Ignát Herrmann
Encyclopedia
Ignát Herrmann was a Czech novelist, satirist and editor. He sometimes used the pseudonym Vojta Machatý, Švanda.
The thirteenth child of a solicitor's copyist, he attended school in Hradec Králové
, then in 1868 travelled to Prague
to begin a career in retail. He worked for several companies, from 1873 for the publisher Otto-Verlag, for whom he became a courtroom reporter. From 1876 to 1878 he edited the satirical magazine Paleček; in 1882 he founded his own, Švanda dudák, which he edited almost continuously until 1930. He worked for several years at a law firm before becoming, in 1885, editor of the Národní listy, for which he had been an administrator. From 1888 he was chairman of the "May Society" of Czech authors (Májovci
). He edited the first edition (1892-4) of the complete works of Jan Neruda
.
His literary work was closely tied to his journalism, and mostly dealt with the personalities and life of Prague. His first novel was the partly autobiographical U snědeného krámu (1890). The same year he wrote a play, Manželova přítelkyně, but it was not successful. He wrote several serial novels like Páté přes deváté and Muž bez třináctky. In Národní listy he published his most successful novel Otec Kondelík a ženich Vejvara (1898) as well as the sequel Tchán Kondelík a zeť Vejvara (1906). The main character, narrow-minded old "Papa Kondelík", is his most famous creation. His fiction has frequently been adapted for the cinema.
He wrote 387 short stories, but the only English translations are of "Childless" and "Mr Vašek." German translations are collected in Allerlei Tierchen und Leuchten (1935) and Ausgewählte Geschichten (1908). There are also a handful of Esperanto translations.
The thirteenth child of a solicitor's copyist, he attended school in Hradec Králové
Hradec Králové
Hradec Králové is a city of the Czech Republic, in the Hradec Králové Region of Bohemia. The city's economy is based on food-processing technology, photochemical, and electronics manufacture. Traditional industries include musical instrument manufacturing – the best known being PETROF pianos...
, then in 1868 travelled to 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...
to begin a career in retail. He worked for several companies, from 1873 for the publisher Otto-Verlag, for whom he became a courtroom reporter. From 1876 to 1878 he edited the satirical magazine Paleček; in 1882 he founded his own, Švanda dudák, which he edited almost continuously until 1930. He worked for several years at a law firm before becoming, in 1885, editor of the Národní listy, for which he had been an administrator. From 1888 he was chairman of the "May Society" of Czech authors (Májovci
Májovci
The Májovci were a significant group of Czech novelists and poets of the second half of the 19th century, who were inspired by the work of Karel Hynek Mácha, Karel Havlíček Borovský and Karel Jaromír Erben....
). He edited the first edition (1892-4) of the complete works of Jan Neruda
Jan Neruda
Jan Nepomuk Neruda was a Czech journalist, writer and poet, one of the most prominent representatives of Czech Realism and a member of "the May school".-Early life:...
.
His literary work was closely tied to his journalism, and mostly dealt with the personalities and life of Prague. His first novel was the partly autobiographical U snědeného krámu (1890). The same year he wrote a play, Manželova přítelkyně, but it was not successful. He wrote several serial novels like Páté přes deváté and Muž bez třináctky. In Národní listy he published his most successful novel Otec Kondelík a ženich Vejvara (1898) as well as the sequel Tchán Kondelík a zeť Vejvara (1906). The main character, narrow-minded old "Papa Kondelík", is his most famous creation. His fiction has frequently been adapted for the cinema.
He wrote 387 short stories, but the only English translations are of "Childless" and "Mr Vašek." German translations are collected in Allerlei Tierchen und Leuchten (1935) and Ausgewählte Geschichten (1908). There are also a handful of Esperanto translations.
Novels and stories
- Z chudého kalamáře (short stories)
- Pražské figury
- U snědeného krámu
- Pražské figury
- Domácí štěstí
- Páté přes deváté
- Humor parnassu českého
- Historie o doktoru Faustovi
- Otec Kondelík a ženich Vejvara
- Tchán Kondelík a zeť Vejvara
- Artur a Leontýnka