and encouraged original works by authors like poets Ján Kollár, Karel Hynek Mácha, and playwrights such as Josef Kajetán Tyl.
Institutionally, the movement solidified with the founding of the Museum of the Bohemian Kingdom in 1818, a hub for Czech scholarship and a place where Czech identity could flourish through publication and research. The museum launched a Czech journal in 1827 and, in 1830, merged with Matice česká, a society that published books and advocated for Czech culture. These organizations positioned Prague as a center for Slavic studies, forging connections with other Slavic nations.
The most influential figure of this revival was historian František Palacký. Drawing on the nationalist ideals of the Hussite tradition, Palacký wrote his monumental History of the Czech People, which celebrated Czech resistance to oppression and aimed to inspire Czech political consciousness. His work framed the Czech struggle as part of a broader Slavic and Protestant legacy, connecting it to the ideals of Jan Amos Komenský, the influential educator and Czech Brethren leader. By 1848, during Europe’s revolutionary upheavals, Palacký emerged as a political leader for the Czechs, advancing a vision rooted in cultural renewal that would become central to the Czech national identity.