Unexpectedly, previously unknown manuscript fragments of The Good Soldier Švejk have surfaced in the Literary Archive of the National Library in Prague. From 30 September to 2 October, these will be on display at the Literature Museum, allowing the public to see them for the first time.
Staff at the Literary Archive of the National Library (Památník národního písemnictví) made a surprising discovery while processing the estate of publisher Karel Synek. His father, Adolf, had been involved in distributing and later publishing the works of Jaroslav Hašek, in particular The Adventures of the Good Soldier Švejk in the World War.
Between 1922 and 1923, the publishing house compiled a folder containing Hašek’s already typeset manuscripts. Among them were fragments of the manuscript of The Adventures of the Good Soldier Švejk — parts of the second volume, the entire third volume, and parts of the fourth volume — which Hašek either wrote or dictated himself before his death. The entire folder bore the name of the author who completed the fourth volume after Hašek’s death: Karel Vaněk. As a result, this part of the original Švejk manuscript remained out of scholarly view for a full century.
Švejk, the good-natured, slightly foolish, and melancholically stubborn soldier, has captivated millions of readers worldwide. Josef Švejk is a satirically exaggerated Prague character who navigates life with humour and cunning, exposing the absurdities of the Austro-Hungarian army during the First World War with a combination of exaggerated obedience and audacity.
The manuscript will be on display at the Literature Museum from 30 September to 2 October. During these three days, visitors will have the opportunity to view this unique piece of literary history in person.
Muzeum literatury
Pelléova 44/22, Praha 6
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