Karel Havlíček Borovský

After two years living in Russia Karel Havlíček returns home to his family in Německý Brod. However, in the meantime his father has died. Havlíček soon becomes involved in the social life of the town. He falls in love with Fanny Weidenhofferová, but her family are looking for a son-in-law with a higher social standing. Havlíček leaves for Prague and, on the recommendation of Palacký, he becomes the editor of The Prague News. After some time he meets Julie Sýkorová and marries her. 1848 arrives and with it the army of Windischgratz which' after the famous meeting at Svatováclavské Lazně, occupies Prague after bloodily suppressing the revolution. At first, Vienna tries to persuade Havlíček to collaborate. He refuses and consequently he is unable to publish in Prague. As a result, he moves to Kutná Hora where he begins to publish the magazine "Slovan". He is put on trial for alleged political agitation but is eventually freed. However, just before Christmas he is arrested once again and deported to Brixen where he is put into solitary confinement. When he returns home after three and a half years, he finds that his wife has died. Havlíček is a broken man and wastes away until his death in July 1856. (According to promotional material issued at the time the film was made.)