Alois Jirásek was a Czech prose writer, playwright, high school teacher, and politician. He is known as the author of a series of historical novels and a representative of realism. He worked as a history teacher at a gymnasium for his entire life, first in Litomyšl and then in Prague. Jirásek was born into a baker’s family and had 8 siblings. In his youth, he studied at a German Benedictine gymnasium in Broumov and subsequently at a Czech gymnasium in Hradec Králové. After completing his studies, he worked for many years as a history and Czech language teacher, first in Litomyšl and later in Prague. Jirásek was the author of a series of historical novels that focused on various periods of Czech history. His most famous works include “Old Czech Legends”, “Between the Currents”, “Against All”, “Brotherhood”, “Darkness”, “Psohlavci” and “F. L. Věk”. Jirásek was also the author of plays, including “Lucerna”. Jirásek was also politically active. In 1917 he signed the Manifesto of Czech Writers, in which writers demanded the independence of Czechoslovakia. He also worked as a senator of the National Assembly.