Eduard Petiška
Encyclopedia
Eduard Petiška was a Czech poet, novelist, short story writer, playwright, and translator. He is best known as the author of books for children.
in Brandýs nad Labem in 1943, during the German occupation
, Petiška was compelled to work in a factory in Čelákovice
. Following World War II
, he studied comparative literature
and German
at Charles University in Prague
. After obtaining his doctorate in 1949, Petiška began his writing career, being initially influenced by the poetry of František Halas
. He published without apparent hindrance throughout the Communist period. In 1977, he was a signatory of the "Anti-Charter", a pro-socialist declaration written in reaction to the anti-socialist Charter 77
, a manifesto of the artistic opposition. The Anti-Charter was signed by over 2,000 artists.
His son Martin Petiška is also an author, publishing under the pseudonym Eduard Martin.
), even though this milieu was often avoided by writers living in Socialist states. In addition he translated the works of Goethe into Czech
. Petiška was also an excellent interpreter of the legend
s and myths
of ancient Mesopotamia
, Egypt
and Greece
, and published collections of fairy tales and myths.
Life
After matriculating from gymnaziumGymnasium (school)
A gymnasium is a type of school providing secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English grammar schools or sixth form colleges and U.S. college preparatory high schools. The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, meaning a locality for both physical and intellectual...
in Brandýs nad Labem in 1943, during the German occupation
Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia
The Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia was the majority ethnic-Czech protectorate which Nazi Germany established in the central parts of Bohemia, Moravia and Czech Silesia in what is today the Czech Republic...
, Petiška was compelled to work in a factory in Čelákovice
Celákovice
Čelákovice is a town in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It is located on the Labe river, 25 kilometers from Prague. The population is about 10,000. The town is part of the Prague metropolitan area....
. Following World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he studied comparative literature
Comparative literature
Comparative literature is an academic field dealing with the literature of two or more different linguistic, cultural or national groups...
and German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
at Charles University in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
. After obtaining his doctorate in 1949, Petiška began his writing career, being initially influenced by the poetry of František Halas
František Halas
František Halas was one of the most significant Czech lyric poets of the 20th century, an essayist, and a translator.- Life :...
. He published without apparent hindrance throughout the Communist period. In 1977, he was a signatory of the "Anti-Charter", a pro-socialist declaration written in reaction to the anti-socialist Charter 77
Charter 77
Charter 77 was an informal civic initiative in communist Czechoslovakia from 1976 to 1992, named after the document Charter 77 from January 1977. Founding members and architects were Václav Havel, Jan Patočka, Zdeněk Mlynář, Jiří Hájek, and Pavel Kohout. Spreading the text of the document was...
, a manifesto of the artistic opposition. The Anti-Charter was signed by over 2,000 artists.
His son Martin Petiška is also an author, publishing under the pseudonym Eduard Martin.
Works
Petiška published nearly 70 children's books worldwide (usually illustrated by Helena ZmatlíkováHelena Zmatlíková
Helena Zmatlíková was a Czech illustrator, especially of children's books.Zmatlikova's paintings, which appeared in books published all over the world in more than 20 languages, have been popular with children for decades...
), even though this milieu was often avoided by writers living in Socialist states. In addition he translated the works of Goethe into Czech
Czech language
Czech is a West Slavic language with about 12 million native speakers; it is the majority language in the Czech Republic and spoken by Czechs worldwide. The language was known as Bohemian in English until the late 19th century...
. Petiška was also an excellent interpreter of the legend
Legend
A legend is a narrative of human actions that are perceived both by teller and listeners to take place within human history and to possess certain qualities that give the tale verisimilitude...
s and myths
Mythology
The term mythology can refer either to the study of myths, or to a body or collection of myths. As examples, comparative mythology is the study of connections between myths from different cultures, whereas Greek mythology is the body of myths from ancient Greece...
of ancient Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia is a toponym for the area of the Tigris–Euphrates river system, largely corresponding to modern-day Iraq, northeastern Syria, southeastern Turkey and southwestern Iran.Widely considered to be the cradle of civilization, Bronze Age Mesopotamia included Sumer and the...
, Egypt
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh...
and Greece
Ancient Greece
Ancient Greece is a civilization belonging to a period of Greek history that lasted from the Archaic period of the 8th to 6th centuries BC to the end of antiquity. Immediately following this period was the beginning of the Early Middle Ages and the Byzantine era. Included in Ancient Greece is the...
, and published collections of fairy tales and myths.
Poetry
- Oči vzlétajícího času 1946
- Pražské orchestry, 1947 – lyric poetry typical for this period in Czech literature
- Okamžiky, 1957
- Ovidiova rodina, 1968
- Prométeova paměť, 1971
Prose
- Než uzrají muži, 1960 – a novel in two parts with autobiographical elements
- Pomerančové šaty, 1962 – novel
- Hotel pro cizince, 1964 – short stories
- Nejlepší život, 1973 – short stories
- Soudce Knorr, 1967
- Svatební noci, 1972 – short stories
- Svět plný lásky – short stories
- Štěstí, noc a hvězdy – short stories
- Pohyb květin a jiné radosti a obtíže
- Průvodce mladého muže manželstvím, 1981 – novel
Books for children
- Alenka jde spát, 1947
- O jabloňce, 1954
- Pohádky pro nejmenší
- Pohádkový dědeček, 1958
- Staré řecké báje a pověsti, 1958 – retelling of the ancient Greek legends
- Příběhy starého Izraele - retelling of the stories from the biblical Old Testament
- Birlibán, 1959
- Příběhy na které svítilo slunce, 1967 – stories from old EgyptEgyptEgypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, MesopotamiaMesopotamiaMesopotamia is a toponym for the area of the Tigris–Euphrates river system, largely corresponding to modern-day Iraq, northeastern Syria, southeastern Turkey and southwestern Iran.Widely considered to be the cradle of civilization, Bronze Age Mesopotamia included Sumer and the...
and IsraelIsraelThe State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea... - Martínkova čítanka – fairy tales, originally written for author´s son Martin
- Čtení o hradech
- Čtení o zámcích a městech