Josef Knap facts for kids

Josef Knap (born July 28, 1900 – died December 13, 1973) was a Czech writer, poet, and literary critic. He wrote many books, including short stories, novels, and works about theater. He was known for writing about life in the countryside.

Josef Knap was born in a small village called Podůlší, near Jičín. He went to a classical grammar school until 1919. Later, he studied at Charles University in Prague and finished his studies in 1924. He focused on modern literature.

During World War I and World War II, he traveled a lot around Europe. He visited countries like Germany, Sweden, Norway, Italy, and France. From 1925, he started working in the theater department of the National Museum of Czechoslovakia. He stayed there until 1951 and even became the museum's administrator. His work was interrupted during the Nazi occupation of Czechoslovakia.

After World War II, in the 1950s, Josef Knap faced difficulties. The Communist government wrongly accused him because of his ideas and beliefs. In 1952, he was sent to prison for eleven years, even though there was no proof against him. Luckily, he was released early in 1955. He was officially pardoned in 1967 when there was a short period of more political freedom.

After his release from prison, he worked as a building laborer for a while. Later, he worked at the Memorial of National Literature. In the 1960s, he became very interested in the history of theater groups. Based on his research, he published a book called Umělcové na pouti (which means Traveling artists in Czech) in 1961.

Josef Knap passed away in Prague. He is buried in Železnice, which is also near Jičín. In 1997, his personal memories were published in a book called Bez poslední kapitoly (meaning Without the last chapter).

Josef Knap's Writings

Josef Knap's books mix different styles. They combine realistic details with a more artistic, impressionistic feel. He was inspired by writers from northern Europe and some Czech authors. These included Antal Stašek, Karel Václav Rais, and the impressionist writer Fráňa Šrámek. Most of his stories and novels were about life in the countryside.

Short Story Collections

• Píseň na samotě (1924)
• Zaváté šlépěje (1929–1940)
• Žloutnou stráně (1929)
• Polní kytice (1935)
• Trojlístek (1943)
• Čas kopřiv (1970)

Novels

• Ztracené jaro (1922)
• Réva na zdi (1926)
• Muži a hory (1928)
• Vysoké jarní nebe (1932)
• Cizinec (1934)
• Puszta (1937)
• Dívčí hlas (1938)
• Věno (1944)
• Dokud vane vítr (1968)
• Vzdálená země (1969)
• Bez poslední kapitoly (1997) (These are his memoirs)

Books About Theater

• Hilbert (1926)
• Zöllnerové: Dějiny divadelního rodu (1958)
• Umělcové na pouti: České divadelní společnosti v 19. století (1961)
• Čtyři herečky: Spurná, Vojtová, Brzková, Beníšková (1967)

Historical and Literary Works

• Alej srdcí (1920) – This was his first book, a collection of essays about Czech poetry after the war.
• Úvod do krásné literatury (1924)
• Cesty a vůdcové: k literatuře let dvacátých (1926)
• Básníci selství (1932)
• Fráňa Šrámek (1937)
• Literatura české půdy (1939)
• Selma Lagerlöfová (1949) – Studies about the important Swedish female author, Selma Lagerlöf.

Poetry Collections

• Neznámému bohu (1929)
• Zaslechnutý hlas (1997) – These are poems he wrote while in prison.

Images for kids

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  Josef Knap