Eduard Petrů

At the core of the academic interest of the important scientist and pedagogue, Eduard Petrů, who joined the Department of Czech Studies in Olomouc in 1964, was old Czech literature and its specifics. He wrote a number of studies on the analysis and interpretation of individual old works. He intensely studied the personality of Czech spiritual leader Petr Chelčický, as well as parodic approaches in old Czech literature. His extensive research activities included medieval literature studies and literature of Humanism and the Renaissance, literary theory, literary critical methodology and application of quantitative methods in literary science. A significant body of his work represents editorial and popularising activities which made a number of old Czech literary relics available to Czech readers; old Czech literature in Moravia remained part of his academic focus. His name is associated with Academia Film Olomouc, a festival of science, science-popularising, and didactic documentary films; he used to give lectures at the Olomouc Film Club, and was co-creator of the concept of the Olomouc seminar Film and School.

Prof Petrů was awarded the František Palacký Prize in memoriam – he died when he was chosen to be its laureate by the Palacký University Academic Board.

Awards:

• The František Palacký Prize- 15 June 2006