Czech banknotes 500 Czech koruna banknote 1993
Czech National Bank - Česká národní banka
Obverse: Portrait of Božena Němcová (1820-1862), Czech writer of the final phase of the Czech National Revival movement; rose
Reverse: Laureate woman symbolizing all women characters in Němcová’s books & Coat of arms of the Czech Republic at right.
Colors: brown, olive, red.
Size: 152 x 69 mm.
Watermark: portrait of Božena Němcová.
Artists: Oldřich Kulhánek, Miloš Ondráček.
Czech banknotes - Czech paper money
1993 - 2009
1000 Korun 2000 Korun 5000 Korun
Božena Němcová
Božena Němcová (4 February 1820 in Vienna – 21 January 1862 in Prague) was a Czech writer of the final phase of the Czech National Revival movement.
According to the dating up to now accepted by the majority of Czech authors, Božena Němcová was born in 1820 as Barbara Pankel (or Barbora Panklová according to the usual Czech name-giving for women) in Vienna as a daughter of Johann Pankel from Lower Austria and Teresie Novotná, a maid of Bohemian origin. In her childhood she lived near to the small town of Ratibořice, where her grandmother Magdalena Novotná played an important part in her life. Němcová would later write her most famous novel with the main character inspired by her grandmother.
When she was 17 years old, she married the 15-years-older Josef Němec, who worked as a customs officer and was therefore a state employee. The marriage was arranged by Barbora's parents and became an unhappy one, as the married couple didn't understand each other very well. Němec was said to be a rude and authoritarian man. He was a Bohemian patriot, which his superiors didn't like, and he was often transferred to different locations, and later lost his job. The family had four children and suffered from a lack of money. Němcová died in poverty, estranged from her husband. The Bohemian patriots arranged a magnificent funeral for her.