Cyril Höschl received the Arnošt Lustig Award and given a commemorative PRIM watch

Press releases
Cyril Höschl, a psychiatrist and educator, became the eleventh laureate of the Arnošt Lustig Award, which is granted for courage, bravery, humanity, and justice. Höschl has been one of the leading experts in mental health for almost fifty years and is also an active popularizer of science. He received the award on May 3rd at 12 pm from the hands of the Mayor of Prague Bohuslav Svoboda and the Chairman of the Award Committee Professor Jan Pirk at the Mayor's Residence in Prague. From our CzechoslovakGroup, which is the main partner of the Award, Cyril Höschl received a commemorative PRIM Republic watch, with "Laureate CAL for 2022" and the motto of the award: courage and bravery, humanity, and justice engraved on its lid.

"Cyril Höschl received the Arnošt Lustig Award for 2022 after the unanimous agreement of all committee members, given that his entire life attitude absolutely met the criteria for granting this award. He demonstrated courage and bravery in helping dissidents after 1968 by protecting them from the persecution of the secret police. His humanity is fulfilled by his daily work for patients with mental health problems, which are difficult for most people to grasp. Justice is given by his approach to helping all patients, without distinction," says Professor Jan Pirk.

Cyril Höschl (born November 12, 1949) is a Czech psychiatrist, popularizer of science, and university teacher. From 1990 to 2021, he served as the director of the National Institute of Mental Health. After the Velvet Revolution, he was the first freely elected dean of the Third Faculty of Medicine at Charles University (1990-1997). From 1990 to 2020, he was the head of the Psychiatric Clinic of the Third Faculty of Medicine in Prague. In 2007-2008, he was the president of the European Psychiatric Association (EPA) and in 2008-2009, the president of the Federation of European Medical Academies (FEAM). He is a founding member of the Learned Society of the Czech Republic and, among others, a laureate of the Czech Head Award (2008). He is the author of five books and a number of textbooks.

VRF03802.jpg

VRF03802.jpg

Regarding courage, bravery, humanity, and justice, for which the Arnošt Lustig Award is granted, Cyril Höschl says: "They primarily represent a never-ending struggle for freedom. And I consider freedom to be the highest value. It is never definitively conquered, not guaranteed, and in all historical and life stages, it is threatened, and the values that the Arnošt Lustig Award represents are its guarantors. Even in times that do not necessarily bring imprisonment for your opinions, there is still room to apply care for these values in an extraordinary way."

The award was established in 2011 by the Czech-Israeli Mixed Chamber of Commerce, and its committee is composed of a number of prominent figures such as lawyer and university teacher Jaromír Císař, publicist Jefim Fištejn, general director of Czech Television Petr Dvořák, former rector of Charles University in Prague Tomáš Zima, entrepreneur Zuzana Ceralová Petrofová, and physician Professor Jan Pirk, who is its chairman.

The historical first laureate of the Arnošt Lustig Award for 2011 for 2011 was Prague bishop Mons. Václav Malý. Subsequent recipients included legendary Czech announcer Kamila Moučková, Bedřich Utitz, founder of the Good Angel Petr Sýkora, writer Jiří Stránský, former Charter 77 spokesperson Dana Němcová, Czech-American businessman Paul Rausnitz, General Karel Řehka, surgeon Pavel Pafko, and most recently, the tenth anniversary laureate Šimon Pánek. The Arnošt Lustig Award is granted by the Czech-Israeli Mixed Chamber of Commerce. The CSG Group is among the main partners of the Award, and its laureate annually receives a PRIM watch.

MIM07084.jpg

MIM07084.jpg

Share