The Prague Woman Who Founded Central Europe’s First Girls’ Gymnasium
Long before women in Central Europe could choose a profession, attend university, or even take the same final exams as men, one woman in Prague was fighting to change the system. Today, Eliška Krásnohorská is remembered as a writer, poet, translator and librettist. Yet her most lasting achievement may have been something far more revolutionary: helping establish the first academic girls’ grammar school in Central Europe, giving young women a path to higher education for the first time. Born in Prague in 1847 as Elisabeth Dorothea Pechová, Krásnohorská grew up in an educated but modest household. From an early age, she was determined to learn as much as possible. However, opportunities for girls were limited. While boys could continue their studies through formal institutions, women had few options beyond basic schooling. As a result, Krásnohorská educated herself. Through relentless reading and self-study, she developed extensive knowledge of literature, music and languages. Her talent emerged early. At just twelve years old, she wrote her first opera libretto for composer Karel Bendl. By the age of sixteen, she had translated Robert Schumann’s songs for Czech composer Bedřich Smetana. But writing alone was not enough for her. In the 1870s, Krásnohorská became increasingly...
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