Alois Jelen

Alois Jelen (11 May 1801 – 15 October 1857) was a Czech composer and archivist. He was a Czech nationalist.

Biography Jelen in the role of "Max", from the opera Der Freischütz. Portrait by Antonín Machek Jelen was born on 11 May 1801 in Světlá nad Sázavou, Bohemia. He displayed musical talent at an early age, so his father, a school teacher, sent him to Prague for his primary education. His first musical lessons were provided by the composer, Vincenc Mašek, at St. Nicholas Church, where Jelen worked as a singer, from the age of nine. He was, however, orphaned at the age of twelve, so he was left to rely on his own personal resources and whatever patronage he could obtain. He later found a position as a tenor in the choir at the Church of Our Lady before Týn.

After completing his education, in 1824, he took a position as a civil servant with the Kingdom of Bohemia, where he was assigned to the archives and became an expert in diplomatics. In 1849, he was appointed Director of the archives at the Ministry of the Interior, and moved to Vienna with his family. He would, however, continue to be a regular visitor to Prague.

During one of those trips, he died suddenly in Prague on 15 October 1857 and was buried in what is today the Prague 20 district. In 1887, his remains were transferred to Prague-East District and interred with his daughter-in-law's family (Chourový).

A street near his birthplace is named after him.