Joseph Czernin was born in Prague in 1924 to one of the oldest Czech noble families. During the Nazi occupation of the Czech Lands, he was forced to work in Germany. After the war, he studied law in Prague and in 1947 he came to the United Kingdom to study English. After the communist coup of February 1948, he decided to stay in England permanently. From the very beginning, he got involved in the organisation of the social and religious life of Czech and Slovak immigrants. His commitment to the charity Velehrad dates back to 1950´s. He was a longtime and tireless advocate of the preservation of the Czech language, culture and traditions in the UK.

May he rest in peace.