About Denní hlasatel. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1891-1994
Chicago, Ill. (1891-1994)

Denní Hlasatel

The Denní Hlasatel was a Chicago Czech-language daily newspaper founded in 1891 as the result of a typesetters' strike. After the union of Czech typesetters had their demands rejected by the Chicagske Utsy, they started their own newspaper, the Denní, on May 1st, 1891. Despite the May Day founding the first issue was not printed until May 4. Several union members served as its editors and on its board: Vladimir Spatny, who was the first editor; Dr. Edwin Hare; Frank Sirovatka; Frank Stejskal; and John Valha. The paper quickly gained prominence over more established dailies, and in under a year, the union added the twice-weekly Hlasatel and the weekly Týdenní Hlasatel using the same editors. In 1893, the paper adopted a policy of offering week-to-week subscriptions while others required monthly or yearly commitments, boosting the Hlasatel's popularity even further among the working class. Other Czech papers, including the Chicažských Listů and Svornost, were unhappy with the rising competition for their subscriber base. Svornost was especially annoyed at what they saw as a Hlasatel-led takeover of the Typographical Union and frequently ran editorials against the paper and its editors. But the Denní Hlasatel Printing & Publishing Co. far outlasted its competitors, rising to become the largest foreign-language daily newspaper in the US.

The Denní Hlasatel began in a small office at the corner of Racine Avenue and 19th Street, and it was not until 1895 that they established their own press. Around 1899, they moved to a new building designed by Frank Randak, noted Czech-Chicago architect. This would be the company's home for most of the century. The paper continued to grow, reaching its peak during the two World Wars. During WWII, circulation of the Denní Hlasatel topped 100,000; the paper even ran its own radio station. After the wars, as Czech immigration to Chicago declined and the existing populace moved outside the city, the Hlasatel relocated as well, migrating offices to nearby Cicero in 1979. In 1982, the company moved to its final home in the Czech haven of Berwyn. For the paper's 90th anniversary, Representative Judy Baar Topinka of the Illinois House passed a resolution honoring its history and legacy.

In 1991, the Denní Hlasatel celebrated its 100th anniversary with a monthlong celebration hosted by the owner team of Josef Sr., Josef Jr., and Rose Kucera. Some descendants of the original founders—Donald Tollefsen and Milada Spatny—were still part of the paper's board of directors. Unfortunately, the Hlasatel did not endure much longer. By 1994, only the Nedělní hlasatel was still being published, and even that became semi-monthly in 1999. When publication finally ceased in April 2006, the Hlasatel family of newspapers had lasted for 115 years, making it the oldest and longest-running Czech serial in the world.

Provided by: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Library, Urbana, IL