Jan Herben

“ In the years 1816 to 1818 you could still find the Czech language forming a part of the curriculum of the gymnasia, but later it was forced out by the enemies of the Czech people on the ground that it was taking up too much time that could be used for other subjects. If the professors voluntarily gave two Czech lessons in a week, they were denounced as Panslavists, Russian agents, modernists, abusers of religion and contaminators of morals. The memorandum backs up its demands with a quotation from Herder: “Civilization cannot be forced upon a nation in a foreign tongue. ”

“ It can only thrive on its own national soil, in the language inherited by the people. The heart of a nation can be reached only through its own language.”
The noble task of the Austrian rulers, according to the memorandum, is to lead the nations entrusted into their care to a true civilization, each of them in its own peculiar way. These were the arguments supporting the Czech demands in the “Denschrift über den gegenwärt Zustand des böhmischen Sprachunterrichtes an den Lehranstalten Böhmens.” ”

“ There was an equality, beofre the law, of the German and the Czech languages even under Ferdinand; but that was only on paper. Czech complaints were suppressed by the censor. Bohemian and Moravian Estates relaxed in all their demands, especially the so-called State-Rights and Educational demands. There ewre afraid of education.
But the Czech nation grew in spite of all these obstacles. It took recourse to self-help. ”