Václav Vlček (writer)

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Václav Vlček

Václav Vlček (born September 1, 1839 in Střechov nad Sázavou (now part of Trhový Štěpánov ), Bohemia ; † August 17, 1908 in the Royal Vineyards near Prague ) was a Czech playwright , journalist and novelist.

Life

The farmer's son Václav Vlček attended the Academic Gymnasium in Prague from 1852 to 1860, but was left to fend for himself before it was finished due to a lack of support from his parents. When Joseph Richard Vilímek founded the joke magazine Humoristické listy (ie humoristic papers), Vlček worked on this under several pseudonyms and repeatedly came into conflict with the police because of its aggressive articles. He studied the life of the rural people and based on these observations wrote Povídky z kraje (Stories from the Country), those in Poutník z Prahy (Hikers from Prague), and Obrázky z naší vesnice (Pictures from our village), which were published in the Pozor published by Václav Štulc were reprinted.

From 1860 to 1863 Vlček studied classical philology at the University of Prague . During this time he applied for the thimble prize in 1861 with his first dramatic attempt Soběslav , but won the second prize. At the beginning of 1863 he published his first independently edited novel, Po půlnoci (ie after midnight , 2 parts, Prague 1863), which was reprinted repeatedly in American Czech journals.

After completing his university studies towards the end of 1863, Vlček turned to the teaching profession and took a position as a supplement at the Academic Gymnasium in Prague, but in 1865 at the Gymnasium in Budweis . There he taught classical languages, German and Czech, but also gave lectures at the secondary school for girls and in front of a select group of townspeople. He became an employee of the Budivoj magazine published in Budweis and published his novel Lidumil ( Friend of the People) in it. At the same time, he founded an amateur theater and directed it himself. In 1866, his drama Eliška Přemyslovna (ie Elisabeth , the Přemyslid daughter ) received the second thimble prize. When the bookseller Ignaz Leopold Kober advertised a price for a story that was to be printed in his Posel z Prahy calendar , Vlček won it with his poem Ondřej Puklice .

In December 1867, Vlček resigned from teaching to devote himself entirely to literature and journalism and went to Prague. On the occasion of his departure there, the Budweiser Czech Beseda appointed him an honorary member. Now he joined the editorial team of the daily newspaper Národní listy (national newspaper ) and at the same time took care of the compilation of the political section in the journal Hlas (The Voice), which was soon banned as a result of the state of emergency. Then he came to the newspaper Obrana (Die Gegenwehr) as a main employee , and he later took over the editing. He also wrote O národní osvětě (On the Enlightenment) for Matice Lidu , which brought him a major piece of work in the first year , in which he dealt with popular education and child-rearing and encouraged the establishment of Tabors on all sides. He became an increasingly national-conservative author and worked intensively for the promotion of Czech culture and literature in Bohemia.

Vlček also wrote numerous historical novels that appeared in various newspapers: Jan Švehla , Dalibor and Čtibor Hlava in den Květy ; Jan Hvězda z Vecímilic and Dominik im Světozor ; and Jan Pašek z Vratu and Paní Lichnická in Matice lidu . Among his many stories, Věnec vavřínový ( The Laurel Wreath , 1872 in Osvěta , published separately in 6 volumes in 1877) and Zlato v ohni ( The Gold in Fire , revised edition in 5 volumes, 1882). In them the author expresses an unusual gift for observation and a masterly art of depicting bourgeois living conditions.

With regard to the stage, Vlček was active both as a theatrical consultant, in the Národní listy being responsible for the theater criticism of the Czech stage, and as a poet, by composing dramas. The latter included the tragedy Milada , written by him in 1868 , which, like his already mentioned Eliška Přemyslovna , was successfully performed. In 1869 he wrote the dramatic satire Rebelice v Kocourkově ( The Riot in Krähwinkel ), which won the Prize of the Dramatic Cooperative in Prague. This cooperative, which had numerous members from Bohemia and Moravia, appointed Vlček as its manager. The drama Lipany , written by Vlček, also enjoyed great success on the occasion of its performance at the opening of the new National Theater in June 1881. A collection of his journalistic work was published under the title Tužby vlastenecké ( Patriotic Lamentations , Prague 1879).

In 1871 Vlček took over the editing of the monthly Osvěta (Enlightenment), which he founded and which was the first Czech popular science newspaper for culture and politics. This journal, which had a significant influence on the development of Czech literature, ensured Vlček's livelihood, and he published it until his death in 1908. In 1872 he traveled to Switzerland and Germany on a scholarship . He belonged to various writers' associations, often gave lectures on literature and culture and was also politically active as a member of the royal Weinberger parish council. At an advanced age he wrote fiction, some of which had autobiographical features, such as B. Sněhy a ledy (1908).

Works (selection)

  • Po půlnoci (After Midnight), novel, 2 parts, Prague 1863
  • Přemysl Otokar. Truchlohra v pěti jednáních (Přemysl Otokar. Tragedy in 5 acts), Prague 1864
  • Sobeslav. Dramatický obraz z dějin českých v pěti jednáních (Sobjeslav. Dramatic painting from Czech history in 5 acts), Prague 1864
  • Šachy. Veselohra ve třech jednáních (The game of chess. Comedy in 3 acts), Prague 1864
  • Eliška Přemyslovna. Truchlohra v pěti jednáních (Elisabeth, the Přemyslid daughter. Tragedy in 5 Acts), Budweis 1866
  • Jan Pašek z Vratu. Obraz z dějin českých věku šestnáctého (Johann Pašek von Vrat. Picture from the 16th century of Bohemian history), Prague 1867
  • O národní osvětě hledíc obzvláště k literatuře české (On national consciousness, mainly with regard to Bohemian literature), Prague 1868
  • Milada. Truchlohra v pěti jednáních (Milada. Tragedy in 5 Acts ), 2nd edition Prague 1869
  • Paní Lichnická: Pověst z počátku XVI. století (Mrs. Lichnický. A legend from the beginning of the 16th century), Prague 1870
  • Poslání Pražanům a tolikéž jiným měštěnínům českého jazyka , 1872
  • Jan Švehla , 1873
  • O nynějších poměrech českých: desatero kapitol lidu českému , 1875
  • Věnec vavřínový (The Laurel Wreath), 6 volumes, 1877
  • Lipany , Tragedy in 5 Acts, 1881
  • Zlato v ohni (The gold in the fire), novel, 5 volumes, 1882
  • Dalibor , historical novel, 1888
  • Setník Halaburd , contemporary social novel , 1892
  • Černé jezero: Román mladého srdce , 1893
  • Druhové z mládí , novel, 1907
  • Sněhy a ledy: drobné příběhy a velké otázky , Memoirs, 1908

literature

Remarks

  1. ↑ V. Petrbok:  Vlček, Václav. In: Austrian Biographical Lexicon 1815–1950 (ÖBL). Volume 15, Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, Vienna 1957–2013, p. 307 f. (Direct links on p. 307 , p. 308 ).

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Vlček, Václav
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Czech playwright, journalist and novelist
DATE OF BIRTH September 1, 1839
PLACE OF BIRTH Střechov nad Sázavou , Bohemia
DATE OF DEATH 17th August 1908
Place of death Royal Vineyards, Prague