Josef Jedlicka
Encyclopedia
Josef Jedlička was a Czech
writer.
Jedlička studied aesthetics
and ethnography
at Prague University, but after the communist revolution in 1948 he was kicked out of university for being an anticommunist. He then worked in various professions - as laborer, teacher, TV assistant, and tutor among them. After 1953 he moved to Litvínov
, an industrial town in northern Bohemia
. Being an anticommunist, he was prohibited from publishing anything, but he wrote novels and short stories secretly and read them in circle of his close friends, among them Jan Zábrana
, Bohumil Hrabal
and other prohibited writers of the time.
In 1966, after 18 years of prohibition, Jedlička was allowed to publish an experimental novel Kde život náš je v půli se svou poutí (In the Midway of This Our Mortal Life), written in the early 1950s; parts of this book were censored in this edition by the communist censor
s, the complete version would be published in 1994 after the fall of communist regime
in Czechoslovakia. Nevertheless the book, with parts censored, caused scandal and was said to be antisocialist and once again Jedlička was prohibited from publishing. Only in 1968, was Jedlička allowed to publish few essays about Kafka and Chaadaev
in literature magazines. After the Soviet occupation of Czechoslovakia in August 1968, Jedlička was exiled to West Germany
. He eventually lived in Munich
, where he worked as editor and commentator for Radio Free Europe
during the 1970s and 1980s.
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.
Aesthetics
Aesthetics is a branch of philosophy dealing with the nature of beauty, art, and taste, and with the creation and appreciation of beauty. It is more scientifically defined as the study of sensory or sensori-emotional values, sometimes called judgments of sentiment and taste...
and ethnography
Ethnography
Ethnography is a qualitative method aimed to learn and understand cultural phenomena which reflect the knowledge and system of meanings guiding the life of a cultural group...
at Prague University, but after the communist revolution in 1948 he was kicked out of university for being an anticommunist. He then worked in various professions - as laborer, teacher, TV assistant, and tutor among them. After 1953 he moved to Litvínov
Litvínov
Litvínov is a town in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic. The largest oil refinery in the Czech Republic is located there. Models Eva Herzigová and Iva Frühlingová come from Litvínov. The HC Litvínov ice hockey club is based in the town....
, an industrial town in northern Bohemia
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
. Being an anticommunist, he was prohibited from publishing anything, but he wrote novels and short stories secretly and read them in circle of his close friends, among them Jan Zábrana
Jan Zábrana
Jan Zábrana was a Czech writer and translator.His parents were teachers and politicians persecuted by the communist regime after the communist revolution of 1948: his mother, member of the regional parliament, was arrested and sentenced to 20 years of prison; his father, mayor of Humpolec before the...
, Bohumil Hrabal
Bohumil Hrabal
Bohumil Hrabal was a Czech writer, regarded as one of the best writers of the 20th century.- Life and work :...
and other prohibited writers of the time.
In 1966, after 18 years of prohibition, Jedlička was allowed to publish an experimental novel Kde život náš je v půli se svou poutí (In the Midway of This Our Mortal Life), written in the early 1950s; parts of this book were censored in this edition by the communist censor
Censorship
thumb|[[Book burning]] following the [[1973 Chilean coup d'état|1973 coup]] that installed the [[Military government of Chile |Pinochet regime]] in Chile...
s, the complete version would be published in 1994 after the fall of communist regime
Velvet Revolution
The Velvet Revolution or Gentle Revolution was a non-violent revolution in Czechoslovakia that took place from November 17 – December 29, 1989...
in Czechoslovakia. Nevertheless the book, with parts censored, caused scandal and was said to be antisocialist and once again Jedlička was prohibited from publishing. Only in 1968, was Jedlička allowed to publish few essays about Kafka and Chaadaev
Petr Chaadaev
Pyotr Chaadaev was a Russian philosopher.Pyotr Chaadayev is also the name of:*Petr Chaadaev , Belarusian athlete...
in literature magazines. After the Soviet occupation of Czechoslovakia in August 1968, Jedlička was exiled to West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
. He eventually lived 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...
, where he worked as editor and commentator for 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"...
during the 1970s and 1980s.
Work
- Kde život náš je v půli se svou poutí (In the Midway of This Our Mortal Life) written c. 1953, published (censored) Prague 1966, complete edition Prague 1994)
- Krev není voda (Blood Is No Water), novel (Prague 1991, German translation DVB 2004)
- České typy (Bohemian Types), essays about Bohemians and their culture, (Prague 1992)
- Rozptýleno v prostoru a čase (Splittered Through Space and Time), (Brno 2000), essays on literature, mainly written for Radio Free Europe, Munich