Nobilitace Tadeáše Hájka
The Ennoblement of Tadeáš Hájek

Summary/Abstract: The renowned biologist of the 16th century in Bohemia, astronomer, botanist and physician Tadeáš Hájek (1526-1600) underwent an ennoblement process for four times in his life. He received his first coat of arms and a nobiliary particle “of Vladoř” in his young years, he was 26 then and still studying. The title apparently did not satisfy him, he never used it and two years later submitted a new ennoblement petition, and, together with professor Curie, he obtained a new coat of arms and a new particle “of Hájek” according to the house in the Old Town of Prague where he was born. This one he used till his death. His way to knighthood was, however, rather complicated; he was granted the knight title most likely by Emperor and King Ferdinand I to appreciate his merit on publishing the Czech version of the Mattioli herbarium (1562). The Bohemian estates confirmed it first in 1571. In the following years Hájek, favoured by Bohemian elites so far, experienced a failure of his life - he was removed from the office of the court staff physician as Emperor Rudolph II ascended the throne (1576). It is not clear who initiated this change, whether the emperor himself or his new counsellors. In the course of few years Hájek managed to settle down his relation to the emperor, which resulted in Rudolph’s confirmation of Hájek’s knighthood in 1595 that also extended its legal force to all Habsburg lands and augmented his present coat of arms with insertion of the one of his mother.

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