In the Czech Republic, few figures are as beloved as Jára Cimrman, a national hero who never actually existed. Created by actor and writer Zdeněk Svěrák and his colleagues, Cimrman is celebrated as a fictional inventor, scientist and genius whose supposed achievements are part of a uniquely Czech tradition of humor and self-irony. Despite being imaginary, he topped a 2005 public vote for the greatest Czech and continues to inspire museums, theaters and even a school bearing his name.