Jungmann, Josef

Born July 16, 1773, in Hudlice, near Beroun; died Nov. 14, 1847, in Prague. Czech philologist, poet, and translator.

Jungmann graduated from Charles University (the University of Prague) in 1799. His poetry first appeared in print in 1795. He played a prominent role in the development of Czech culture during the Czech National Renaissance with his works on language and literature. These included A Czech-German Dictionary (vols. 1–5, 1835–39), the bibliography A History of Czech Literature (1825), and the anthology of Czech literature entitled Literature (1820).

Jungmann advocated cultural contact between the Slavic peoples and supported Czech-Russian ties. His sociopolitical views were expounded in his Memoirs (1845; published 1871). Jungmann was also a translator of foreign literature.