The emergence of Czech Sign Language

This article traces the early history and formation of Czech Sign Language in the broader European context of deaf education. Drawing on nineteenth-century pedagogical texts, dictionaries, and archival records, it examines how sign language developed within the Prague Institute for the Deaf and Dumb, founded in 1786, and how it was shaped by contact with other sign traditions. Particular attention is paid to the influence of the Viennese Institute, which mediated elements of the French manual method while integrating German educational practices. Through comparison of early Czech and Austrian sources with French materials, the study identifies overlapping but distinct sign repertoires and shows that Czech Sign Language emerged as an independent linguistic system within the Austrian milieu. The findings highlight the interplay of institutional, linguistic, and cultural factors underlying the genesis of Central European sign languages and contribute to diachronic sign language linguistics through the application of sign language archaeology.