American Ladies Club – Praha, House of U Halánků
Fact of the Czech figure „Women education in Czechia”
Part of the „The emancipation of women” topic
For centuries, the house of U Halánků has stood at the forefront of Betlémské Square in Prague. In the second half of the 19th century, it became a centre of cultural life and the women’s emancipation movement. Renowned world traveler Vojtěch Náprstek lived in the house. Acting on his initiative, the first Czech women’s organization, the American Ladies’ Club, was established in 1865, with its members meeting in the library of U Halánků. The name itself hints the inspiration Náprstek drew from the women’s clubs he encountered in the United States of America.
The club aimed to provide educational opportunities for women, for secondary and vocational schools were intended exclusively for boys. Among the founding members were influential women such as Karolina Světlá, Sofie Podlipská, Zdenka Braunerová, and Marie Riegrová. The club’s membership quickly grew from its original 50 members to several thousand. Through its educational lectures and a well-supplied library, it laid the foundations for a generation of major writers, artists, and intellectuals, including Eliška Krásnohorská, Marie Bittnerová, Anna Bayerová, and Renáta Tyršová.
