Jan Cep
Encyclopedia
Jan Čep was a Czech
writer and translator.
He was born in 1902 in the village of Myslechovice (now a part of Litovel
), Moravia
to a family of peasants. After completing his studies at the Gymnasium in Litovel, from 1922 to 1926 he studied Czech, English and French linguistics at Prague University. In 1926, he joined Josef Florian
's Christian community in Stará Říše
and worked in its publishing house as a translator. But after he was seduced by Florian's elder sister, he returned to Prague
and worked as a translator for the publishing houses Melantrich
and Symposion. After the German occupation of Czechoslovakia
, he returned to his native village and led a solitary life out of politics and public life. He only corresponded with his best friend, the poet Jan Zahradníček
(their correspondence was published in the 1990s as a book) and made visits to a Dominican cloister in Olomouc to see his other friend, a monk, theologian and literature critic named Silvestr Maria Braito.
After the end of WWII
he returned to Prague and worked as an editor in the Vyšehrad publishing house.
After the communist takeover in 1948, Jan fled into exile and lived in France
. His friends that stayed, such as Jan Zahradníček, were subjected to cruel persecution. The poet Zahradníček was sentenced to 13 years of prison for his "anti-socialistic thinking" and died a few weeks after being released from prison in the 1960s.
In exile, Jan Čep lived in Paris
(1948-1951) and in Munich
(1951-1954) where he became a commentator in the Czech section of Radio Free Europe
. In 1954, he returned to Paris, married, and became an essayist and free journalist. He died in exile in 1974 in Paris.
Czech people
Czechs, or Czech people are a western Slavic people of Central Europe, living predominantly in the Czech Republic. Small populations of Czechs also live in Slovakia, Austria, the United States, the United Kingdom, Chile, Argentina, Canada, Germany, Russia and other countries...
writer and translator.
He was born in 1902 in the village of Myslechovice (now a part of Litovel
Litovel
Litovel is a town in the Olomouc Region of the Czech Republic. It has around 10,000 inhabitants. Litovel lies in Upper-Moravian Vale , 233 metres above the sea level. Thanks to its rich history Litovel has many historical monuments.-Demographics:Source: -Town Hall:The Town Hall lies on Přemysl...
), Moravia
Moravia
Moravia is a historical region in Central Europe in the east of the Czech Republic, and one of the former Czech lands, together with Bohemia and Silesia. It takes its name from the Morava River which rises in the northwest of the region...
to a family of peasants. After completing his studies at the Gymnasium in Litovel, from 1922 to 1926 he studied Czech, English and French linguistics at Prague University. In 1926, he joined Josef Florian
Josef Florian
Josef Florian was a Czech book publisher and translator.He was famous for the high quality of books he published in his small publishing company in Stará Říše...
's Christian community in Stará Říše
Stará Říše
Stará Říše is a small town in Jihlava District in the Vysočina Region of the Czech Republic.The town covers an area of , and has a population of 694 ....
and worked in its publishing house as a translator. But after he was seduced by Florian's elder sister, he returned 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...
and worked as a translator for the publishing houses Melantrich
Melantrich
Melantrich was a large Czech language publishing house connected with the Czech National Social Party. Established in 1897, the publisher remained in existence until 1999....
and Symposion. After the German occupation of Czechoslovakia
German occupation of Czechoslovakia
German occupation of Czechoslovakia began with the Nazi annexation of Czechoslovakia's northern and western border regions, known collectively as the Sudetenland, under terms outlined by the Munich Agreement. Nazi leader Adolf Hitler's pretext for this effort was the alleged privations suffered by...
, he returned to his native village and led a solitary life out of politics and public life. He only corresponded with his best friend, the poet Jan Zahradníček
Jan Zahradnícek
Jan Zahradníček was a Czech poet of the early and mid-20th century. Because of his writings and Catholic orientation he was imprisoned as an enemy of Communists after their coup in 1948.From 1919 to 1926 he studied at Classical Grammar School in Třebíč...
(their correspondence was published in the 1990s as a book) and made visits to a Dominican cloister in Olomouc to see his other friend, a monk, theologian and literature critic named Silvestr Maria Braito.
After the end of WWII
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 returned to Prague and worked as an editor in the Vyšehrad publishing house.
After the communist takeover in 1948, Jan fled into exile and lived in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. His friends that stayed, such as Jan Zahradníček, were subjected to cruel persecution. The poet Zahradníček was sentenced to 13 years of prison for his "anti-socialistic thinking" and died a few weeks after being released from prison in the 1960s.
In exile, Jan Čep lived in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
(1948-1951) and in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
(1951-1954) where he became a commentator in the Czech section of Radio Free Europe
Radio Free Europe
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty is a broadcaster funded by the U.S. Congress that provides news, information, and analysis to countries in Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and the Middle East "where the free flow of information is either banned by government authorities or not fully developed"...
. In 1954, he returned to Paris, married, and became an essayist and free journalist. He died in exile in 1974 in Paris.
Books
- Dvojí domov (1926, Double Being), short stories
- Zeměžluč (1931, Centaury), short stories
- Letnice (1932, Pentecost), short stories
- Děravý plášť (1934, Perforated Cloak), short stories
- Hranice stínu (1935, Border of Shade), novel
- Modrá a zlatá (1938, Blue and Gold), short stories
- Polní tráva (1946, Field Grass)
- Rozptýlené paprsky (1946), essays
- Cikáni (1953, Gypsies), novel published in Munich exile
- O lidský svět (1953, Human World), essays published in Rome
- Samomluvy (1959) essays, published in Lund
- Sestra úzkost (1975, My Sister Fear), memoirs/essay, published in Rome
- Etudy pro paní J. (1986, Etudes for Mrs. J.), novel published posthumously in Munich
External links
- Biography (cz)