Josef Jiří Kolár (9 December 1812 – 31 January 1896) was a Czech theatrical actor, director, translator, and writer.

Early life He was born Josef Kolář (later also spelled Kollar or Kolar) in Prague as the last of three sons to a family of a clothes trader who had twelve children altogether.Dr. Frant. Lad. Rieger: Slovník naučný, Prague 1863, His parents gave him good education which he broadened at schools so that he could read Homer in Greek before university. He also learned German, French, Italian and English.Ludmila Kopáčová in: Národní divadlo a jeho předchůdci, Prague 1988 He started studying philosophy (influenced by Augustin Smetana),Kalendář historický národa českého, Prague 1940 natural science and philology at Charles University in 1830 and became interested in the Czech revival movement. He interrupted the studies in 1833 when he became a tutor to a Hungarian noble family in Pest. There he studied medicine and made friends with Ján Kollár. Once he had an argument with a Hungarian nobleman about Hungarian and Slavic languages which ended up with a duel – Kolár was seriously injured and spent several weeks in bed. He also travelled a great deal in Western Europe. He added the middle name Jiří to his name for his admiration for George Gordon Byron.Jan Hladký: Úvod do studia anglického jazyka

Theatrical career After three years Kolár had to return to Prague, where he continued studying at the university. He became acquainted with Josef Kajetán Tyl, who kindled his interest in theatre. Kolár's first amateur role was in Hadrian z Římsů by Václav Kliment Klicpera. He played the part of the recently deceased Karel Hynek Mácha. In 1837, Kolár was engaged in the Estates Theatre, and from 1842 appeared also in German language plays. He also became director of Czech drama at the Theatre in Rose Street (Divadlo v Růžové ulici) and translated and directed several plays by Shakespeare and Schiller.

Kolár's translation of The Taming of the Shrew (1846) was the first translation of that play into the Czech language. Shakespeare in Czech and Slovak In 1848 Kolár was arrested and briefly held in prison. When Tyl left the Estates Theatre in 1851, Kolár became the leading personality of the theatre.

In 1853 the success of Kolár's translation of Shakespeare's Hamlet led him to plan with his pupil Jakub Malý a systematic translation into Czech of all of Shakespeare's plays, to be published by the Bohemian Museum. Kolár himself provided translations of four plays, Maly eleven, František Doucha and Jan Josef Čejka nine each, and Ladislav Čelakovský (the son of František Ladislav Čelakovský) four. The project was completed in 1872.Oscar James Campbell, ed., A Reader's Encyclopaedia of Shakespeare (1966), p. 172

In 1859 Kolár was nominated as director of the Czech stage, but after the Czech part of the theatre became independent in the Provisional Theatre in 1862, Kolár stayed in the German ensemble of the Estates Theatre. In 1866 he became chief director of the Provisional Theatre where he directed especially operas. In 1881 he became a literary manager in the National Theatre.

Friendship with Augustin Smetana In 1844 Kolár became a friend of Augustin Smetana, a Hegelian philosopher and later (1850) excommunicated priest. He turned his attention to philosophy again and took part in the meetings with Augustin Smetana in his apartment, where among guests were Anton Springer, Vincenc Náhlovský, Michael František von Canaval, and Bernard Bolzano.

Anna Marta Manetinská Kolár married actress Anna Manetinská. Born in Pest in 1817, Manetinská was the daughter of a Prague and Pest actor and singer. She returned to Prague with her mother and was sent to a convent to be brought up. At the age of eight she started playing child roles in a theatre in the apartment of her grandmother and was later taken from the convent to be involved in theatre life. In 1834 she became a member of the ensemble in Estates Theatre. She was German but the leaders of the theatre persuaded her to learn Czech and play in Czech theatre. She became beloved by the Czech audience. She and Kolár married in 1834. Their daughter Augusta was a piano player.

Roles List of theatrical roles, by work and year Year Author: Play Role Notes 1838 Heinrich von Kleist: Käthchen of Heilbronn (Katynka Helbronská) Bedřich Wetter / Friedrich Wetter Estates Theatre → 1839, 1858, 1869 William Shakespeare: Macbeth (Mekbeth) Makduf / Macduff 1840 Friedrich Schiller: The Robbers (Loupežníci) Karel / Karl Moor 1840 Theodor Hell: Die beiden Galeerensklaven oder Die Mühle von Saint Aldero (Galejní otroci, aneb: klein Alderonský) Neznámý music by Joseph Schubert 1842 Karl Gutzkow: Werner oder Herz und Welt Vilém z Jordánu / Heinrich von Jordan 1842 Václav Kliment Klicpera: Blaník, aneb: Zdeněk Zásmucký Prokop ze Švamberku Theatre in Rose Street → 1842 Pius Alexander Wolff: Preciosa Alonzo music by Carl Maria von Weber 1843, 1858 Václav Kliment Klicpera: Hadrián z Římsů Soběbor 1845 Franz Xaver Told: Der Zauberschleier Vít Lipenský Estates Theatre → 1846 Josef Jiří Kolár: Monika Hipolyt 1847 William Shakespeare: The Taming of the Shrew (Skrocení zlé ženy) Petrukio / Petruchio 1848 Ferdinand Břetislav Mikovec: Záhuba rodu Přemslovského Václav III 1848 Josef Jiří Kolár: Číslo 76, aneb: Praha před 100 lety Václav Rainer 1849 Josef Kajetán Tyl: Jan Hus, kazatel betlémský Václav IV 1849 Josef Václav Frič: Václav IV, král český Jan Žižka z Trocnova 1849 Joseph-Bernard Rosier: Brutus, Lache Cesar Jules z Grandierů 1850 Friedrich Schiller: The Robbers Franc / Franz Moor 1850 Josef Jiří Kolár: Smrt Žižkova Jetřich 1850 Friedrich Schiller: Intrigue and Love (Ouklady a láska) Franc / Franz Moor 1852 Josef Jiří Kolár: Don César a spanilá Magelóna Šimon Lomnický z Budče 1852 Charlotte Birch-Pfeiffer: Král Václav a jeho kat Václav IV 1853 William Shakespeare: Hamlet (Hamlet, princ dánský) Hamlet / Prince Hamlet 1854 William Shakespeare: Richard III (Život a smrt krále Richarda Třetího) Richard, vévoda Gloster / Richard, Duke of Gloucester 1855 Charlotte Birch-Pfeiffer: Die Waise aus Lowood (Sirotek Lowoodský) Lord Rolland Rochester based on Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre 1855, 1879 Johann Wolfgang von Goethe: Faust Mefistofeles / Mephistopheles 1857 William Shakespeare: Coriolanus (Koriolanus, vojevůdce Římský) Kajus Marius Koriolanus / Gaius Marcius Coriolanus 1857, 1873, 1874, 1884 William Shakespeare: The Merchant of Venice (Kupec benátský) Shylok / Shylock 1857, 1866 Friedrich Schiller: Wallenstein's Death (Smrt Valdšteinova) Albrecht Valdštein / Albrecht von Wallenstein 1858 Václav Kliment Klicpera: Divotvorný klobouk Koliáš 1858 William Shakespeare: Romeo and Juliet (Romeo a Julie) Merkucio / Mercutio 1858 Albert Emil Brachvogel: Narziß (Narzis) Narcis Rameau 1858 Friedrich Schiller: Wilhelm Tell (Vilém Tell) Hermann Gessler 1858 Johann Wolfgang von Goethe: Egmont Vévoda Alba / Duke of Alba 1859 William Shakespeare: Henry IV (Jindřich IV.) Sir John Falstaff 1859 Salomon Hermann Mosenthal: Deborah Abraham 1860 Vítězslav Hálek: Carevič Alexej Car Petr Veliký / Peter the Great 1861 Friedrich Schiller: Die Jungfrau von Orleans (Panna Orleánská) Talbot 1861 Josef Jiří Kolár: Magelona Rudolf II. 1863, 1866 William Shakespeare: King Lear (Král Lear) Lear Provisional Theatre → 1867 William Shakespeare: Hamlet (Hamlet, princ dánský) Klaudius / King Claudius 1867 Heinrich Laube: Der Statthalter von Bengalen (Náměstek bengálský) Lord William Chatham 1868 Emanuel Bozděch: Baron Goertz Baron Goertz 1868 Josef Jiří Kolár: Smrt Žižkova Jan Žižka z Trocnova 1868, 1874 William Shakespeare: Othello Jago / Iago 1870 Victorien Sardou: Patrie! (Vlast) Hrabě Rysoor 1870 František Věnceslav Jeřábek: Služebník svého pána Šlechtic z Dornenronů 1871 Ludwig Anzengruber: Der Pfarrer von Kirchfeld (Farář z Podlesí) Joza 1871, 1884 Josef Jiří Kolár: Pražský žid Jan Mydlář

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