Musicologist Among Those Killed in Prague's Recent Mass Shooting

Lenka Hlávková, an expert on music in Central Europe during the Late Middle Ages and Renaissance, died in the mass shooting at Charles University on December 21

Prague's Charles University has confirmed that Lenka Hlávková, a distinguished musicologist and the head of the university's Institute of Musicology, was among the 14 people shot dead by 24-year-old David Kozak. The incident, which took place on December 21, 2023, is the worst mass killing in the history of the Czech Republic.

Hlávková was an alumna of Charles University, receiving her master's degree in 1998 and her PhD in 2004. She was an early-music specialist, researching music of the late Middle Ages and the Renaissance — especially Czech music, and that of Central Europe more broadly.

A dedicated researcher, she had published several journal articles dealing with medieval music. In addition, Hlávková was instrumental in bringing the International Medieval and Renaissance Music Conference to Prague, and was a highly respected teacher in the Institute of Musicology.

Hlávková's colleagues described her as "a guiding spirit... a person who can not only lead, but also connect, who lives for her field, but also for the people who co-shape it."

"It is with deep regret that we announce that yesterday’s hopeful news was unfortunately not confirmed," wrote the Institute of Musicology at Charles University in a statement. "On the basis of verified information from the family and with their permission, we announce that our colleague and director of the Institute of Musicology at the Charles University Faculty of Arts Lenka Hlávková did not survive yesterday’s attack."

"We express our deepest condolences to all the bereaved, first and foremost to the family. This is extremely cruel news for all of us. Let’s stay in support of each other."