Daniel Adam z Veleslavína

Daniel Adam of Veleslavín (; 31 August 1546 – 18 October 1599) was a Czech lexicographer, publisher, translator and writer. He significantly contributed to the development of the Czech language and education in the Czech lands.

Early life and education Daniel Adam was born on 31 August 1546 in Prague, into the family of a miller. He studied at the University of Prague, and from 1569 to 1576 he was a professor there.

Marriage and late life

In 1576, Daniel Adam married Anna, the oldest daughter of the publisher Jiří Melantrich of Aventino, and became burgher of the Old Town of Prague. They had three children: Jiří, Dorota and Samuel. After the marriage, Daniel Adam started working at the Jiří Melantrich's printing house. Because professors of the university were required to keep celibacy and because Daniel Adam wanted to focus on the work in the printing house, he left the university. From 1578, Daniel Adam was allowed to called himself "of Veleslavín" for his intellectual merits. He chose this name in honour of his father's birthplace.

Work Daniel Adam of Veleslavín worked at the printing house not only as a deputy manager, but also participated in the operation as an author, translator and editor. He did not want to publish books only for Latin-speaking scholars, but was interested in how to contribute to the education of broad segments of the population. Therefore, he published a number of educational books on various topics: historical, geographical, political, medical and others. Thanks to his education, many important books were printed that less educated printers might have overlooked. He clung to the Czech language and tried to work on its promotion and good standard. He did not subordinate the printing press to commercial interests. He gathered like-minded writers around him to help him realize his plans.