void
Hovudpersonen

The Good Soldier Švejk

Forfattaren Change languageChange language

People

Švejk on-line Blog Švejk Museum Literární Archiv Bibliografie Švejk Central Travel Diary Contact

Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie leave the Sarajevo Town Hall on 28 June 1914, five minutes before the assassination.

The Good Soldier Švejk is a novel with an unusually rich array of characters. In addition to the many who directly form part of the plot, a large number of fictional and real people (and animals) are mentioned; either through the narrative, Švejk's anecdotes, or indirectly through words and expressions.

This web page contains short write-ups on the people/animals that the novel refers to; from Napoléon in the introduction to Hauptmann Ságner in the last few lines of the unfinished Part Four. The list is sorted in the order of which the names first appear. The chapter headlines are from Zenny Sadlon's recent translation (1999-2008) and will in most cases differ from Cecil Parrott's version from 1973. In January 2024 there were still around twenty entries to be added.

The quotes in Czech are copied from the on-line version of The Good Soldier Švejk: provided by Jaroslav Šerák and contain links to the relevant chapter. The toolbar has links for direct access to Wikipedia, Google maps, Google search, svejkmuseum.cz and the novel on-line.

The names are coloured according to their role in the novel, illustrated by the following examples:

  • Dr. Grünstein as a fictional character who is directly involved in the plot.
  • Fähnrich Dauerling as a fictional character who is not part of the plot.
  • Heinrich Heine as a historical person.

Note that a number of seemingly fictional characters are inspired by living persons. Examples are Oberleutnant Lukáš, Major Wenzl and many others.

Titles and ranks have until 2020 largely been missing on this web page. Senior Lieutenant Lukáš has, for instance, only been known as Lukáš. This weakness is now (24 Desember 2020) slowly being addressed. Military ranks and other titles related to Austrian officialdom will appear in German, and in line with the terms used at the time. This means that Captain Ságner is still referred to as Hauptmann although the term is now obsolete, having been replaced by Kapitän. Civilian titles denoting profession etc. are in general translated into English.

People index of people, mythical figures, animals ... (587) Show all
I. In the rear
II. At the front
III. The famous thrashing
Index Back Forward IV. The famous thrashing continued Hovudpersonen

3. Švejk again with his march company

Mr. Karderaznn flag
Search
karderaz.png

Karderaz was a gentleman from Loděnice who slept with his top hat under his head without flattening it. This is what Švejk could tell Major Derwota after the latter had slept in his cell in Przemyśl.

Quote(s) from the novel
[IV.3] Vyspat se na cylindru, to doved jenom nějakej pan Karderaz v Loděnici.
Major Derwotann flag
Search
derwota.jpg

Derwota was the officer who interrogated Švejk in Przemyśl and woke up in the prison cell with the accused after a heavy party with his fellow officers. Before this happened he had persuaded the bloodthirsty General Fink to delay the execution until they had received confirmation of Švejk's identity from the brigade.

Quote(s) from the novel
[IV.3] „Zde jsem,“ zvolal major Derwota ve dveřích, kterému kombinace slov „major auditor“ a „telegram“ připomněla poznovu jeho jisté povinnosti. „Ach,“ vykřikl generál Fink, „ty se vracíš?“ V přízvuku bylo tolik jízlivosti, že major neodpověděl a zůstal nerozhodně stát. Generál mu řekl, aby šel s ním do pokoje, a když se posadil za stůl, hodil mu omlácený telegram o burše na stůl a řekl mu tragickým hlasem: „Čti, to je tvoje dílo.“ Zatímco major četl telegram, vstal generál ze židle, běhal po pokoji, porážel židle a taburetky, křičel: „A přeci ho pověsím!“
Gefreiter Bozbann flag
Search

Bozba was a fellow soldier Švejk knew from his military service in Trento. He became extremely full of himself when he was promoted to Gefreiter, something which Švejk reminds his arrogant escort on the train from Przemyśl to Wojalycze about.

Background

No information about any real-life Bozba has been found, but this paragraph reveals a new and interesting detail about Švejk's military past. He did his national service not only in Budějovice, but also in Trento. Here he would however not have served with Infanterieregiment Nr. 91 because units from this regiment were never garrisoned here.

Švejk and Trento is therefore rather a legacy from the five stories about Švejk from 1911 where the strong fortress created the backdrop for some of them. These were written at a time when Jaroslav Hašek himself had no experience from the military and the number of the regiment in which Švejk served is not stated.

Quote(s) from the novel
[IV.3] „Pane frajtr, když se na nich koukám, tak si vzpomínám vždycky na nějakýho frajtra Bozbu, kterej vám sloužil v Tridentu. Toho když jmenovali frajtrem, tak hned ten první den najednou začal přibejvat do vobjemu.
Street sweep Macháčeknn flag
Search

Macháček was the perpetrator in the snott-story about the legendary Czech princess Libuše. This is a story Švejk tells a Pole who is a member of his escort from Przemyśl to Wojalycze. Macháček lived in a basement flat in the street Na Bojišti.

Quote(s) from the novel
[IV.3] „To toho moc neumíš,“ řekl k němu Švejk. „Na Bojišti bydlel v jednom sklepním bytě metař Macháček, ten se vysmrkal na vokno a rozmazal to tak dovedně, že z toho byl obraz, jak Libuše věští slávu Prahy.
Libušenn flag
Wikipedia czdeen Search
libuse.jpg

Libuše is drawn in snot by street sweep Macháček in a story Švejk tells a Pole who is a member of his escort from Przemyśl to Wojalycze.

Background

Libuše is the mythical founder of the Přemysl dynasty and ancestor of the Czech people. She is said to have founded Prague in the 8th century.

Quote(s) from the novel
[IV.3] „To toho moc neumíš,“ řekl k němu Švejk. „Na Bojišti bydlel v jednom sklepním bytě metař Macháček, ten se vysmrkal na vokno a rozmazal to tak dovedně, že z toho byl obraz, jak Libuše věští slávu Prahy.
Oberst Gerbichnn flag
Search
gerbich.jpg

Gerbich was a colonel who was head of brigade staff at Wojalycze. His main distinction was his podagra-ridden toe, the state of which decidedly determined his mood. Fortunately for Švejk Leutnant Dub was also the victim of the colonel's fits of bad temper.

Quote(s) from the novel
[IV.3] Tak se blížili ku štábu brigády do Wojalyzce. Mezitím se u štábu brigády zběhly jisté velice podstatné změny. Řízením štábu brigády byl pověřen plukovník Gerbich. To byl pán velkých vojenských schopností, které se mu vrazily do nohou ve formě podagry.
Oberst Habermaiernn flag
Search

Habermaier was a homosexual colonel who Švejk had heard had tried to defile a cadet in Trento twelve years ago (1903). These thoughts made him gloomy on his way to Klimontów.

Quote(s) from the novel
[IV.3] Švejk pokračoval na své cestě do vesnice, a přemýšleje o plukovníkovi, dospěl k tomu úsudku, že před dvanácti lety byl v Tridentu nějaký plukovník Habermaier, který se také tak laskavě choval k vojákům, a nakonec vyšlo najevo, že je homosexuelní, když chtěl v lázních u Adiže zprznit jednoho kadetaspiranta, vyhrožuje mu „dienstreglamá“.
Tinsmith Kulíšeknn flag
Search

Kulíšek is mentioned in a short anecdote by Švejk, the first after he rejoins his regiment in Klimontów. He was a tin-smith from Prague.

Quote(s) from the novel
[IV.3] „Hlavně jasně mluvit,“ prohodil Švejk. „Když byli misionáři u svatýho Ignáce v Praze v roce 1912, tak tam byl jeden kazatel, a ten povídal s kazatelny, že se asi s nikým neshledá v nebi. A byl na té exercici večerní jeden klempíř, Kulíšek, a ten po tý pobožnosti povídal v hospodě, že ten misionář musel asi moc věcí provést, když v kostele vohlašoval, jako při veřejný zpovědi, že s nikým se neshledá na nebi; proč takový lidi posílají na kazatelnu.
Mr. Haubernn flag
Search

Hauber is mentioned in an anecdote by Švejk. He was from Nusle and was stabbed in Kundratice on returning from a Sunday trip to Bartůňkův mlýn.

Quote(s) from the novel
[IV.3] V Nuslích je nějakej pan Hauber, toho jednou v neděli v Kundraticích na silnici píchli omylem nožem, když šel z výletu od Bartůňkovýho mlejna.
Banseth, Alois Sebastiannn flag
*11.5.1866 Kutná Hora - †192x Nusle
Search Švejkův slovník
banseth2.png

Police registry 28.2.1896

Pobytové přihlášky pražského policejního ředitelství1851 - 1914

banseth1.png

Národní politika,9.9.1898

banseth4.png

Národní politika,1.9.1907

banseth3.png

Rudé právo,27.1.1948

Banseth is mentioned in the anecdote that Švejk tells Einjährigfreiwilliger Marek in Klimontów. It is about the modest man Mr. Hauber from Nusle who visited the tavern that Banseth owned.

Background

Banseth was owner of the restaurant U Bansethů in Nusle, in fact two of them. He and his wife Anna opened the first one in Palackého třída No. 321 (now Táborská) in the autumn of 1900, and in 1908 they sold it and moved to No. 389 a few steps up the street. They actually bought the whole building for 100,000 crowns.

Banseth was born in Kutná Hora in 1866, son of František (b. 1824) and Anna (b. 1828). The parents seem to have moved to Smíchov in 1874, then to Žižkov in 1885, then to Holešovice in 1892. There were eight children in the family that hailed from Golcův Jeničov where the oldest children were born.

Banseth himself is registered with domicile Nusle from 1893 and appeared to have lived there for the rest of his life. Before opening his first restaurant in 1900 he had managed the restaurant at the local brewery. By now he had already appeared in newspapers notices because public meetings were arranged at the brewery restaurant. Here he is listed as "brother Banseth", which means he was a member of Sokol.

Banseth was married to Anna (born Daršetová in 1871) and the couple had five children. Their oldest son František (born 1892) went missing early in the war and was indeed reported as a Russian prisoner of war. Banseth was running the tavern at least until 1923, but some time before 1929 he died. His widow Anna passed away as late as 24 January 1948.

Quote(s) from the novel
[IV.3] Vona potom chtěla mít celou soupravu do domácnosti z takovejch nožů a posílala ho vždycky v neděli do Kundratic na vejlet, ale von byl tak skromnej, že nešel nikam než k Banzetovům do Nuslí, kde věděl, že když sedí v kuchyni, že ho dřív Banzet vyhodí, než může na něho někdo sáhnout.“

Also written:Banzet Hašek

Literature
Chramostann flag
Search

Chramosta is mentioned in an anecdote Švejk tells Einjährigfreiwilliger Marek from manouvres in Tábor. It regards soldiers comitting immoral acts with the local female population.

Quote(s) from the novel
[IV.3] To byl zrovna takovej případ na manévrech u Tábora. Náš jeden cuk kvartýroval v hospodě a nějaká ženská drhla v předsíni podlahu a nějakej Chramosta se k ní přitočil a poplácal ji - jak bych ti to řekl - po sukních.
Hallimulahbalibejnn flag
Search

Hallimulahbalibej was one of the Tatar names Švejk he reels of when he tells the officers in Klimontów about the transport of russian prisoners of war.

Quote(s) from the novel
[IV.3] Když potom jmenoval tatarská jména, s kterými se seznámil na své pouti, jako Hallimulabalibej, ke kterýmž jménům přidal celou řadu jmen vytvořených jím samým, jako Valivolavalivej, Malimulamalimej, nezdržel se již nadporučík Lukáš poznámky: „Že vás kopnu, vy dobytku. Pokračujte krátce, ale souvisle!“

Also written:Галлимулабалибей ru

Valivolavalivejnn flag
Search

Valivolavalivej was one of the Tatar names Švejk he reels off, he invented this one himself. See Hallimulahbalibej.

Quote(s) from the novel
[IV.3] Když potom jmenoval tatarská jména, s kterými se seznámil na své pouti, jako Hallimulabalibej, ke kterýmž jménům přidal celou řadu jmen vytvořených jím samým, jako Valivolavalivej, Malimulamalimej, nezdržel se již nadporučík Lukáš poznámky: „Že vás kopnu, vy dobytku. Pokračujte krátce, ale souvisle!“

Also written:Валиволаваливей ru

Malimulamalimejnn flag
Search

Malimulamalimej was one of the Tatar names Švejk he reels off, he invented this one himself. See Hallimulahbalibej.

Quote(s) from the novel
[IV.3] Když potom jmenoval tatarská jména, s kterými se seznámil na své pouti, jako Hallimulabalibej, ke kterýmž jménům přidal celou řadu jmen vytvořených jím samým, jako Valivolavalivej, Malimulamalimej, nezdržel se již nadporučík Lukáš poznámky: „Že vás kopnu, vy dobytku. Pokračujte krátce, ale souvisle!“

Also written:Малимуламалимей ru

Kompaniekomandant Zimmermannnn flag
Search
zimmermann.png

Zimmermann was the commander of 12. Kompanie. He threw a mug after Švejk, a behaviour that can be explained by the fact that he had drunk spirits out of it. The spririts was destilled from onions and bought from a Jew. His military rank is not stated.

Background

Zimmermann seemes to be a randomly picked name. From 11 July 1915 Oberleutnant Paul Kandl was commander of the 12th field company. Nor can any officer by the name of Zimmermann be found in any of the list of officers in Infanterieregiment Nr. 91.

Quote(s) from the novel
[IV.3] Od 12. kumpanie velitel Zimmermann hodil po Švejkovi hrníčkem, z kterého pil mocnou kořalku od žida.
Darwin, Charlesnn flag
*12.2.1809 Shrewsbury - †19.4.1882 Downe
Wikipedia czdeennnno Search
darwin.jpg

Darwin and his theory of evolution is mentioned by cook Jurajda, who is about to elaborate on the theme when he is interrupted by Einjährigfreiwilliger Marek who can inform that Leutnant Dub and Kadett Biegler are back with the batallion.

Background

Darwin was a British naturalist. He is considered the founder of the theory of evolution, that says that evolution by natural selection have shaped life on Earth. In this manner, he became the most influential theorist in biology and is known as one of the most important scientists of all time. The book The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or The Preservation of Favored Races in the Struggle for Life, usually abbreviated to The Origin of Species, presented his theory of development through natural selection, and is considered his principal work.

Quote(s) from the novel
[IV.3] „Ostatně,“ řekl Jurajda, kterého dnes vepřové hody úplně přivedly z rovnováhy a popletly, „všichni lidé povstali z kaprů. Vezměme si, přátelé, vývojovou theorii Darwina...“ Další jeho uvažování přerušeno bylo vpádem jednoročního dobrovolníka Marka. „Zachraň se, kdo můžeš,“ zvolal Marek; „poručík Dub přijel před chvílí automobilem ke štábu batalionu a přivezl s sebou toho posraného kadeta Bieglera.
Fähnrich Malýnn flag
Search

Malý was an junior offiser who was singing an arie from the opera La Traviata at the vicarage in Klimontów, while burping from sauerkraut.

Quote(s) from the novel
[IV.3] Za chvíli přišli do kuchyně, kterou se muselo projít, když se šlo nahoru, kde seděl celý důstojnický sbor a kde po vepřové kýtě zpíval baculatý praporčík Malý árii z opery „Traviata“, krkaje přitom po zelí a mastném obědě.
Feldmarschall Nostitz-Rienecknn flag
Wikipedia czdeen Search
nostitz.jpg

Nostitz-Rieneck is referred to via a note which Kadett Biegler quotes for Leutnant Dub when the latter gets stomach problems during the car journey from Wojalycze til Żółtańce. The note was called Was schadet dem Magen im Kriege (What harms the stomach in war).

Background

Nostitz-Rieneck was according to Kadett Biegler a cavalry Field Marshal, but it is not clear who he has in mind or such a note ever existed. It is tempting to believe that the pamphlet is a product of the author's imagination.

Nostitz-Rieneck was a well-known family of nobles from Bohemia, the author presumably refers to one of its members. The three mentioned below all reached the rank of Field Marshal-Lieutenant in the cavalry.

In 1912 a lieutenant Graf Ervin Nostitz-Rieneck served with the cavalry in Karlín at k.u.k. Dragonerregiment Nr. 14. See also k.u.k. Dragoner.

In his diary Jan Eybl notes that one Nostitz served with him in August 1915, after the battle by Sokal. Hašek was in the same unit in this period and may have borrowed his name.

Hans-Peter Laqueur

Drei Träger dieses Namens erreichten als Kavallerieangehörige den Rang eines Feldmarschall-Leutnants:

- Hermann Graf von Nostitz-Rieneck, 1817-1895
- sein Sohn Albert, 1843-1929
- ein Neffe Johann, 1847-1915

Quote(s) from the novel
[IV.3]Feldmaršálek Nostitz-Rhieneck, elita reservní kavalerie,“ odpověděl na to Biegler, „vydal spis ,Was schadet dem Magen im Kriege’, ve kterém nedoporučoval při válečných útrapách a svízelích vůbec jísti vepřového masa. Každá nestřídmost na pochodu škodí.“

Also written:Nostitz-Rhieneck Hašek

Literature
Uzenář Linek, Josefnn flag
Search

Josef Linek is the pivot of Švejk's penultimate anecdote. He was a sausage-maker from Jindřichův Hradec who put insect powder in the sausages.

Quote(s) from the novel
[IV.3] „V Jindřichově Hradci,“ ozval se Švejk, „byl před lety uzenář Josef Linek a ten měl na polici dvě krabice. V jedné měl směs všeho koření, které dával do jitrnic a jelit. V druhé krabici měl prášek na hmyz, poněvadž ten uzenář už několikráte zjistil, že rozkousali jeho kunšofti v buřtě štěnici nebo švába.
Oberleutnant Zákrejsnn flag
Search

Zákrejs was an obrlajtnant from Budějovice who featured in Švejk's very last anecdote.

Quote(s) from the novel
[IV.3] „Ještě za míru,“ s neobyčejnou vážností řekl Švejk, „točila se celá vojna kolem kuchyně a kolem nejrozmanitějších jídel. Měli jsme vám v Budějovicích obrlajtnanta Zákrejse, ten se točil pořád kolem důstojnický kuchyně, a taky, když ňákej voják něco proved, tak si ho postavil hapták a pustil se do něho: ,Ty pacholku, jestli se to bude ještě jednou opakovat, tak udělám z tvý huby důkladně naklepanou roštěnku,rozšlápnu tě na bramborovou kaši a pak ti to dám sežrat. Poteče z tebe kaldoun s rejží, budeš vypadat jako prošpikovanej zajíc na pekáči. Tak vidíš, že se musíš polepšit, jestli nechceš, aby lidi mysleli, že jsem z tebe udělal fašírovanou pečeni se zelím.’„
Index Back Forward IV. The famous thrashing continued Hovudpersonen

3. Švejk again with his march company


© 2008 - 2024 Jomar Hønsi Last updated: 28.3.2024