Jan Löwenbach was a Czechoslovak attorney specialising in copyright law, a legal author, music critic, writer, translator and librettist. He was among the personalities who shaped Czechoslovak copyright law while also being an active part of cultural life.
A pioneer of Czechoslovak copyright law
In 1927 he published the extensive work Právo autorské (Copyright Law). The publication offered an interpretation of Act No. 218/1926 Coll. of 24 November 1926, case law, implementing regulations and the main norms of international and foreign copyright law. Löwenbach's work is still cited in the scholarly literature today.
Founder of the Czechoslovak group of ALAI
In 1926 Jan Löwenbach founded the Czechoslovak group of the Association Littéraire et Artistique Internationale. Its creation followed the ALAI congress in Warsaw and a subsequent meeting of participants in Prague. The group's activities were terminated by the occupation administration in 1939.
Music critic, writer and librettist
Alongside his legal practice, Löwenbach systematically devoted himself to music and literature. He wrote about Czech composers and, under the pseudonym J. L. Budín, created, for example, the libretto to Bohuslav Martinů's opera Voják a tanečnice (The Soldier and the Dancer).
The legacy on which the prize builds
Jan Löwenbach connected law with living culture, the Czech environment with international cooperation, and expert work with the practical protection of creators. These are the values commemorated by the prize that bears his name.