About us
The Všehrd Association of Czech Lawyers is the oldest Czech lawyers' association in the Czech Republic and belongs to the oldest associations in our country at all. The Association is purely students' - it means that the most of its management is formed by students. Among our honorary members belong such personalities as Prof. Václav Klaus, the President of the Czech Republic, or Prof. Roger Scruton, the British political scientist and other important personalities of the legal and social life at all.
Among our activities belong especially the organisation of lectures and other educational events. We are working mostly in the premises of the Law Faculty of Charles University where we also have our seat. Our effort is to provide to all students – not only to members, a basis at which they can build up their projects. We are well coordinated team and we appreciate ideas that can enrich the campus (students’) life. Every day we experience excellent projects that are facing only one problem, it is so difficult to organize them without the knowledge of the background, contacts and co-workers. This is the sense of our Association – to provide the knowledge and contacts and to help with the realization of these ideas.
Except the education, within our activities fall also various students' parties, sports days or traditional “Nicholas” party with mulled wine which is organized in the atrium of the Law Faculty so called „pool“. We also organize the Ceremonial ball of the Law Faculty and Všehrd. The Association also edits the internet periodical Všehrd on-line with its own ISSN and is the founder of the Randa Trust Fund of the Všehrd Association of Czech Lawyers that provides financial support to socially weaker students during their studies at the Law Faculty of Charles University.
Thanks to Všehrd, our members have unique opportunity to gain the experience in areas to which is hard to get in, they have possibility to meet the interesting personalities of the legal life and also to participate in some added value that makes out of the campus (students') what it is.
History
Here we will try to introduce you briefly the history of the Association Všehrd – with its moments of glory when, led by important personalities, it was the respected part of the Czech society and also with moments when, in times of struggle for the law and justice, was eliminated as an inconvenient group of liberal individuals.
The release in the society after Bach’s absolutism took place also among students of the Law Faculty in Prague. The idea of Všehrd foundation arose from the desire for the education in the mother tongue that wasn’t available to students at that time. Already during 1867, the students’ society, led by JUC. Alfréd Hrdlička, were meeting in the tavern called „U Fáfů“. At the beginning they spent the time by singing and heated debates about the law in the mother tongue, later the first lectures began.
However, for a development of the Association, its legal establishment was necessary. This occasion occurred after February 15th 1867 when the Association Act was published. On January 21st 1868, a meeting of lawyers was called to the room of the Academic readers' association where the first statutes were submitted.
However, these statutes did not meet the understanding of Austrian vicegerency and the new ones were passed at the meeting on March 4th 1868. Imperial and Royal vicegerency by its decree No. 17455 dated April 11th 1868, did not prohibit the foundation of the Association thus nothing impeded to call a constituting general meeting. The general meeting took place in tavern called „U Fáfů“ on May 6th 1868 at 7:00pm. JUC. Alfréd Hrdlička was elected the first mayor of the Association; Jaroslav Čelakovský was elected the deputy.
The foundation of the Association had the considerable resound among students of the Law Faculty – already the first year the number of members reached the number of 151 students.
The beginnings of a publishing activity were more than promising; in 1871 the Association began the activity by work of Viktorin Kornel from Všehrdy "O práviech, o súdiech i o dskách země české knihy devatery", followed by great works of Koldín in the years 1873 and 1875. In 1896, Všehrd began other form of editorial work - editing of lithography – very important teaching materials. In 1905, the Association had a monopoly of editing the lithography at the faculty. In 1906, the number of members grown to the size never more repeated because the general meeting approved that in the future the lithography will be sold only to the members of Všehrd. Together with the increase of edition, the turnover also increased and the editing of lithography became soon the important income of the Association; e.g. only in 1912, 123 works were published. Originally poor students’ association came to be wealthier and wealthier. Toward to the end of the First Republic, the Association carried its assets in obligations, mortgage bonds and shares.
Such personalities of the Czech society as Albín Bráf, Jaroslav Preiss, Alois Rašín and other arose from the members of Všehrd.
After World War II, the activity of the Association had started to recover promisingly. However, the hopeful beginning was ceased by events of 1948 when Všehrd was paralysed at first and consequently was dissolved by so-called „action committee“.
The restoration of the activity of Všehrd could happen after the change of the political climate in November 1989. In 1990, the Association were re-established under the the Act on association of citizens. At the constituting general meeting, the Association declared the continuity of pre-war Všehrd, both intellectually and institutionally. Those, who became the honorary members from 1868 till 1948 were declared the honorary members again; the statutes were passed according to the original form. The first mayor Mgr. Igor Volný was elected. The periodical of the Association Všehrd began to be issued again. In 1991, the tradition of organizing the top social events, e.g. annual balls, was restored as well. The revival of the lectures has also been significant. In addition, another activities have been added, e.g. educational, sociocultural, sports, editorial and other.
Since 1990, Igor Volný, Petr Polák, Ján Lučan, Jan Matějíček, Milan Fritz, Daniel Rinke, Ivo Jeník a Ondřej Kolín were Mayors of Všehrd.
Today, JUDr. Dagmar Burešová, Dr. Ladislav Feierabend (in memoriam), Prof. JUDr. Dušan Hendrych, CSc., Dr. Jaroslav Hrubý, Ing. Tomáš Ježek, Prof. Ing. Václav Klaus, CSc., JUDr. Zdeněk Kessler (in memorsiam), Prof. JUDr. Karel Knap (in memoriam), Prof. Dr. Jan S. Kruliš-Randa, Dr. H. c., JUDr. Otakar Motejl, JUDr. Emil Ransdorf (in memoriam), Prof. Roger Scruton, JUDr. Jindřich Smolek, Pavel Tigrid, Dr. h. c. (in memoriam), Ing. Josef Tošovský, Prof. JUDr. Valentin Urfus, Prof. JUDr. František Vencovský and Dr. Fred. A. Zapletal are the honorary members of the Všehrd Association of Czech Lawyers.
