Czech banknotes 50 Czech koruna banknote 1994
Czech National Bank - Česká národní banka
Obverse: Portrait of Saint Agnes of Bohemia (1211-1282), medieval Bohemian princess who opted for life of charity, mortification of the flesh and piety over life of luxury and comfort; flaming heart
Reverse: crowned gothic letter "A" with portraits of Saint Francis and Saint Clara on the vault of the Church of St. Saviour in St. Agnes Convent in Prague; Coat of arms of the Czech Republic at right.
Colors: pink, gray, light-blue, light-brown
Size: 134 x 64 mm.
Watermark: portrait of Saint Agnes of Bohemia.
Artists: Oldřich Kulhánek, Miloš Ondráček.
Czech banknotes - Czech paper money
1993 - 2009
1000 Korun 2000 Korun 5000 Korun
Agnes of Bohemia
Agnes of Bohemia (Czech: Svatá Anežka Česká, 20 June 1211 – 2 March 1282), also known as Agnes of Prague, was a medieval Bohemian princess who opted for a life of charity, mortification of the flesh and piety over a life of luxury and comfort.
She was the daughter of Ottocar, King of Bohemia and Constance of Hungary, a relative of St. Elizabeth. At an early age she was sent to the monastery of Treinitz, where at the hands of the Cistercian religious she received the education that became her rank. She was betrothed to Frederick II, Emperor of Germany; but when the time arrived for the solemnization of the marriage, it was impossible to persuade her to abandon the resolution she had made of consecrating herself to the service of God in the sanctuary of the cloister. The Emperor Frederick was incensed at the unsuccessful issue of his matrimonial venture, but, on learning that St. Agnes had left him to become the spouse of Christ, he is said to have remarked: "If she had left me for a mortal man, I would have taken vengeance with the sword, but I cannot take offence because in preference to me she has chosen the King of Heaven." The servant of God entered the Order of St. Clare in the monastery of St. Saviour at Prague, which she herself had erected. She was elected abbess of the monastery, and became in this office a model of Christian virtue and religious observance for all. God favoured her with the gift of miracles, and she predicted the victory of her brother Wenceslaus over the Duke of Austria. The exact year of her death is not certain; 1281 is the most probable date. Although she was venerated soon after her death, Agnes was not beatified or canonized for over 700 years. [Note: She was canonized a saint by Pope John Paul II on November 12, 1989. Her feast is kept on the second of March.]
The Sacred Heart of Jesus
The devotion to the Sacred Heart (also known as the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus) is one of the most widely practiced and well-known Roman Catholic devotions, taking Jesus Christ's physical heart as the representation of his divine love for humanity.