Vincenc Lesny (1882 -1953)

An Indologist, Vincenc Lesny, was a professor of Indology and Iramian studies at Charles University of Prague. He was a student of Moriz Winternitz. Rabindranath met him on his visit to Czechoslovakia in 1920. When Winternitz joined Visva-Bharati as a Visiting Professor in 1923, Lesny taught German to the students at Visva-Bharati while he learnt Bengali himself. He had already mastered the Sanskrit language before coming to Santiniketan.

Lesny came to Santiniketan again in 1928 as University Professor.
Lesny was an admirer of Rabindranath's poetry and in 1914 he published a book in Czech containing his translations of some of the Poet's poetry and prose: Rabindranath Thakur : Ukazy Poesie A Prosy. Lesny also works; an English translation of which was published in 1939: Rabindranath Tagore, his Personality and Work.