We regret to inform you that Doc. Ing. Jiří Blažek, CSc. passed away on Monday, February 12, 2024 at the age of 77. To his family, relatives and colleagues we offer our condolences coming straight from our hearts. Below we publish a letter we received on this matter from our friend, Professor Petr Mrkyvka.
Management Board of the International Center of Public Finance and Tax Law Research
Dear friends and colleagues,
it is with deep sadness that we announce the death of Doc. Ing. Jiři Blažek, CSc., our distinguished colleague, friend and long-time head of the Department of Financial Law and National Economy at the Faculty of Law of Masaryk University in Brno.
Throughout his career, Jiři Blažek endeavoured to explain to law students the importance of knowing economic principles and contexts, and he used practical examples to show the interactions between law and economics, especially in the field of monetary economics and banking. In this spirit, he continued the concept of the first rector of Masaryk University, Professor Karel Engliš. He remained faithful to his scientific activities and was the founder of the Society of Friends of Karel Engliš. During his career, he served as head of the Department of National Economy and then, after the merger with the field of financial law, he was head of the Department of Financial Law and National Economy until 2015. From 1998 to 2001, he served as Dean of the Faculty of Law at Palacky University in Olomouc. He also cooperated with a number of law and economics faculties and helped establish private universities in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, but also in Poland. He was a long-standing member of the Appeals Committee of the Office for the Protection of Competition of the Czech Economic Society and the International Center of Public Finance and Tax Law Research. He collaborated with the Czech National Bank on many projects and played a key role in the baptism of the commemorative banknote dedicated to Karel Engliš at Masaryk University. He was also a professional guarantor and organiser of many important conferences and workshops, editor of scientific proceedings and monographs. In January 2023, he received the commemorative silver medal of Masaryk University. From December 2023, his health condition no longer allowed him to engage in significant teaching work. Nevertheless, even during this period, he took an intense interest in events at the Faculty of Law and planned his return to academia.
With his knowledge and experience, Doc Blažek was recognised as an expert not only among his colleagues, but also among his students, who particularly valued practical information useful in everyday life. His upbeat mood and relaxed atmosphere, which he could literally conjure up, were particularly appreciated during examinations. With his humane approach, sonorous voice and unique sense of humour, in less than 33 years he became one of the icons of the Faculty of Law at Masaryk University and we will miss him greatly.
We will say farewell to our colleague Doc Jiří Blažek on February 20, 2024 at 11:45 a.m. at the Brno crematorium.
Petr Mrkyvka
Head of the Department of Financial Law and Economics, Faculty of Law, Masaryk University, Brno
The Family included the following quote on the obituary: A person who has never cried has not lived a real life (Jan Werich)
