Václav Matěj Kramérius

Gustav Zoula: bust of Kramerius

Václav Matěj Kramérius (also Wenzel Matthias Kramerius , born February 9, 1759 in Klatovy , † March 22, 1808 in Prague ) was a Czech writer and publisher in Bohemia .

Life

Kramérius attended the Jesuit grammar school in Klatovy and then studied philosophy and law at the Charles University in Prague . Since he came from a poor background, he had to earn money to finance his studies. He was helped by Josef Dobrovský , who arranged for him to work as a librarian and scribe with Jan Frantisek Knight Gemmrich von Neuberg (Jan z Neuberku) on Czejtitz. His grandson Jan Norbert Ritter von Neuberg continued his concern. Kramérius cataloged the library and revised old Bohemian texts. This activity, during which he was able to establish numerous contacts with writers , would later be useful for his publishing activities.

Kramerius' Prager Postzeitung, issue 1/1789

After graduating, Kramérius took a job teaching the Czech language . In 1786 he switched to Schönfeld's imperial-royal postal newspaper ( Schönfeldské císařské královské poštovní noviny ) as an editor . Here he found other employees, deepened his knowledge, published popular writings and founded his own postal newspaper. On July 1, 1789, the first edition of this Prague postal newspaper ( Pražské poštovské noviny ) appeared, which in 1791 was renamed the Kramérius' local newspaper ( Kramériusovy cis. Kr. Vlastenecké Noviny ) and of which he was director until 1808, the year he died. From the beginning the newspaper sold well, achieved great popularity and his newspaper office was the focus of a literary and artistic salon. Kramérius added his own small fonts to the editions. In 1795 he bought a printing company and founded a publishing house. Jan N. Rulik, friend and colleague, called Kramerius the "flawless son of the fatherland who shook the slumbering Cechen out of his sleep".

At the time, most of the publications in the Czech language appeared in this publishing house, “Czech Expedition” ( Česká expedice ). This was an important step for the further development of this language and the national self-awareness of the Czechs in Bohemia .

After his death, his son, the writer Václav Rodomil Kramérius (born May 6, 1792 in Prague, died June 6, 1861 there) continued the book trade and magazine publishing company and in 1823 sold the company to the Prague book printer family of Johann Ferdinand von Schönfeld .

Publications

A directory in: Constantin von Wurzbach : Kramerius, Wenzeslaus Mathias contains his very numerous, popular writings on members of the ruling house and public figures, folk tales and fairy tales , entertainment writings , confessionally tolerant postils and calendars . In: Biographisches Lexikon des Kaiserthums Oesterreich . 13th part. Kaiserlich-Königliche Hof- und Staatsdruckerei, Vienna 1865, pp. 119–124 ( digitized version ).

Kramérius added the New Calendar of Tolerance to his newspaper , in which both Protestant and Catholic church holidays were listed. The content also included events planned for the year, advice for farmers and more. His collection The New Bohemian Songs for the Fair Sex of Women contained poems, both in translation and in his own work. His knight tales were very popular and popular. They helped to spread and consolidate the Czech language and to increase profits for the publisher.

Poetry

Noví čeští zpěvové pro krásné pohlaví ženské

calendar

Nový kalendář tolerancí, 1787 to 1798.

prose

Laudonův život a jeho hrdinští činové
Vypsání ukrutné smrti Marie Antonie, královny francouzské
Zrcadlo šlechetnosti
Mravové šlechetných dítek
Cvičení dítek jednoho každého stavu, item příkladové a básně dítkám k dobrému naučení
Čarodějnice Megera
Rozličné povídačky k poučení a obveselení

literature

Constantin von Wurzbach : Kramerius, Wenzeslaus Mathias . In: Biographisches Lexikon des Kaiserthums Oesterreich . 13th part. Kaiserlich-Königliche Hof- und Staatsdruckerei, Vienna 1865, pp. 119–124 ( digitized version ).
Heribert Sturm : Biographical lexicon on the history of the Bohemian countries. Published on behalf of the Collegium Carolinum (Institute) , Vol. II, R. Oldenburg Verlag Munich 1984, ISBN 3-486-52551-4 , Wenzel Matthias Kramerius and his son Wenzel Radomil Kramerius p. 279 with numerous other literature in the Czech language.

Web links

Commons : Václav Matěj Kramerius - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

↑ Jan Frantisek Ritter Gemmrich von Neuberg, * February 21, 1743 in Prague, died October 30, 1784 there, royal Bohemian landowner, promoter of the Czech history and culture, (see: The coats of arms of the Bohemian nobility. J. Siebmacher's large Wappenbuch , Vol. 30, Neustadt an der Aisch 1979, ISBN 3 87947 030 8 , p. 63 Neuberg (Gemmrich von) Wappentafel 50)
↑ * 1796 in Czejtitz, Jungbunzlau district, died there in 1859, a. a. 1848 one of the main organizers of the Prague Slavonic Congress (see: Ferdinand Seibt, Hans Lemberg, Helmut Slapnicka: Biographisches Lexikon zur Geschichte der Bohemian Lander , Vol. III, R. Oldenbourg Verlag Munich 2000, ISBN 3-486-55973-7 , p. 32)

personal data
SURNAME	Kramérius, Václav Matěj
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Kramerius, Vaclav Matej
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	Czech writer and publisher
DATE OF BIRTH	February 9, 1759
PLACE OF BIRTH	Klatovy
DATE OF DEATH	March 22, 1808
Place of death	Prague

[1] Jan Frantisek Ritter Gemmrich von Neuberg, * February 21, 1743 in Prague, died October 30, 1784 there, royal Bohemian landowner, promoter of the Czech history and culture, (see: The coats of arms of the Bohemian nobility. J. Siebmacher's large Wappenbuch , Vol. 30, Neustadt an der Aisch 1979, ISBN 3 87947 030 8 , p. 63 Neuberg (Gemmrich von) Wappentafel 50)

[2] * 1796 in Czejtitz, Jungbunzlau district, died there in 1859, a. a. 1848 one of the main organizers of the Prague Slavonic Congress (see: Ferdinand Seibt, Hans Lemberg, Helmut Slapnicka: Biographisches Lexikon zur Geschichte der Bohemian Lander , Vol. III, R. Oldenbourg Verlag Munich 2000, ISBN 3-486-55973-7 , p. 32)