Karel Polácek
Encyclopedia
Karel Poláček was a Czechoslovak
writer, humorist and journalist of Jewish descent.
into a family of a Jewish trader. He started to attend secondary school (Czech
gymnasium) there, but due to his bad results he transferred to a secondary school in Prague
, from which he graduated in 1912. He then attended the faculty of law at Charles University.
He was employed as a clerk for a short time. During the First World War he was sent on a Serbian
and Galician front
. After the war he was employed in the Czechoslovak committee on import and export. But he lost his job after he ridiculed the office in one of his short-stories called Kolotoč (The Carousel). The story is about a family that inherits a carousel but due to a hyperbureaucratic committee on import and export they are not able to sell it abroad.
Josef Čapek
offered him a cooperation in 1920. Poláček contributed to a humoristic magazine Nebojsa (English
Dreadnought). He started writing short-stories, feature-stories and columns using a pseudonym Kočkodan (English Guenon
). Shortly after that in 1922 he was introduced to the editor's office of Lidové noviny
(a famous newspaper at that time) by the Čapek brothers. The newspaper published his feature-stories and very popular "soudničky" (stories - usually funny - from the court). His work was published in this newspaper until the Nazi occupation
came and forbade it with rasistic laws
.
Then he was hired by the Jewish religious community. By the end of 1943 he was transported to the concentration camp in Terezín
and then transported to Auschwitz. He died in Gleiwitz
camp.
and František Langer
. At the same time he reflects in his "humoristic" (but only at the first sight) novel the deep tragedy of the petty bourgeois, small-town and suburban world in which hypocrisy, mental smallness, narrow-mindness and spiritual poverty wins.
Poláček was able to describe different human types - not only in their type variety but also in the art of getting under the mask of their language. At the beginning of his work stand humoristic sketches mostly from small-town environment with caricatured human figures especially from middle-class, often Jewish society.
His first novel was Dům na předměstí (1928) (English A House in the Suburbs) in which he portrayed a rebirth of a "small man" into a dehumanised creature as soon as he is possessed with proprietary instincts to possess. He was widely popular for his humoristic prose such as Muži v offsidu (1931) (Men in Offside), which was made into a movie that year by director Svatopluk Innemann
, starring Hugo Haas
in the role of Mr. Načeradec, or Michelup a motocykl (1935) (Michelup and the Motorcycle).
The work of his life became a cycle in which he portrayed a small piedmont town during years before the 1st world war. The story is concentrated around the fate of a tradesman Štědrý and his sons. It was supposed to be a pentalogy - 5th part is said to have been written but its destiny is unknown - the books were published in this order: Okresní město (1936) (County Town), Hrdinové táhnou do boje (1936), Podzemní město (1937) (Underground Town) a Vyprodáno (1939) (Sold Out).
During the Nazi occupation in 1941 Poláček's humoristic novel Hostinec u kamenného stolu was published under the name of painter V. Rada. It was made into a movie in 1949. After the Second World War a novel about his childhood in Rychnov nad Kněžnou Bylo nás pět (1949
) (There Were Five Of Us) was published.
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
writer, humorist and journalist of Jewish descent.
Life
He was born in Rychnov nad KněžnouRychnov nad Knežnou
Rychnov nad Kněžnou is a town in the Hradec Králové Region of the Czech Republic. It has around 12,000 inhabitants.This is a small town, with a sprinkling of other small towns in the vicinity. The nearest big city is Hradec Králové which is about 32 km to the west...
into a family of a Jewish trader. He started to attend secondary school (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...
gymnasium) there, but due to his bad results he transferred to a secondary school 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...
, from which he graduated in 1912. He then attended the faculty of law at Charles University.
He was employed as a clerk for a short time. During the First World War he was sent on a Serbian
Serbian Campaign (World War I)
The Serbian Campaign was fought from late July 1914, when Austria-Hungary invaded Serbia at the outset of the First World War, until late 1915, when the Macedonian Front was formed...
and Galician front
Eastern Front (World War I)
The Eastern Front was a theatre of war during World War I in Central and, primarily, Eastern Europe. The term is in contrast to the Western Front. Despite the geographical separation, the events in the two theatres strongly influenced each other...
. After the war he was employed in the Czechoslovak committee on import and export. But he lost his job after he ridiculed the office in one of his short-stories called Kolotoč (The Carousel). The story is about a family that inherits a carousel but due to a hyperbureaucratic committee on import and export they are not able to sell it abroad.
Josef Čapek
Josef Capek
Josef Čapek was a Czech artist who was best known as a painter, but who was also noted as a writer and a poet. He invented the word robot, which was introduced into literature by his brother, Karel Čapek.- Biography :...
offered him a cooperation in 1920. Poláček contributed to a humoristic magazine Nebojsa (English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
Dreadnought). He started writing short-stories, feature-stories and columns using a pseudonym Kočkodan (English Guenon
Guenon
The guenons are the genus Cercopithecus of Old World monkeys. Not all the members of this genus have the word "guenon" in their common names, and because of changes in scientific classification, some monkeys in other genera may have common names that do include the word "guenon"...
). Shortly after that in 1922 he was introduced to the editor's office of Lidové noviny
Lidové noviny
Lidové noviny is a daily newspaper published in the Czech Republic. It is the oldest Czech daily. Its profile is nowadays a national news daily covering political, economic, cultural and scientific affairs, mostly with a centre-right, conservative view...
(a famous newspaper at that time) by the Čapek brothers. The newspaper published his feature-stories and very popular "soudničky" (stories - usually funny - from the court). His work was published in this newspaper until the Nazi occupation
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...
came and forbade it with rasistic laws
Nuremberg Laws
The Nuremberg Laws of 1935 were antisemitic laws in Nazi Germany introduced at the annual Nuremberg Rally of the Nazi Party. After the takeover of power in 1933 by Hitler, Nazism became an official ideology incorporating scientific racism and antisemitism...
.
Then he was hired by the Jewish religious community. By the end of 1943 he was transported to the concentration camp in Terezín
Theresienstadt concentration camp
Theresienstadt concentration camp was a Nazi German ghetto during World War II. It was established by the Gestapo in the fortress and garrison city of Terezín , located in what is now the Czech Republic.-History:The fortress of Terezín was constructed between the years 1780 and 1790 by the orders...
and then transported to Auschwitz. He died in Gleiwitz
Gliwice
Gliwice is a city in Upper Silesia in southern Poland, near Katowice. Gliwice is the west district of the Upper Silesian Metropolitan Union – a metropolis with a population of 2 million...
camp.
Work
His novels represent one of the most authentic values of the Czech interwar prose. He was close with his humanistic credo to his generation fellows such as Karel ČapekKarel Capek
Karel Čapek was Czech writer of the 20th century.-Biography:Born in 1890 in the Bohemian mountain village of Malé Svatoňovice to an overbearing, emotional mother and a distant yet adored father, Čapek was the youngest of three siblings...
and František Langer
František Langer
František Langer , was a Czech playwright, military physician, script writer, essayist, literary critic and publicist. He was born and died in Prague.- Life :...
. At the same time he reflects in his "humoristic" (but only at the first sight) novel the deep tragedy of the petty bourgeois, small-town and suburban world in which hypocrisy, mental smallness, narrow-mindness and spiritual poverty wins.
Poláček was able to describe different human types - not only in their type variety but also in the art of getting under the mask of their language. At the beginning of his work stand humoristic sketches mostly from small-town environment with caricatured human figures especially from middle-class, often Jewish society.
His first novel was Dům na předměstí (1928) (English A House in the Suburbs) in which he portrayed a rebirth of a "small man" into a dehumanised creature as soon as he is possessed with proprietary instincts to possess. He was widely popular for his humoristic prose such as Muži v offsidu (1931) (Men in Offside), which was made into a movie that year by director Svatopluk Innemann
Svatopluk Innemann
Svatopluk Innemann was a Czech film director, cinematographer, screenwriter, film editor and actor. Innemann, brother of Miroslav Innemann and Liduška Innemannová, was one of the pioneers of Czech cinema....
, starring Hugo Haas
Hugo Haas
Hugo Haas was a Czech film actor, director and writer. He appeared in over 60 films between 1926 and 1962, as well as directing 20 films between 1933 and 1962....
in the role of Mr. Načeradec, or Michelup a motocykl (1935) (Michelup and the Motorcycle).
The work of his life became a cycle in which he portrayed a small piedmont town during years before the 1st world war. The story is concentrated around the fate of a tradesman Štědrý and his sons. It was supposed to be a pentalogy - 5th part is said to have been written but its destiny is unknown - the books were published in this order: Okresní město (1936) (County Town), Hrdinové táhnou do boje (1936), Podzemní město (1937) (Underground Town) a Vyprodáno (1939) (Sold Out).
During the Nazi occupation in 1941 Poláček's humoristic novel Hostinec u kamenného stolu was published under the name of painter V. Rada. It was made into a movie in 1949. After the Second World War a novel about his childhood in Rychnov nad Kněžnou Bylo nás pět (1949
1949 in literature
The year 1949 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*Arthur C. Clarke becomes Assistant Editor of Science Abstracts.*Bertrand Russell receives the Order of Merit....
) (There Were Five Of Us) was published.