Who is the greatest queer Czech? Prague Pride survey highlights unknown chapters of Czech queer history
Who could be the greatest queer Czech? That is the question behind a survey currently underway, inspired by an international format. Its organisers are using the initiative to draw attention to the stories of queer people throughout Czech history.
In 2002, the British broadcaster BBC aired a TV series based on a poll to find the Greatest Briton. The top 10 included figures such as Shakespeare and Princess Diana, while former wartime Prime Minister Winston Churchill became the winner of the poll. The show attracted enormous international attention and inspired similar initiatives around the world. In the Czech spin-off, after disqualification of fictional genius Jára Cimrman, King Charles IV won the 2005 poll.
The international success of the initiative showed that its real strength lies in its ability to resonate across society, spark a nationwide debate and draw attention to history and questions of values. This type of poll inspired Czech art critic, writer and curator Matěj Forejt to create, in cooperation with the Society for Queer Memory, a survey to find the greatest queer Czech (Největší queer Češstvo) on the occasion of this year's Prague Pride.
However, because one of the goals of the survey was to introduce the wider public to queer people from Czech history, its methodology differs somewhat from the original British format, in which ordinary members of the public first nominated the figures to be included.
“It was clear that we couldn't let the public vote on the nominations because hardly anyone knows these queer people. From the very beginning, the purpose of the survey was to shed some light on queer figures from Czech history. So we had to approach the first step completely differently. I asked the Society for Queer Memory for help, specifically Maruška Barešová and Ladislav Jackson, and together we put together a five-member board of historians. We consulted with them and eventually compiled the 14 figures that people are now voting on.”
The 14 nominated people come from different periods and areas of Czech history and were active in a variety of fields. They include a representative of the Jewish minority, Sudeten Germans, an artist or people who were politically active. What all of them have in common is that they are no longer alive and that they were all queer. But how can we reliably identify the queerness of historical figures?
“Our basic rule was that we must not out people in the context of this survey if, for example, written sources tell us that they were queer but we also know that they did not publicly identify with that identity during their lifetime. We felt that such people did not belong in the survey. We have included only people whom we know publicly and openly expressed their queer identity in some way while they were alive.”
Among the nominees is writer Lída Merlínová, who published queer novels. There is also the artist Toyen, who challenged contemporary ideas about how people should present themselves socially in accordance with their gender. Another nominee is Fredy Hirsch, who, during the interwar period, lived openly as a gay man with his partner after fleeing Germany as a Jewish refugee and settling in Czechoslovakia.
“These are examples of people who openly identified with their queerness. In doing so, they pushed the boundaries of social acceptance in some way and helped make the world a more tolerable place for queer people.”
The survey highlights the stories of better-known queer figures such as Toyen and Fredy Hirsch, while also drawing attention to lesser-known individuals whose courage and actions left a lasting legacy.
“I think each of these figures resonates with a slightly different group of voters. People who lived through relatively recent events may personally remember Jiří Hromada and are very keen to ensure that his legacy is not forgotten. At the same time, I see a revival of interest in the literary legacy of Jiří Karásek from Lvovice, who had largely been forgotten, but whose work is beginning to attract renewed interest among younger generations. So I think the survey also opens up a broader spectrum of perspectives, with each of these figures serving as an inspiration to a different group within our society.”
It is no coincidence that the survey to find the greatest queer Czech was launched during this year's Prague Pride, when the motto of this year's festival is “Times are changing.”
“That motto gave us an opportunity to look back at history, at previous times that changed and brought something new – times that sometimes brought better conditions for queer people, but at other times brought truly terrible conditions for them. That is also something we need to remember. So in a way, the survey fits into this year's programme. Through it, we are trying to make unknown chapters of Czech queer history accessible to the public.”
The survey organiser, Matěj Forejt, says voting is open until midnight on August 7 via the Prague Pride website. The results will be announced on Saturday, August 8, at Pride Park on Střelecký Island in Prague.
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