The Most Famous

RELIGIOUS FIGURES from Czechia

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This page contains a list of the greatest Czech Religious Figures. The pantheon dataset contains 3,187 Religious Figures, 18 of which were born in Czechia. This makes Czechia the birth place of the 28th most number of Religious Figures behind Mexico, and Lebanon.

Top 10

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the top 10 most legendary Czech Religious Figures of all time. This list of famous Czech Religious Figures is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity. Visit the rankings page to view the entire list of Czech Religious Figures.

Photo of John of Nepomuk

1. John of Nepomuk (1350 - 1393)

With an HPI of 73.67, John of Nepomuk is the most famous Czech Religious Figure.  His biography has been translated into 42 different languages on wikipedia.

John of Nepomuk (or John Nepomucene) (Czech: Jan Nepomucký; German: Johannes Nepomuk; Latin: Ioannes Nepomucenus) (c. 1345 – 20 March 1393) was a saint of Bohemia (Czech Republic) who was drowned in the Vltava river at the behest of King Wenceslaus IV of Bohemia. Later accounts state that he was the confessor of the queen of Bohemia and refused to divulge the secrets of the confessional. On the basis of this account, John of Nepomuk is considered the first martyr of the Seal of the Confessional, a patron against calumnies and, because of the manner of his death, a protector from floods and drowning.

Photo of Wenceslaus I, Duke of Bohemia

2. Wenceslaus I, Duke of Bohemia (907 - 935)

With an HPI of 69.11, Wenceslaus I, Duke of Bohemia is the 2nd most famous Czech Religious Figure.  His biography has been translated into 45 different languages.

Wenceslaus I (Czech: Václav [ˈvaːtslaf] ; c. 907 – 28 September 935), Wenceslas I or Václav the Good was the Prince (kníže) of Bohemia from 921 until his death, probably in 935. According to the legend, he was assassinated by his younger brother, Boleslaus the Cruel. His martyrdom and the popularity of several biographies gave rise to a reputation for heroic virtue that resulted in his sainthood. He was posthumously declared to be a king and patron saint of the Czech state. He is the subject of the well-known "Good King Wenceslas", a carol for Saint Stephen's Day.

Photo of Adalbert of Prague

3. Adalbert of Prague (955 - 997)

With an HPI of 67.91, Adalbert of Prague is the 3rd most famous Czech Religious Figure.  His biography has been translated into 38 different languages.

Adalbert of Prague (Latin: Sanctus Adalbertus, Czech: svatý Vojtěch, Slovak: svätý Vojtech, Polish: święty Wojciech, Hungarian: Szent Adalbert (Béla); c. 956 – 23 April 997), known in the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia by his birth name Vojtěch (Latin: Voitecus), was a Czech missionary and Christian saint. He was the Bishop of Prague and a missionary to the Hungarians, Poles, and Prussians, who was martyred in his efforts to convert the Baltic Prussians to Christianity. He is said to be the composer of the oldest Czech hymn Hospodine, pomiluj ny and Bogurodzica, the oldest known Polish hymn, but his authorship of them has not been confirmed.Adalbert was later declared the patron saint of the Czech Republic, Poland, and the Duchy of Prussia. He is also the patron saint of the Archdiocese of Esztergom in Hungary.

Photo of Ludmila of Bohemia

4. Ludmila of Bohemia (860 - 921)

With an HPI of 66.47, Ludmila of Bohemia is the 4th most famous Czech Religious Figure.  Her biography has been translated into 30 different languages.

Ludmila of Bohemia (c. 860 – 15 September 921) is a Czech saint and martyr venerated by the Orthodox and the Roman Catholics. She was born in Mělník as the daughter of the Sorbian prince Slavibor. Saint Ludmila was the grandmother of Saint Wenceslaus, who is widely referred to as Good King Wenceslaus. Saint Ludmila was canonized shortly after her death. As part of the process of canonization, in 925, Wenceslaus moved her remains to St. George's Basilica, Prague.

Photo of Agnes of Bohemia

5. Agnes of Bohemia (1211 - 1282)

With an HPI of 61.89, Agnes of Bohemia is the 5th most famous Czech Religious Figure.  Her biography has been translated into 28 different languages.

Agnes of Bohemia, O.S.C. (Czech: Svatá Anežka Česká, 20 January 1211 – 2 March 1282), also known as Agnes of Prague, was a medieval Bohemian princess who opted for a life of charity, mortification of the flesh and piety over a life of luxury and comfort. Although she was venerated soon after her death, Agnes was not beatified or canonized for over 700 years.

Photo of Clement Mary Hofbauer

6. Clement Mary Hofbauer (1751 - 1820)

With an HPI of 56.61, Clement Mary Hofbauer is the 6th most famous Czech Religious Figure.  His biography has been translated into 19 different languages.

Clement Mary Hofbauer (German: Klemens Maria Hofbauer) (26 December 1751 – 15 March 1820) was a Moravian hermit and later a priest of the Redemptorist congregation. He established his congregation, founded in Italy, north of the Alps. For this he is considered a co-founder of the congregation. He was widely known for his lifelong dedication to care of the poor during a tumultuous period in Europe, that had left thousands destitute. He laboured in the care of the Polish people until expelled, when he moved to Austria. Clement-Mary Hofbauer is remembered as a saint in the Catholic Church. He is called the Apostle of Vienna, where he is a co-patron saint, along with St Colmán, St Leopold, and St Peter Canisius.

Photo of Dominik Duka

7. Dominik Duka (b. 1943)

With an HPI of 55.41, Dominik Duka is the 7th most famous Czech Religious Figure.  His biography has been translated into 25 different languages.

Dominik Jaroslav Duka, O.P. (born 26 April 1943) is a Czech prelate of the Catholic Church who served as Archbishop of Prague from 2010 to 2022. He was made a cardinal in 2012.Duka served as Bishop of Hradec Králové from 1998 to 2010. He was the spiritual protector and chaplain general of the Orléans obedience of the Military and Hospitaller Order of Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem from 2012 to 2021.

Photo of Maria Restituta Kafka

8. Maria Restituta Kafka (1894 - 1943)

With an HPI of 55.10, Maria Restituta Kafka is the 8th most famous Czech Religious Figure.  Her biography has been translated into 21 different languages.

Maria Restituta Kafka (1 May 1894 – 30 March 1943) was an Austrian nurse of Czech descent and religious sister of the Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity (Sorores Franciscanae a Caritate Christiana). Executed by the government in Nazi-run Austria, she is honoured as a virgin and martyr in the Catholic Church. Pope John Paul II beatified her in 1998.

Photo of Anne of Bohemia, Duchess of Silesia

9. Anne of Bohemia, Duchess of Silesia (1204 - 1265)

With an HPI of 55.03, Anne of Bohemia, Duchess of Silesia is the 9th most famous Czech Religious Figure.  Her biography has been translated into 17 different languages.

Anne of Bohemia (Czech: Anna Lehnická, Polish: Anna Przemyślidka; c. 1203/1204 – 26 June 1265), a member of the Přemyslid dynasty, was Duchess of Silesia and High Duchess of Poland from 1238 to 1241, by her marriage to the Piast ruler Henry II the Pious. She was celebrated by the community of Franciscan nuns at St Clara of Prague Abbey in Wrocław as their founder and patron.

Photo of Miloslav Vlk

10. Miloslav Vlk (1932 - 2017)

With an HPI of 54.53, Miloslav Vlk is the 10th most famous Czech Religious Figure.  His biography has been translated into 27 different languages.

Miloslav Vlk (Czech: [ˈmɪloslaf ˈvl̩k]; 17 May 1932 – 18 March 2017) was a Czech prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who served as Archbishop of Prague from 1991 to 2010. He was made a cardinal in 1994. He was also the President of the Council of European Bishops' Conferences (1993–2001).

People

Pantheon has 23 people classified as Czech religious figures born between 860 and 1948. Of these 23, 3 (13.04%) of them are still alive today. The most famous living Czech religious figures include Dominik Duka, Michael Czerny, and Jan Graubner. The most famous deceased Czech religious figures include John of Nepomuk, Wenceslaus I, Duke of Bohemia, and Adalbert of Prague. As of April 2024, 4 new Czech religious figures have been added to Pantheon including Anne of Bohemia, Duchess of Silesia, Procopius of Sázava, and Jan Graubner.

Living Czech Religious Figures

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Deceased Czech Religious Figures

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Newly Added Czech Religious Figures (2024)

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Overlapping Lives

Which Religious Figures were alive at the same time? This visualization shows the lifespans of the 11 most globally memorable Religious Figures since 1700.