• Orchestra of the Prague Sokol Gymnastic Society: participating orchestra

Národní listy 18/1/1863, 20/1/1863 and 21/1/1863 published an advertisement from the committee organising this ball, announcing: ‘Tickets for gentlemen to the Ball of Czech Lawyers are being sold from 10-4 o’clock in the afternoon from 20th January daily in the office of the Committee, in the Inn „at the Blue Star“ on the second floor of nr.74. Musical rehearsal will take place on Žofín 25th January 1863, Ball will be on 3rd February.’

Prager Morgenpost 31/1/1863 published notices from the committee organising the annual Lawyers’ Ball that gentlemen’s admission tickets could be obtained daily between 10am and 4pm from the office of the Committee on the second floor for the Hotel at the Blue Star. Gentlemen subscribers to the event who did not possess tickets to admit ladies could also obtain these from the office. The Ball was noted to be taking place on 3rd February in the Žofín Island Hall. A similar notice appeared in Prager Morgenpost 2/2/1863.

Prager Morgenpost 3/2/1863 reported that ‘The Czech Lawyers’ Ball [Der čechische Juristenball] takes place this evening in the Žofín Island Hall.’ According to the subsequent Prager Morgenpost 5/2/1863 review, signed ‘§’, the event was coloured with a specifically Czech character: ‘The Czech Lawyers’ Ball. The Ball which the Czech students of Law at the local University arranged the night before last in the Žofín Hall, was not quite so brilliant as in the past, but nevertheless made a very nice dance festival. The large hall was simply [einfach] decorated in the colours white and red. The corridor between the larger and smaller halls was beautifully adorned through busts of Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress. The smaller hall had drapes of white and gold, divided into section by white columns, of which two were decorated with medallion figures of Bohemian Kings. The preponderance of traditional folk dress [Čamara – in essence, red waistcoats] gave the Ball a specifically Czech character. All of the [Ball] Committee wore the traditional dress. The Ladies toilet was very elegant; only a few ladies wore the Slavic corsage [nur wenige Damen trugen das slavische Mieder]. The dance programme was written in Czech and took the form of a bouquet of flowers. Conversations were mostly conducted in Czech, though here and there we heard dancing couples communicating in the German language. The success of this Ball was as a whole moderate. The nobility was sparse [in attendance], the officers corps, civil servants and the older advocates were entirely absent.’

The German-language newspaper Bohemia 3/2/1863 noted in its Tagesprogramm almanac: ‘Evening in the Žofín Island Hall: Czech Lawyers’ Ball’. Bohemia 5/2/1863 published a detailed review of the event, describing in particular the decor and dress, and identifying participating higher members of local society. On the columns of the Hall were noted to have been reliefs of ‘Karl IV [Charles IV] und König Georg von Poděbrad [Jiřího z Poděbrad].’ The orchestra was identified as being that of Sokol [the Czech Gymnastic Society]. Interestingly, this report commented that conversations among the attending society at the event were conducted in both [i.e. Czech and German] languages.

A detailed and enthusiastic review of the ball was published by Národní listy 5/2/1862. The unsigned critic reported: ‘Ball of Czech Lawyers, which took place yesterday [actually on 3/2/1863], is renowned through its belonging to the most splendid of city dance entertainments, which in beautiful presentation and dance [content] exerts a magical power upon our youth. To the elegance of the day-before-yesterday’s ball there contributed most of all the tastefully decorated dance room.The great hall was decorated with white and red. The window alcoves were filled with flowers and rare bonsai [vzácnými stromky], among which in the 3 middle windows were placed sculptures: Terpischore, Hebe and Fanny. At the sides of the entrance from the great hall into the smaller stood 2 Mílkové [translation of this indeterminate – almost certainly referred to busts of the Emperor Franz Josef and the Empress Elizabeth as noted in the Prager Morgenpost description], with ivy on their heads. Interweaved with red ribbons were tasteful bouquets of roses and other flowers, which made a very beautiful impression. Around the white pillars under the galleries was wound ivy.’ The text went on to note that the smaller hall was decorated in yellow and white drapes, with busts of Charles IV [Karel IV] and Georgia of Poděbrady [Jiřího z Poděbrad], and with a green Goddess of Justice. ‘The fair sex was numerous in attendance: the toilet [ladies changing room] was simple as a whole, yet very tasteful. The dance was opened by the aristocracy: Countess Černinová, Princess Auerspergová and Princess Trautmannsdorfová, Marchioness Seibante, Baroness Eisensteinová and Baroness Rittersteinová. We noted that one of the gentlemen of the Committee stepped into the ring to dance, the music to cease playing, the signal for the Committee to dance. We previously wrote – and it was noted on the invitation tickets – that this was the Ball of Czech Lawyers; however if it had not have been for the national costumes [čamara] that were prevalent, it could have been rather one of the old „Juristenballs“. Some gentlemen of the Committee knew almost no Czech, so that, if one of them spoke in Czech, they received a reply in German. Conversations were [in general] Czech and German. The dance programmes for ladies were in the form of a bouquet of violets. We missed in the programme the favourite Trašák as well as the new national dance „Beseda“. Perhaps that was due to some people who detest these dances or this year do not know them? – Among the esteemed guests we noted the following deputies of the Czech parliament: Messrs Palacký, Rieger, Zelený, who soon left, and Professor Tonner. Of the nobility were present: Prince Auersperg, Count Černín, Count Harrach and Count Kounic, who all left early. – Dance lasted until 4 o’clock in the morning.’

Each of the reported sources drew attention to the specifically Czech character of this dance entertainment. Different slants and interpretations in reporting the national content and the overall success of this event coloured the various source reviews. Interestingly, at a time when Czech-orientated sources were increasingly selective in their coverage of Germanically focussed occasions, often failing to report entertainments lacking in some sort of native content, the two German-language newspapers Bohemia and Prager Morgenpost responded with substantial accounts of this apparently Czech event. While the tone of the Prager Morgenpost review seems liberal, it does – in contrast with the Czech sources – appear to play down the success of the occasion, considering it ‘on the whole, moderate.’ The source also drew attention to the turnout of the local aristocracy being low. Conversations among those attending, Prager Morgenpost noted, were mostly in Czech. Its state-controlled sister publication Bohemia was more positive as to the success of the occasion but related how conversations were conducted in both Czech and German. Bohemia, unlike Prager Morgenpost or Národní listy, identified the participating musical ensemble, the intensely patriotic Czech Sokol. Národní listy enthused about the occasion, the arrangements and decoration of the halls to an extent which exceeded the writings of the German papers.  A list of esteemed guests was offered by the Czech source, contrasting with Prager Morgenpost’s comment that few of the nobility attended; Národní listy may have perhaps sought to explain their apparent absence by noting they left early. Interestingly Národní listy made no direct remark about the overall success of the event, thus not contradicting in evidence Prager Morgenpost’s description of ‘moderate’. The event was noted to have finished very late, which does suggest a certain success perhaps not conceded by the German newspaper. Finally, a striking and unexpected contradiction between the Czech source and its German counterparts is shown in the comment of the Czech newspaper concerning the language spoken by society at the event. Whereas the German sources indicate Czech was prevalent, Národní listy pointedly refers to the German tongue being used by members of the Committee, some of whom cannot – or seek to avoid – speak Czech.

Although the event was termed respectively by Czech and German newspapers as a ball of the Lawyers (Pravníky / Juristen), it was organized for – and primarily served –  the law students of the city’s university.