The diploma thesis deals with the development of Miroslav
Tyrš’s aesthetic opinions and his influence on Czech culture in
the second half of the 19th century. Tyrš was one of the
founders of the Sokol movement, but he was also a philosopher,
aesthetician, art historian and art critic, and all these
aspects are observable in his work. This thesis endeavours to
map Tyrš’s literary work and the development of his theoretical
studies of art. All of his essays are analysed and commented
upon in ten chronological chapters. Each is focused on a
special issue that interested Tyrš during that particular
period. After the biographical part, the second part introduces
several texts from other theoreticians and aestheticians who
discuss Tyrš’s intellectual legacy. And, finally, we will
demonstrate the influence that Tyrš has had on our culture with
various examples, inside and outside of the Sokol movement,
that we can still trace to the present day.