Karel Kramář: The First Prime Minister of Czechoslovakia in 1918

Karel Kramář focused on his political career from a young age and played a crucial role in the founding of Czechoslovakia, ultimately becoming the first prime minister. His time in the high politics of the new nation was surprisingly brief.

Karel Kramář’s path to prominence and his decline

Karel Kramář was born in 1860 in Vysoké nad Jizerou. His family was relatively well-off, allowing him to pursue his studies in Law in Prague and later in National Economy in Berlin and Political Science in Paris. Along with T. G. Masaryk, he helped establish a political group focused on realism. By the age of thirty, he became the youngest member of the Vienna Reichstag, and soon after, he was elected as both the second and then first deputy speaker of the Reichstag.

Like other “founding fathers” of Czechoslovakia, Kramář’s political career was interrupted by the First World War. He was involved with the Czech Mafia, an anti-Austrian resistance group, and, along with his associates, was arrested, imprisoned, and sentenced to death. Fortunately, an amnesty in 1917 allowed Kramář to return to political life, and a year later, he became the first prime minister of the newly independent Czechoslovakia.

In January 1919, he narrowly escaped becoming a victim of the first assassination of the First Republic — only by chance did he avert the same fate as Alois Rašín, the Finance Minister, who was eventually killed by gunfire a few years later. Kramář was saved by a zimnik with a chest bag, as it was said that his bulging wallet was thick enough that even a bullet could not penetrate it.

The elections in the summer of 1919 went in favor of the socialist parties, marking the beginning of a decline for Kramář. He was never part of any government again, and the dream of achieving the presidency eluded him. Until his death in 1937, he remained simply one among many members of the National Assembly. His strained relationship with T. G. Masaryk led to his villa, which was near the Castle, being humorously nicknamed Vzdorohrad.

Three villas associated with Kramář

Kramář’s villa may have never existed or perhaps looked different if not for Nadezhda Nikolayevna Abrikosova, a member of the notable Russian Chludov family. She met Karel Kramář in 1890 during a personal trip to Russia. Although she was married, they had a relationship in secrecy for almost ten years, until a divorce was finalized. Kramář and Nadezhda married in 1900 in Crimea, where she purchased land for them to build a Barbo mansion, an elegant seaside villa in an ancient style overlooking the Black Sea. The original design was by architect Jan Kotěra, but it underwent many alterations based on Nadezhda’s desires and luxurious updates. The couple visited this villa every summer until the outbreak of World War I; the Bolshevik revolution eventually took their villa from them.

The second villa, known today as Kramář Villa, was constructed between 1911 and 1915 in Prague on the bastions near Letná Plain, directly opposite Prague Castle. You can still visit this villa for an extraordinary tour. The third villa, referred to as Větrov, built in a Russian architectural style, is located in Vysoké nad Jizerou, Kramář’s birthplace, and now functions as a hotel.

Key facts about the Prime Minister of the newly established Czechoslovakia

• • Karel Kramář studied at Charles-Ferdinand University, now known as Charles University; at the time he was a student, it was located in Klementinum. The National Assembly convened at what is now the Rudolfinum.

• • Villa Větrov did not fare as well as Kramář’s villa in Prague. During World War II, it was used by the NSDAP as a political training facility, and after the war, it was repurposed for ROH recreation, significantly altering its interior appearance.

• • Nadezhda passed away in December 1936 and was interred in a crypt of the Orthodox Church of the Presentation of the Most Holy Mother of God at Olšany Cemetery, which she built in 1924-25.

• • Nadezhda had a penchant for luxury, enjoying exquisite jewelry, fur coats, and antiques. The National Museum currently possesses her valuables, and it is said that Mrs. Kramářová’s diamond necklace is the largest diamond jewel in the Czech Republic.

• • Karel Kramář was also a patron of the arts, deeply interested in aesthetics and art, supporting artists while amassing valuable artworks and personal items. After his passing, his collection became part of the National Museum collections.