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VIP in Marianske Lazne (Marienbad)
Antonin Dvorak (1841 - 1904) The Czech composer, co-founder of modern Czech national music. In the beginning of his career, he worked as an organist, cellist and music teacher, later as a composer and principal of the conservatoire in Prague and in New York. J. Brahms, who recognized his talent, supported him at the beginning. He worked in the USA and Great Britain with great success, and he was awarded many foreign prizes. The author of Jakobin, Devil and Káca, Rusalka, cycle of Slovanic dances, etc. He arrived in Mariánské Lázne in August 1875 on the way from Karlovy Vary to Sychrov castle in Northern Bohemia.
Thomas Alva Edison (1847 - 1931) Ingenious American inventor and entrepreneur. Prodigious technical designer and discoverer in the field of electricity. He lodged applications for about 1300 patents and inventions of his teams and the teams of his co-workers. He invented the phonograph (1877), microphone (1878), lightbulb (1879), electric motor (1880), dynamo (1881), fuse (1885), accumulator (1900), electromobile (1902) and helicopter (1908). The "Prometheus of modern times" visited Mariánské Lázne in September 1911 with his second wife and three children on the way from Prague to Nuremberg. He stayed at that time at the new Hotel Esplanade (no. 434 in Karlovarská street).
Edward VII. (1841 - 1910) The British king between 1901 and 1910, and son of Queen Victoria. During his time Great Britain was the leading industrial and colonial Great Power. During Edward´s rule, the country stopped its traditional policy of “great isolation” and made friends with Japan, France and Russia. Edward visited Mariánské Lázne nine times as "Lord Renfrew” or Duke of Lancaster, but his incognito was known here at that time. He always used to arrive in August and was accommodated at Hotel Klinger no. 36 (in 1897, it does not exist today) or at Hotel Stadt Weimar / Kavkaz no. 9 on Goethe square (in 1899 and 1903 - 1909). In 1904 he met the Austrian emperor Franz Josef I. here, in 1907 he had meetings with the Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Izvolsky and French Prime Minister Clemenceau, in 1908 with Bulgarian prince Ferdinand.
Franz Josef I. (1830 - 1916) The last but one Austrian emperor. During his long rule (1848 - 1916) the Under-Danube Habsburg Empire changed into a constitutional monarchy, being partially federative (Austria- Hungary from 1867). After the crash of the Vienna stock exchange in. 1873 and short economic depression there was a period of internal consolidation and prosperity which lasted till World War I. This "belle epoque" also brought about a boom for Mariánské Lázne, which Franz Josef had started promoting as early as 1865. The emperor visited Mariánské Lázne twice, the first time in September 1847 as the 17-year-old archduke with his younger brothers Ferdinand Maxmillian (later Mexican emperor) and Karl Ludwig. During the second visit the emperor met the English King Edward VII on August 16, 1904. He was accommodated at the villa Luginsland no. 33 (today Lil) and on August 17 he left for Karlovy Vary.
Sigmund Freud (1856 - 1939) The excellent Austrian neurologist and psychiatrist of Jewish origin. He was born in Príbor in Moravia. He studied the effects of drugs and was also involved in the study of hysteria and neuroses. He elaborated methods of deep psychology. He defined the term subconsciousness, he described signs of child sexuality as well as the structure of the human psyche and personality. He explained dreams and neuroses as the repression of sexual dreams and traumas. In 1910 he founded the International Psychoanalytical Association. He stayed in Mariánské Lázne in July 1913 with his wife, daughters and sister-in-law in house no. 370 (villa Turba, today Town library).
Johann Wolfgang Goethe (1749 - 1832) The German poet, author of Faust, visited Mariánské Lázne in total three times in years 1821 – 1823. He often used to undertake trips into the surroundings where he compiled huge collections of minerals and botanical items. He used to meet up with many famous celebrities of that time there– Earl Kaspar Sternberg, composer Václav Jan Tomášek, chemist Jons Jakob Berzelie, Josef Dobrovský. He had very friendly relations with the leading people of the town – spa doctors Karl Josef Heidler, F. Scheu, abbot of the monastery K. K. Reitenberger. Here he also experienced great feelings of love towards young Ulrica von Levetzov. In the year of his 250th birthday anniversary and also in ongoing years the town and the museum are preparing a wide program full of social and cultural activities.
Henrik Ibsen (1828 - 1906) The Norwegian dramatist of worldwide fame. The founder of modern psychological – realistic drama. In turns he was a literary manager, producer and director of theatres in Bergen and Oslo. Since he was not satisfied with the situation in his country, he lived in voluntary exile in Italy and Germany between 1864 and 1892. There he wrote his most valuable plays that criticized various forms of social dissemblance, injustice and false morale (dramas Peer Gynt, Support of the society, Nora, Enemy of the folk, Wild Duck, Hedda Gabler, etc.) He influenced numerous world dramatists. He is supposed to have stayed in Mariánské Lázne in 1899, but there are no further details of his stay. A street not far from the Krížuv pramen (Cross well) is named after him.
Franz Kafka (1883 - 1924) The most important Jewish writer to have lived in Prague and who wrote in German. A lawyer, insurance company officer later retired. He died of tuberculosis. His main novels – dream visions of sensitive individuals confronted with the absurd machinery of modern impersonalized civilization were not published earlier than in the 1940s and they reserve the recognition and fame for him. In Mariánské Lázne he spent ten days starting July 4, 1916 most of all in the company of his girlfriend Felice Bauerová, who he engaged and split up with twice. He was accommodated in Hotel Balmoral (no. 390 behind the municipal theatre) and he used to visit the valley at Lesní pramen (Forest well).
Gustav Mahler (1860 - 1911) The Austrian composer and conductor. He was born in Bohemia. A student of A. Bruckner. He acted in Municipal theatres in Prague, Leipzig and Hamburg. He eventually became the Director of the Royal opera in Budapest and Court opera in Vienna, he was a guest artist in the USA. He co-operated with the leading musical interpreters of that time such as Ema Destinová. He composed numerous symphonies, and promoted Czech music abroad. In Mariánské Lázne he stayed in house no. 52 (Englischer Hof / Sofia on the Main Street) from July 28, 1889.
Nikolaj Vasiljevic Gogol (1809-1852) He belongs to the most important writers of the 19th century. The most fruitful period of Googol’s life was the beginning of the thirties , when followingly to each other he published set of the stories of small Russian conditions, regionally matching to his birthplace. Some of Googol’s masterpieces were written in Czech territory. Most known story Coat and a lot of the cast of Dead soles were created in Marianske Lazne.
Friedrich Nietzsche (1844 - 1900) The German irrationalistic philosopher. He worked as a teacher of philology and as a philosopher in Germany and Switzerland. He was much influenced by the philosophy of A. Schopenhauer and by the music of R. Wagner. He had long-term health problems which culminated in mental disorder at the end of his life. After the spring curative stay in Venice he was treated in Mariánské Lázne in the summer of 1880. He stayed there from July 6 to at least August 23 and was accommodated in Ušovice in the house of Eremitage. There he witnessed the police round up carried out against a group of money forgers, one of whose members was Franz Maneth, the tenant of the house.
Albert Schweitzer (1875 - 1965) World-famous doctor, philosopher and humanist. A Nobel prizewinner for peace and opponent of nuclear weapons. Originally he was a doctor of philosophy and senior lecturer of theology in Strasburg. He established the famous hospital in African Lambaréné (today Gabun) and in 1912 - 1965 he was the head of that hospital. He used to undertake lectures and concerts around the world to ensure funds for the hospital. During one tour he visited Mariánské Lázne, where he organized an organ concert in the evangelical church in January 1923. This concert drew a lot of public and was very successful. He stayed in Üšovice in house no.162 Biarritz (in Zeyer street no. 1).
Johann Strauss (1825 - 1899) Popular Austrian composer called "the king of the waltz". The son of the composer and bandmaster of the same name. The author of almost 500 works – dance and concert music, one opera and 16 operettas. Since the age of 19 he was the head of his own orchestra which achieved a lot of success. His works were much acknowledged by Brahms, Rubinstein, Verdi, and Wagner. In Mariánské Lázne he stay with his family in 1890 (no. 123 hotel Casino/Pelnár) and in 1891 (no. 124 villa Neva/Vesna – both houses are located in Ruská street. (Russian street). After his death was reported, the theatre presented the operetta Bat in memory to him and his work on June 8, 1899.
Vaclav Benes Trebizsky (1849 - 1884) The Czech catholic priest and patriotic writer. He worked as a catechist in Central Bohemia. He was a popular author of elegiac stories and novels from Czech national history. In Mariánské Lázne he was treated from August 5, 1873 when, as a student, he stayed in Staré lázne (rebuilt). During his other visit he stayed at first at Hotel Rudolfshof (today it is the main post office, no. 160) from June 3, 1884 and afterwards in the guest- house Stadt Moskau (no. 118, today it is called Trebízský), and there he died of tuberculosis on June 20, 1884. He made friends here with the important journalist Gustav Eim and wrote his last story, Ušlapán (Trodden down), printed in the Prague journal called Lumír. The house no.118 in which he died is named after him and also has a plaque to his memory, as does the street and the monument at the Lesního pramene (Forest well).
Mark Twain (Samuel Langhorne Clemens, 1835 - 1910) The American writer of stories, novels and travel books. He was a humorist, satirist and critical realist. The author of books such as Tom Sawyer ´s adventures, The Golden Age, The Prince and The Pauper. He significantly influenced modern American prose. In his youth he had a lot of jobs (pressman, prospector, ship’s pilot, journalist) and travelled extensively around the USA. He repeatedly visited Europe and undertook a lecture tour around the world. He castigated colonial practices and corruption in public life. In 1891 he and his family visited Mariánské Lázne, which he described in the travel sketch Austrian health factory, printed in 1892 in the British newspaper The London Illustrated News. He stayed at house no. 5 Englischer Hof/Sofia on the Main Street.
Frederic Chopin (1810 - 1849) Mariánské Lázne has a very deep relationship with this artist and the spa will forever remember his stay in the summer 1836. Chopin arrived in Mariánské Lázne on July 22, 1836 from Paris. He came to see his love Marie Wodzinska. During his stay, Chopin played the piano every day, became the centre of local attention and entertained the guests. The music the guests could listen to in front of the house where Chopin was staying was very special, unknown and unmatchable. Chopin was just playing and put his heart to his music. He died on October 17, 1849 in Paris in the age of 39. To remember him, the Chopin festival is organized in Mariánské Lázne every year.