▁to ▁the ▁main ▁contest . ▁ ▁J ára ▁C im r man ▁as ▁a ▁character ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁The ▁son ▁of ▁Leopold ▁C im r man , ▁a ▁Czech ▁tail or ▁working ▁in ▁Vienna , ▁and ▁Mar l ene ▁J el ink ova , ▁an ▁Aust rian ▁actress , ▁C im r man ▁was ▁said ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁born ▁in ▁either ▁ 1 8 5 3 ▁or ▁ 1 8 5 9 ▁( though ▁sometimes ▁other ▁years ▁have ▁been ▁c ited ▁as ▁required ). ▁Of ▁possible ▁Jewish ▁her itage , ▁C im r man ' s ▁name ▁was ▁originally ▁sp elt ▁" Z im r man ", ▁like ▁the ▁German ▁surname ▁" Z imm ermann ", ▁and ▁he ▁changed ▁it ▁later ▁on ▁as ▁a ▁mark ▁of ▁his ▁Czech ▁patri ot ism . ▁C im r man ▁attended ▁Czech ▁and ▁German ▁schools ▁in ▁Vienna , ▁and ▁continued ▁his ▁studies ▁in ▁Prag ue . ▁Due ▁to ▁the ▁family ' s ▁pover ty , ▁C im r man ' s ▁parents ▁dressed ▁him ▁in ▁second - hand ▁clothes ▁from ▁his ▁sister ▁Lu isa , ▁and ▁sent ▁him ▁to ▁a ▁girls ' ▁school , ▁hiding ▁his ▁identity ▁from ▁him . ▁When ▁he ▁discovered ▁the ▁truth ▁aged ▁ 1 5 , ▁it ▁triggered ▁an ▁identity ▁crisis ▁but ▁is ▁also ▁said ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁the ▁moment ▁when ▁his ▁genius ▁emer ged . ▁No ▁pictures ▁of ▁C im r man ▁are ▁said ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁found ▁and ▁so ▁his ▁appearance ▁is ▁unknown . ▁ ▁Cont ribution s ▁ ▁According ▁to