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Hovudpersonen

The Good Soldier Švejk

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Švejk's journey on a of Austria-Hungary from 1914, showing the military districts of k.u.k. Heer. The entire plot of The Good Soldier Švejk is set on the territory of the former Dual Monarchy.

The Fateful Adventures of the Good Soldier Švejk (mostly known as The Good Soldier Švejk) by Jaroslav Hašek is a novel that contains a wealth of geographical references - either directly through the plot, in dialogues or in the author's narrative. Hašek was himself unusually well travelled and had a photographic memory of geographical (and other) details. It is evident that he put a lot of emphasis on geography: Eight of the 27 chapter headlines in the novel contain geographical names.

This web site will in due course contain a full overview of all the geographical references in the novel; from Prague in the introduction to Klimontów in the unfinished Part Four. Continents, states (also defunct), cities, market squares, city gates, regions, districts, towns, villages, mountains, mountain passes, oceans, lakes, rivers, caves, channels, islands, streets, parks and bridges are included.

The list is sorted according to the order in which the names appear in the novel. The chapter headlines are from Zenny Sadlon's recent translation (1999-2008) and will in most cases differ from Cecil Parrott's translation from 1973.

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 these examples: Sanok a location where the plot takes place, Dubno mentioned in the narrative, Zagreb part of a dialogue, and Pakoměřice mentioned in an anecdote.

Places index of countries, cities, villages, mountains, rivers, bridges ... (591) Show all
I. In the rear
II. At the front
III. The famous thrashing
Index Back Forward I. In the rear Hovudpersonen

Introduction

Macedoniann flag
Wikipedia czdeenno MapSearch
makedonia.jpg

Macedonia is used as an adjective through the author's term for Alexander the Great, Alexandr Macedonský.

Background

Macedonia was an ancient kingdom with its origin in the northern part of the Greek peninsula. During the reign of Philip II of Macedon and his son Alexander the Great it became an enormous empire, stretching all the way to the river Indus. The capital at the time (400 BC to 300 BC) was Pella. Macedonia is the first of more than eight hundred geographical reference in the novel, and it appears already in the third sentence!

Quote(s) from the novel
[Úvod] Velká doba žádá velké lidi. Jsou nepoznaní hrdinové, skromní, bez slávy a historie Napoleona. Rozbor jejich povahy zastínil by slávu Alexandra Macedonského. Dnes můžete potkat v pražských ulicích ošumělého muže, který sám ani neví, co vlastně znamená v historii nové velké doby.

Also written:Macedonie Hašek Makedonie cz Makedonien de Μακεδονία gr Македонија mk

Literature
Praguenn flag
Wikipedia czdeennnno MapSearch Švejkova cesta
praha.jpg

Social-Demokraten, 21.12.1920

praha1.jpg

Krásná Praha, 1907

praha3.jpg

Světozor, , 20.2.1914

Prague is mentioned 72 times in The Good Soldier Švejk.

Prague is mentioned already in the introduction, and later on the action of the entire first part of the novel takes place in the home city of Švejk. The author knew Prague extremely well, and he refers to nearly 140 places in the city during the novel.

The plot takes place in the districts of Nové město, Staré město, Malá Strana and Hradčany. The principal area is NME where it all starts. Švejk probably lived very close to the street Na Bojišti which is located in this area. The plot also strays into suburbs that in 1922 became part of Greater Prague: Karlín, Vršovice, Žižkov, Motol, and Břevnov. Švejk also sets many of his innumerable stories in Prague and adjoining suburbs.

Background

Prague is the capital and largest city in Czechia. It is located on the river Vltava and the population is about 1.2 million. After 1648 Prague has been little exposed to warfare and as a result the old city centre is very well preserved. The city can thus offer intact architecture from several eras and is considered one of the most beautiful in Europe. The inner city area has since 1992 been on UNESCO's World Heritage List.

Prague was already in the Middle Ages an important city and reached its summit during the reign of Charles IV, who was also Holy Roman emperor. After Bohemia came under Habsburg rule from 1526 onwards, it gradually lost its importance and was by the outbreak of World War I reduced to being one of several Austrian regional capitals.

Prague in 1914

At the outbreak of World War I the city was much smaller than today, consisting of the districts I. Staré město, II. Nové město, III. Malá Strana, IV. Hradčany, V. Josefov, VI. Vyšehrad, VII. Holešovice-Bubny and VIII. Libeň. The city was officially called Královské hlavní město Praha (Royal Capital Prague).

The numbering of the districts differed from today's; Malá Strana, for instance, was Prague III whereas it is now part of Praha I. The population count in 1910 was appx. 224,000, with suburbs included it was 476,000. More than 90 per cent reported Czech as their mother tongue, the rest were predominantly German speakers. In 1922 several adjoining districts were incorporated into the now Czechoslovak capital. The new administrative unit became known as Velká Praha.

Hašek's home city

Jaroslav Hašek was born in Školská 16 in Praha II. 30 April 1883. He lived in Prague and the nearby districts of Vinohrady and Smíchov until February 1915. From 19 Desember 1920 to 25 August 1921 he also resided in the city, although mostly in Žižkov which was still to become part of the capital. Part One and the beginning of Part Two of The Good Soldier Švejk were written here from March to August 1921.

Demography

According to the 1910 census Prague had 223,471 inhabitants of which 212,067 (94 per cent) reported that they used Czech in their daily speech.

Source:Seznam míst v království Českém(1913)

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Prague were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 28 (Prag) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 8 (Prag). The city was the seat of 8. Korpskommando, the unit Infanterieregiment Nr. 91 reported to. According to the census of 1910 the number of military personnel was 5,168 of which 3,837 reported Czech as their native language.

Quote(s) from the novel
[Úvod] Dnes můžete potkat v pražských ulicích ošumělého muže, který sám ani neví, co vlastně znamená v historii nové velké doby.
[II.2] Když jsem šel do Prahy pro jelita.
[II.3] Desátník vzdychl: "Ani ty faldy na mantlu neuměl si udělat, až z Prahy si vobjednával vodičky a různý mastě na čistění knoflíků, a přece takovej jeho knoflík vypadal zrzavej jako Ezau.
[II.3] „Někdy,“ řekl Švejk, „se zas v gefechtu člověku udělá špatně, člověk si něco zvoškliví. Vypravoval v Praze na Pohořelci na ,Vyhlídce’ jeden nemocnej rekonvalescent od Přemyšlu, že tam někde pod festungem přišlo k útoku na bajonety a proti němu se vobjevil jeden Rus, chlap jako hora, a mazal si to na něho s bajonetem a měl pořádnou kapičku u nosu. Jak se mu von podíval na tu kapičku, na ten vozdr, že se mu hned udělalo špatně a musel jít na hilfsplac, kde ho uznali zamořenýho cholerou a odpravili do cholerovejch baráků do Pešti, kde se taky vopravdu nakazil cholerou.“

Sources: Radko Pytlík, Baedekers Österreich 1910

Also written:Praha cz Prag de

Literature
Austriann flag
Wikipedia czdeenno MapSearch Švejkův slovník
landwehr.jpg

Map of Austria from 1913, here showing the recruitment districts of k.k. Landwehr.

Schematismus der K. k. Landwehr ..., 1913

Austria is mentioned 56 times in The Good Soldier Švejk.

Austria is briefly mentioned in the introduction, but plays a key role throughout the novel and is mentioned many times. The Dual Monarchy, Austria-Hungary, is the main target of Jaroslav Hašek's satire. The author mostly uses the term Austria even when referring to the entire monarchy.

The bulk of the plot in The Good Soldier Švejk takes place on Austrian territory: Part One, half of Part Two, the final chapter of Part Three and all of Part Four. The rest of the plot is set in the Hungarian part of the empire, namely the stay on Királyhida and part of the journey to the front until Łupków Pass.

The satire is particularly stinging in [I.15] where Švejk for the first and only time reveals his true opinion on Austria: "Such an idiotic monarchy ought not to exists on earth".

Background

Austria was the political entity that ruled Bohemia from 1526 to 1918. From 1804 to 1867 the term applied to the entire Habsburg empire, but after the Ausgleich in 1867 it applied only to the Austrian part of what had now become Austria-Hungary. Vienna was capital throughout both periods.

A much used unofficial term for Austria from 1867 to 1918 was Cisleithanien. The official name until 1915 was Die im Reichsrat vertretenen Königreiche und Länder, from 1915 again Österreich. The area was officially an empire and Kaiser Franz Joseph I. was emperor until his death in 1916. Politically it was divided in 17 crown lands that enjoyed a varying degree of autonomy.

The result of the defeat in World War I was the empire's disintegration; the area was split between the new republic of Austria, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, Poland, Italy and Romania.

Quote(s) from the novel
[Úvod] A tento tichý, skromný, ošumělý muž jest opravdu ten starý dobrý voják Švejk, hrdinný, statečný, který kdysi za Rakouska byl v ústech všech občanů Českého království a jehož sláva nezapadne ani v republice.>
[I.15] A oba pokračovali dále v rozhovoru, až konečně Švejk odsoudil Rakousko nadobro slovy: „Taková blbá monarchie nemá ani na světě bejt,“ k čemuž, aby jaksi ten výrok doplnil v praktickém směru, dodal druhý: „Jak přijdu na frontu, tak se jim zdejchnu.“
[II.4] Divizijní soud ve svém přípise na velitelství našeho pluku," pokračoval plukovník, "přichází k tomu mínění, že se vlastně o nic jiného nejedná než o soustavné štvaní proti vojenským částem přicházejícím z Cislajtánie do Translajtánie.

Also written:Rakousko cz Österreich de Ausztria hu

Literature
Kingdom of Bohemiann flag
Wikipedia czenno MapSearch
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Ottův slovník naučný

Kingdom of Bohemia is just about mentioned in the introduction but plays otherwise a minor role, at least when it comes to direct references. Still a substantial part of the plot and almost all the anecdotes take place on the territory of the former kingdom.

Background

Kingdom of Bohemia was a historical kingdom that existed from 1198, and from 1526 to 1918 it was a political entity (crown land) ruled by the Habsburg Empire. Some of the Habsburg emperors were also crowned as kings of Bohemia. Kaiser Franz Joseph I. refused coronation and this caused a great deal of resentment amongst Czechs.

The emperor's executive in the kingdom was the Statthalter (governor) who held residence in Prague. The official languages were Czech and German. The kingdom was dissolved in 1918 and its territory became the most influential region in the newly proclaimed Czechoslovakia.

Quote(s) from the novel
[Úvod] A tento tichý, skromný, ošumělý muž jest opravdu ten starý dobrý voják Švejk, hrdinný, statečný, který kdysi za Rakouska byl v ústech všech občanů Českého království a jehož sláva nezapadne ani v republice.

Also written:České království cz Königreich Böhmen de

Literature
Czechoslovakiann flag
Wikipedia czdeennosk MapSearch
ceskoslovensko.jpg

Czechoslovakia is indirectly mentioned by the author through the term "the republic" and "our republic". Later on there are several references, particularly in bitter outbursts against people who had worked for the Austrian oppressors and now lived comfortably in the new republic. See Mr. Slavíček and Mr. Klíma.

In the epilogue to Part One the country is mentioned by its full name.

Background

Czechoslovakia was a historic state in Central Europe. It was established on 28 Oktober 1918 as a consequence of the collapse of Austria-Hungary at the end of World War I.

Czechoslovakia consisted of the regions of Bohemia, Moravia, Slovakia, Carpathian Ruthenia, and a small part of Silesia. In the inter-war years the state enjoyed a functional democracy with a strong industrial base. The infamous Munich agreement of 1938 forced the country to cede to Germany the regions that were populated by German-speakers and on 15 March 1939 the rest of the Czech lands were occupied by the Nazi Germans and Slovakia became a German client state.

After the defeat of the Nazis, Czechoslovakia was restored with a democratic government, but in February 1948 the communists took power in a coup and a one-party state was established. In 1989 democracy was restored, but the state was split in the Czech Republic and Slovakia on 1 January 1993. This was one of the world's few peaceful political divorces.

Quote(s) from the novel
[Úvod] A tento tichý, skromný, ošumělý muž jest opravdu ten starý dobrý voják Švejk, hrdinný, statečný, který kdysi za Rakouska byl v ústech všech občanů Českého království a jehož sláva nezapadne ani v republice.
[I.14.2] Dnes jsou důstojničtí sluhové roztroušeni po celé naší republice a vypravují o svých hrdinných skutcích.
[I.16] Od hostinského Palivce nemůžeme žádat, aby mluvil tak jemně jako pí Laudová, dr Guth, pí Olga Fastrová a celá řada jiných, kteří by nejraději udělali z celé Československé republiky velký salon s parketami, kde by se chodilo ve fracích, v rukavičkách a mluvilo vybraně a pěstoval se jemný mrav salonů, pod jehož rouškou bývají právě salonní lvi oddáni nejhorším neřestem a výstřednostem.

Also written:Československo cz Tschechoslowakei de

Ephesusnn flag
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Český svět,18.12.1908

artemidin.png

Výbor ze spisů Xenofontových, Vilém Steinmann,1880

Ephesus is mentioned in connection with Herostratus, the vain fool who here gets compared to Švejk and stated to be his complete opposite. The terms "herostratic fame" refers to Herostratos setting fire to the temple in Ephesus to achieve fame.

Background

Ephesus was in ancient times an important port on the western coast of Asia Minor with around 250,000 inhabitants. The city was Ioanian Greece's economic centre and later one of the most important cities of the Roman Empire. The city housed one of the seven wonders of the worlds; the Temple of Artemis.

Quote(s) from the novel
[Úvod] On nezapálil chrám bohyně v Efesu, jako to udělal ten hlupák Herostrates, aby se dostal do novin a školních čítanek.

Also written:Efesos cz Ephesos de Efes tr

Index Back Forward I. In the rear Hovudpersonen

1. The good soldier Švejk acts to intervene in the world war

Konopištěnn flag
Wikipedia dedkenno MapSearch
konopiste.jpg

Světozor,2.9.1910

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Venkov,19.6.1914

Konopiště is mentioned by Mrs. Müllerová already in the opening passage as she explains Švejk which Ferdinand has been murdered: "the Archduke Ferdinand, the one from Konopiště, the fat one, the religious one".

Background

Konopiště is a village and castle by Benešov that from 1887 to 1914 was owned by Erzherzog Franz Ferdinand, then Austrian heir to the throne. He and his family lived there for long periods. The castle is now a museum which exhibits amongst other items, Franz Ferdinand's around 475,000 hunting trophies and large amounts of classic furniture and paintings.

Demography

According to the 1910 census Konopiště had 483 inhabitants of which 463 (95 per cent) reported that they used Czech in their daily speech. The judicial district was okres Benešov, administratively it reported to hejtmanství Benešov.

Source:Seznam míst v království Českém(1913)

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Konopiště were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 102 (Beneschau) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 28 (Pisek).

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.1] „Ale, milostpane, pana arcivévodu Ferdinanda, toho z Konopiště, toho tlustýho, nábožnýho.“ „Ježíšmarjá,“ vykřikl Švejk, „to je dobrý. A kde se mu to, panu arcivévodovi, stalo?“ „Práskli ho v Sarajevu, milostpane, z revolveru, vědí. Jel tam s tou svou arcikněžnou v automobilu.“

Also written:Konopist Bang-Hansen Konopischt de

Sarajevonn flag
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sarajevo.jpg

Sarajevo city hall, scene of the attack.

K vítězné svobodě 1914-1918-1928, Rudolf Medek,1928

Sarajevo is first mentioned by Mrs. Müllerová as she tells Švejk about the assassination of Erzherzog Franz Ferdinand. Later in the chapter the conversation at U kalicha revolves around the murder on the emperor-to-be and Sarajevo is mentioned many times by detective Bretschneider, Švejk and pubkeeper Palivec.

Background

Sarajevo was in 1914 as now the capital of Bosnia-Hercegovina. In 1878 Austria-Hungary occupied the area although it formally remained a part of Turkey until 1908 when it was annexed.

The Bosnian capital was on 28 June 1914 the scene of the murder of Erzherzog Franz Ferdinand, the Austro-Hungarian heir to the throne. This act set in motion the events that a month later led to the outbreak of World War I. The killing was carried out by Serbian nationalists but it has not been proved that the Serbian government was involved.

The murders in Sarajevo is very directly the starting point of the novel these web pages are about.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.1] „Práskli ho v Sarajevu, milostpane, z revolveru, vědí. Jel tam s tou svou arcikněžnou v automobilu.“ „Tak se podívejme, paní Müllerová, v automobilu. Jó, takovej pán si to může dovolit, a ani nepomyslí, jak taková jízda automobilem může nešťastně skončit. A v Sarajevu k tomu, to je v Bosně, paní Müllerová. To asi udělali Turci. My holt jsme jim tu Bosnu a Hercegovinu neměli brát.
Literature
Bosniann flag
Wikipedia czdeenhrnnsr MapSearch
bosnia.jpg

Ottův slovník naučný,1893

Bosnia is first mentioned by Švejk when he states to Mrs. Müllerová that Sarajevo is in Bosnia. Later, during the conversations at U kalicha mellom detective Bretschneider, pubkeeper Palivec and Švejk, and the area is mentioned several times. In Budapest a Bosnian regiment is mentioned.

Background

Bosnia is often mentioned together with Hercegovina as Bosnia-Hercegovina. This is the political unit that both areas belong to. Bosnia and Hercegovina have long been purely geographical terms.

The area was annexed by Austria-Hungary in 1908. This led to widespread dissatisfaction amongst serbs and is arguably the main reason for the grievances that led terrorists to plot and execute the murder of Erzherzog Franz Ferdinand in 1814.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.1] „A v Sarajevu k tomu, to je v Bosně, paní Müllerová. To asi udělali Turci. My holt jsme jim tu Bosnu a Hercegovinu neměli brát."
[III.1] Zato už v Bosně jsme ani vodu nedostali. Ale do Bosny, ačkoliv to bylo zakázané, měli jsme různých kořalek, co hrdlo ráčilo, a vína potoky. Pamatuji se, že na jedné stanici nás nějaké paničky a slečinky uctívaly pivem a my jsme se jim do konve s pivem vymočili, a ty jely od vagónu!

Also written:Bosna cz Bosnien de Bosna hr Босна sr

Bosnia-Hercegovinann flag
Wikipedia bsczdeenno MapSearch
bosniahercegovina.jpg

Ottův slovník naučný,1893

Bosnia-Hercegovina is mentioned 4 times in The Good Soldier Švejk.

Bosnia-Hercegovina is first mentioned by Švejk when he states to Mrs. Müllerová at Sarajevo ligg i Bosnia and that Austria-Hungary shouldn't have taken it from the Turks. Later on the area is mentioned in the conversation at U kalicha between detective Bretschneider, pubkeeper Palivec og Švejk.

Background

Bosnia-Hercegovina was (and is) the political entity consisting of Bosnia and Hercegovina. The area was annexed by Austria-Hungary in 1908. This led to widespread dissatisfaction amongst Serbs and is arguably the main reason for the grievances that led terrorists to plot and carry out the murder of Erzherzog Franz Ferdinand six years later.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.1] „A v Sarajevu k tomu, to je v Bosně, paní Müllerová. To asi udělali Turci. My holt jsme jim tu Bosnu a Hercegovinu neměli brát."
[I.1] "V tuhle dobu bývá v Bosně a Hercegovině strašný horko. Když jsem tam sloužil, tak museli dávat našemu obrlajtnantovi led na hlavu." "U kterého pluku jste sloužil, pane hostinský?"
[I.1] "V tom Sarajevu," navazoval Bretschneider, "to udělali Srbové." "To se mýlíte," odpověděl Švejk, "udělali to Turci, kvůli Bosně a Hercegovině."
[IV.3] Jurajda mluvil dál: "V jednom statku přišel jsem na jednoho starého, vysloužilého vojáka z doby okupace Bosny a Hercegoviny který vysloužil vojenskou službu v Pardubicích u hulánů a ještě dnes nezapomněl česky. Ten se se mnou začal hádat, že v Čechách se nedává do jitrnic marjánka, ale heřmánek.

Also written:Bosna a Hercegovina cz Bosnien und Herzegowina de Bosna i Hercegovina hr Bosnia og Hercegovina nn Босна и Херцеговина sr

Nuslenn flag
Wikipedia czdeen MapSearch
nusle.jpg
nusle_stat.png

Nusle is first mentioned by Mrs. Müllerová when she refers to an assault with a revolver which took place there in her home town. The area is later referred to by pubkeeper Palivec at U kalicha and it is obvious that Nusle had a bad reputation at the time. There are several references to locations in Nusle later in the novel, the tavern U Bansethů being amongst them.

Background

Nusle was from 1898 a town in the Prague conurbation that grew rapidly during the industrial revolution. Riegrovo náměstí (now Náměstí Bratří Synků) was regarded the centre of the town. In 1922 it became part of greater Prague.

Demography

According to the 1910 census Nusle had 30,874 inhabitants of which 30,498 (98 per cent) reported that they used Czech in their daily speech. The judicial district was okres Nusle, administratively it reported to hejtmanství Královské Vinohrady.

Source:Seznam míst v království Českém(1913)

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Nusle were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 28 (Prag) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 8 (Prag).

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.1] Nedávno taky si hrál jeden pán u nás v Nuslích s revolverem a postřílel celou rodinu i domovníka, kterej se šel podívat, kdo to tam střílí ve třetím poschodí.“
Literature
Switzerlandnn flag
Wikipedia czdeenfritno MapSearch
sveits2.jpg

Alois Veltzé - A. Neumann,1914

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General Ulrich Wille, Swiss commander-in-chief during World War I.

sveits.png

Národní listy,6.11.1904

Switzerland provides in an anecdote by Švejk refuge for a guard who had lent his braces to an inmate who had murdered a captain. The prisoner hung himself with the braces. The guard got 6 months but escaped to Switzerland.>

Background

Switzerland was neutral during World War I and was in 1914 like today a federal republic. As a curiosity it must be mentioned that the Habsburg family hailed from Switzerland. During World War I Lenin lived in Switzerland. He was from 1917 to play an important role in the events leading to Russia's withdrawal from the war.

In addition Switzerland was during the war at times a place of refuge for Professor Masaryk and other Czechs who worked for national independence.

Hašek in Switzerland

Jaroslav Hašek wrote several stories set in Switzerland and by all accounts he visited the country in 1904. Although this can't be confirmed by other sources than the author himself, the fact that he usually based his stories from places he knew, gives a strong indication. In one story he wrote that he walked from Switzerland through Bavaria back to Domažlice. The trip must have taken place in the time-span July to September.

The first story with a Swiss setting was published in Národní listy already on 6 November 1904 and was called Oslík Guat (Guat the Donkey)[a] and takes place in the Bernese Alps. None of the places where the plot takes place can be identified according to the author's spelling. These places were "Dünsingen", "Tillingen", "Stroschein" and "Gallensheim". Mentioned in passing are Bern and Lake Constance. In the story Výprava na Moasserspitze[b] the narrator writes that he stayed in Bern and prepared an excursion to "Moasernspitze, six hours away, in the canton Bern". The summit is said to have been pointed, but none of the spelling variations give an indication of which mountain he meant. The narrator also informs that the stay took place at the end of June, a timing that is at odds with the author's known whereabouts at the time.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.1] To vědí, paní Müllerová, že v takový situaci jde každému hlava kolem. Profousa za to degradovali a dali mu šest měsíců. Ale von si je nevodseděl. Utek do Švejcar a dneska tam dělá kazatele ňáký církve.

Sources: Radko Pytlík

Also written:Švýcarsko cz Schweiz de Suisse fr Svizzera it Švejcar Švejk

Literature
References
aOslík GuatNárodní listyJaroslav Hašek6.11.1904
bVýprava na MoasserspitzeDenJaroslav Hašek16.6.1907
Portugalnn flag
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Hoisting the Portuguese flag during World War I.

portugal.png

Alois Veltzé - A. Neumann,1914

Portugal is referred to by Švejk when he talks about the killing of a fat king of Portugal. This surely refers to the assassination of King Carlos I. I of the house Bragança in 1908.

Background

Portugal was in 1914 a republic which still kept some colonies, mostly in Africa. At the beginning of the 20th century Portugal experienced a power struggle between reformist and conservative groups. The republicans gained the upper hand, and a republic was established in 1910, two years after the murder of the king and the crown prince.

On 9 March 1916 Germany declared war on Portugal and Portuguese forces took part in Africa and on the western front. Several Portuguese ships were sunk by German U-boats during the war.

After the war, Karl, the last Habsburg emperor, sought refuge in Portugal and he died at Madeira. See Erzherzog Karl Franz Joseph.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.1] Jestli se pamatujou, jak tenkrát v Portugalsku si postříleli toho svýho krále. Byl taky takovej tlustej.

Also written:Portugalsko cz

Literature
Waterloonn flag
Wikipedia czdeenfrnlno MapSearch
waterloo.jpg
waterloo1.jpg

Waterloo and the famous battle there is mentioned by the author when he describes the pub landlord pubkeeper Palivec and his knowledge of Victor Hugo.

Švejk also mentions Waterloo in [II.1] when on the train to Tábor, again in the context of Napoléon.

Background

Waterloo is a town in Walloon-Brabant in Belgium, near Brussels.

The town is known because of the famous battle that took place nearby on 18 June 1815, when Wellington and Blücher were victorious against Napoléon's French army. The battle took place at Mont-Saint-Jean south of the town and meant the end of Napoleon's political and military career.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.1] Palivec byl známý sprosťák, každé jeho druhé slovo byla zadnice nebo hovno. Přitom byl ale sečtělý a upozorňoval každého, aby si přečetl, co napsal o posledním předmětě Victor Hugo, když líčil poslední odpověď staré gardy Napoleona Angličanům v bitvě u Waterloo.
[II.1] Napoleon se u Waterloo vopozdil vo pět minut, a byl v hajzlu s celou svou slávou..."
Balkansnn flag
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balkan.png

The New York Times Current History, March 1915

Balkans is mentioned once by Švejk in the conversation at U kalicha. Later the peninsula appears in the conversation between hop trader Wendler and Oberleutnant Lukáš.

Background

Balkans was at the start of the 20th century the least stable part of Europe. The two Balkan Wars had been fought in 1912 and 1913; first Greece, Serbia, Bulgaria and Montenegro against Turkey, then Serbia, Montenegro and Greece against Bulgaria.

In the Second Balkan War, Romania and Turkey joined the war against Bulgaria when they realised that these were about to loose. Serbia got out of these wars politically strengthened, a fact which made Austria-Hungary increasingly uneasy and which may have contributed to their uncompromising stance in 1914.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.1] A Švejk vyložil svůj názor na mezinárodní politiku Rakouska na Balkáně. Turci to prohráli v roce 1912 se Srbskem, Bulharskem a Řeckem. Chtěli, aby jim Rakousko pomohlo, a když se to nestalo, střelili Ferdinanda.
[I.14.5] Pro chmel je nyní ztracena Francie, Anglie, Rusko i Balkán.

Also written:Balkán cz

Serbiann flag
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serbia.png

Österreichische Illustrierte Zeitung,9.8.1914

serbia.jpg

Verdenskrigen i samtidige skildringer,1914

serbia1.jpg

Alois Veltzé - A. Neumann,1914

Serbia is first mentioned in the conversation at U kalicha between Švejk and detective Bretschneider about the Balkans. Thereafter it reappears repeatedly, the slogan Heil, nieder mit den Serben! is quoted a few times.

From Part Two onwards the Serbian army, irregulars and civilians are often mentioned in stories told by veterans from the campaign against Serbia. Amongst those who served there were Sappeur Vodička, Oberst Schröder and Major Wenzl.

Background

Serbia was in 1914 a kingdom on the Balkans that played a key role during the outbreak of World War I. Austria-Hungary made the Serbian government responsible for the murder of Erzherzog Franz Ferdinand, the heir to the Austrian and Hungarian thrones. Serbia was the first country declared war on, and the first country to see fighting. Serbia stood up well against the forces of the Dual Monarchy and repelled three invasions in 1914, despite suffering heavy losses themselves. But after Bulgaria entered the war and German forces assisted the Austrians, their resistance was broken in October 1915.

Serbia was the country that relative to population figures suffered the worst losses in the war (indeed in any modern European conflict): roughly 27% of the population perished, many of them in the worst typhus epidemic known in history.

The borders of Serbia were in 1914 somewhat different from today. The kingdom included Macedonia but not Vojvodina and Banat which at the time were part of Austria-Hungary. The capital was (and still is) Belgrade.

The 91st regiment in Serbia

Infanterieregiment Nr. 91 was sent to the Serbian front immediately after the outbreak of war and took part in all three invasions. They spent most of the time between 15 August and 15 Desember 1914 on Serbian territory. Their losses were frightening and when they finally withdrew across the Danube by Belgrade they were, like the rest of the invading army, utterly decimated. Several officers that later provided prototypes for Švejk's superiors took part in the campaign: Franz Wenzel, Čeněk Sagner, Rudolf Lukas, Josef Adamička and Jan Eybl. Every one of them apart from Eybl (he was there only the last three weeks) were at some stage injured or reported sick.

At the beginning of October 1918 the regiment was, as part of the 9. Infanteriedivision, sent back to Serbia (Vranje south of Niš) because Bulgaria had pulled out of the war and their forces needed to be replaced. This was eventually one long retreat northwards in an army that was by now disintegrating. Hans Bigler was the only prototype of figures in The Good Soldier Švejk that took place in this desparate campain and he ended by being captured.

The good soldier Švejk in captivity

In Dobrý voják Švejk v zajetí the country is briefly mentioned at the start of chapter 5. The author notes that the Austrian army was in trouble in Serbia, in Prague people were happy and in Moravia they were preparing cakes to welcome the cossacks. This had happened when Švejk was in prison at the start of the war.[1]

Mezitím co byl Švejk zavřen, ruská vojska zabrala Lvov, oblehla Přemyšl, dole v Srbsku stálo to také velmi špatně s rakouskou armádou, lidé v Praze byli veselí a na Moravě dělali již přípravy k pečení koláčů, až přijdou kozáci.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.1] Mezitím co byl Švejk zavřen, ruská vojska zabrala Lvov, oblehla Přemyšl, dole v Srbsku stálo to také velmi špatně s rakouskou armádou, lidé v Praze byli veselí a na Moravě dělali již přípravy k pečení koláčů, až přijdou kozáci.
[I.1] A Švejk vyložil svůj názor na mezinárodní politiku Rakouska na Balkáně. Turci to prohráli v roce 1912 se Srbskem, Bulharskem a Řeckem. Chtěli, aby jim Rakousko pomohlo, a když se to nestalo, střelili Ferdinanda.
[I.13] Nadporučík Machek zajat v Srbsku, dluhuje mně 1500 korun. Je zde víc takových lidí. Ten padne v Karpatech s mou nezaplacenou směnkou, ten jde do zajetí, ten se mně utopí v Srbsku, ten umře v Uhrách ve špitále.
[I.14.4] Švejk posadil se na lavici ve vratech a vykládal, že v bitevní frontě karpatské se útoky vojska ztroskotaly, na druhé straně však že velitel Přemyšlu, generál Kusmanek, přijel do Kyjeva a že za námi zůstalo Srbsku jedenáct opěrných bodů a že Srbové dlouho nevydrží utíkat za našimi vojáky.
[I.14.5] Kromě toho naše manévry na Srbsku pokračují velice úspěšně a odchod našich vojsk, který jest fakticky jen přesunutím, vykládají si mnozí zcela jinak, než jak toho vyžaduje naprostá chladnokrevnost ve válce.
[I.14.6] "Náš pán je přísnej, a jak posledně se říkalo, že nám Srbsku natloukli, tak přišel celej vzteklej domů a sházel v kuchyni všechny talíře a chtěl i mně dát vejpověď."
[I.15] Všechny civilisty Srbsku spálit do posledního. Děti ubít bajonety!
[II.2] Tu odcházel domů a po jeho odchodu vždy někdo řekl: "Naši to zas někde Srbsku prosrati, že je vachmajstr takovej nemluva."
[II.2] Černožluté obzory počaly se zatahovat mraky revoluce. Na Srbsku, v Karpatech přecházely batalióny k nepříteli. 28. regiment, 11. regiment.
[II.2] ...jak nadporučík Kretschmann, který se vrátil ze Srbska s bolavou nohou (trkla ho kráva), vypravoval, jak se díval od štábu, ku kterému byl přidělen, na útok na srbské posice:
[II.3] Nešťastnou náhodou ještě nad tím nápisem byl jinej: ,My na vojnu nepůjdeme, my se na ni vyséreme,` a to bylo v roce 1912, když jsme měli jít do Srbska kvůli tomu konzulovi Procházkoví.
[II.3] „U pětasedmdesátýho regimentu,“ ozval se jeden muž z eskorty, „prochlastal hejtman celou plukovní kasu před válkou a musel kvitovat z vojny, a teď je zas hejtmanem, a jeden felák, kterej vokrad erár vo sukno na vejložky, bylo ho přes dvacet balíků, je dneska štábsfeldvéblem, a jeden infanterista byl nedávno v Srbsku zastřelenej, poněvadž sněd najednou svou konservu, kterou měl si nechat na tři dny.“
[II.3] Švejk seděl na odestlané posteli nadporučíkově a naproti němu seděl na stole sluha majora Wenzla. Major se opět vrátil k regimentu, když byla v Srbsku konstatována jeho úplná neschopnost na Drině.
[II.4] V Srbsku jsme pověsili dva jednoroční dobrovolníky od 10. kompanie a jednoho od 9. jsme zastřelili jako jehně.
[II.4] „Když jsem byl v Srbsku,“ řekl Vodička, „tak u naší brigády věšeli, kteří se přihlásili, čúžáky za cigarety.

Also written:Srbsko cz Serbien de Србија sr

Literature
References
1Dobrý voják Švejk v zajetíJaroslav Hašek1917
Bulgariann flag
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bulgaria.png

Bulgaria after the 2nd Balkan War

Steirische Alpenpost,23.8.1913

serbia1.jpg

Alois Veltzé - A. Neumann,1914

Bulgaria is mentioned during the conversation between Švejk and detective Bretschneider at U kalicha about Balkans.

Background

Bulgaria was a kingdom on the Balkans that was neutral during the first year of World War I. In September 1915 the country entered the war on the side of the Central Powers. Her main motive to join was to repair the damage after the defeat by Serbia in Second Balkan War. Bulgaria took part in the attack on Serbia in October 1915, the offensive that finally broke Serbia's resistance. Bulgaria was in 1914 slightly larger than today, she had to cede Thrace to Greece after the war.

Bulgaria was the first country amongst the Central Powers who withdrew from the war. After the Entente's breakthrough at the Thessaloniki front in September 1918 they capilutlated.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.1] A Švejk vyložil svůj názor na mezinárodní politiku Rakouska na Balkáně. Turci to prohráli v roce 1912 se Srbskem, Bulharskem a Řeckem. Chtěli, aby jim Rakousko pomohlo, a když se to nestalo, střelili Ferdinanda.

Also written:България bg Bulharsko cz Bulgarien de

Literature
Greecenn flag
Wikipedia czdeelenno MapSearch
hellas.png

Greece after the 2nd Balkan War

Steirische Alpenpost,30.8.1913

Greece is mentioned in the conversation at U kalicha between Švejk and detective Bretschneider about the Balkans. The former touched on their role in the First Balkan War.

Background

Greece was neutral at the start of the war but in November 1916 it joined the Entente, strongly influenced by prime minister Venizelos. Greece was at the time a kingdom ruled by the House of Glücksburg. The country was in 1914 slightly smaller than today, it acquired Thrace from Bulgaria in 1923.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.1] A Švejk vyložil svůj názor na mezinárodní politiku Rakouska na Balkáně. Turci to prohráli v roce 1912 se Srbskem, Bulharskem a Řeckem. Chtěli, aby jim Rakousko pomohlo, a když se to nestalo, střelili Ferdinanda.

Also written:Řecko cz Griechenland de Ελλάδα el

Literature
Vltavann flag
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Čechy,1910

vltava.jpg

Český svět,28.6.1907

Vltava is first mentioned in the anecdote about the man who jumped from the bridge in Krumlov. The river is mentioned several times later in the novel and Švejk must have crossed it twice during his anabasis in [II.2], without it being explicitly stated. The first crossing was between Květov and Vráž, the second on the train just before arriving in Budějovice.

Because the river runs through Prague, Švejk must have crossed it a few times in the first part of the novel. Across Karlův most he was escorted by two soldiers on the way from Hradčany to serve Feldkurat Katz. Before that Mrs. Müllerová pushed him across a bridge in a wheelchair for him to get to the draft board at Střelecký ostrov. He would also have had to cross the river when he went to borrow money from captain Hauptmann Šnábl at Bruska.

Background

Vltava is the longest river in Bohemia. From its sources in Šumava, it passes Krumlov, Budějovice and Prague, before emptying into the Elbe by Mělník. The river's length is 430 km, and the catchment area is 28,090 km². In foreign languages the German name Moldau is frequently used.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.1] Musel skočit v Krumlově s toho mostu do Vltavy a museli ho vytáhnout, museli ho křísit, museli z něho pumpovat vodu a von jim musel skonat v náručí lékaře, když mu dal nějakou injekci.“
[I.3] Soudní lékaři podívali se významně na sebe, nicméně jeden s nich dal ještě tuto otázku: „Neznáte nejvyšší hloubku v Tichém oceáně?“ „To prosím neznám,“ zněla odpověď, „ale myslím, že rozhodně bude větší než pod vyšehradskou skálou na Vltavě.“
[I.10.2] Projevoval mučednické touhy, žádaje, aby mu utrhl hlavu a hodil v pytli do Vltavy.
[I.10.3] Vy máte vilu na Zbraslavi. A můžete jezdit parníkem po Vltavě. Víte, co je to Vltava?“
[I.15] "Před dvěma léty, pane nadporučíku," řekl plukovník, "přál jste si být přeložen do Budějovic k 91. pluku. Víte, kde jsou Budějovice? Na Vltavě, ano, na Vltavě a vtéká tam Ohře nebo něco podobného.
[II.2] Zášť hrozná, nesmiřitelná, vendetta, krevní msta, dědící se z ročníku na ročník, provázená na obou stranách tradičními historkami, jak buď infanteristi naházeli dělostřelce do Vltavy, nebo opačně.

Also written:Moldau de

Krumlovnn flag
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krumlov.jpg

Postcard from 1910

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Chytilův úplný adresář Království Českého1915

Krumlov is mentioned in the anecdote about Bohuslav Ludvík and also a few times in Part Two. The miller Offiziersdiener Baloun, a central character in the latter part of the novel, comes from the area around Krumlov.

Background

Krumlov was until 1920 the name of Český Krumlov, a town not far from the Austrian border. The district of Krumlov was located in the recruitment area of Infanterieregiment Nr. 91, so Jaroslav Hašek would have known many fellow soldiers from there. See Ergänzungskommando.

The medieval structure of the town has been preserved and it is on the world heritage list of UNESCO. It has become a major tourist attraction.

Demography

According to the 1910 census Krumlov had 8,716 inhabitants of which 1,295 (14 per cent) reported that they used Czech in their daily speech. The judicial district was okres Krumlov, administratively it reported to hejtmanství Krumlov.

Source:Seznam míst v království Českém(1913)

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Krumlov were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 91 (Budweis) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 29 (Budweis). In 1913 the military presence was only one person.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.1] Musel skočit v Krumlově s toho mostu do Vltavy a museli ho vytáhnout, museli ho křísit, museli z něho pumpovat vodu a von jim musel skonat v náručí lékaře, když mu dal nějakou injekci.“
[II.5] U dveří stál tlustý pěšák, zarostlý vousy jako Krakonoš. To byl Baloun, nový sluha nadporučíka, v civilu mlynář někde u Českého Krumlova.

Also written:Krumau de

Literature
Most v Krumlověnn flag
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mostkrumlov.jpg

Most v Krumlově is mentioned in the anecdote about Bohuslav Ludvík who jumped from the bridge in Krumlov into the Vltava.

Background

Most v Krumlově was according to the story a bridge across the Vltava in Krumlov. The story does not reveal which one the author has in mind, but it is probably Lazebnický most in the centre which is the oldest and best known bridge there. In this mainly German-speaking town the bridge was at the time also called Baderbrücke.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.1] Musel skočit v Krumlově s toho mostu do Vltavy a museli ho vytáhnout, museli ho křísit, museli z něho pumpovat vodu a von jim musel skonat v náručí lékaře, když mu dal nějakou injekci.“

Also written:Bridge in Krumlov en Brücke in Krumau de Bru i Krumlov no

Zlivnn flag
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zliv.jpg
zliv_addr.png

Chytilův úplný adresář Království Českého1915

Zliv is mentioned in an anecdote by Švejk, told to detective Bretschneider. It was about a gamekeeper who was shot by poachers.

Background

Zliv is a village in South Bohemia, situated 10 km north west of Budějovice and 4 km west of Hluboká.

Hašek and Zliv

During the summer of 1896 (or 1897), Hašek's mother Kateřina took the children on a trip to the area around Protivín to visit relatives. Both his parents were from this area. They visited Zliv, Mydlovary, Hluboká, Budějovice, Putim, Skočice, Krč, Protivín, Ražice, and Vodňany. All of these places appear in The Good Soldier Švejk and some of them even in the short stories.

In the spring of 1915 Jaroslav Hašek reportedly appeared in Zliv again, now on an unauthorised "excursion" from the Budějovice garrison.

Demography

According to the 1910 census Zliv had 1,324 inhabitants of which 1,307 (98 per cent) reported that they used Czech in their daily speech. The judicial district was okres Hluboká, administratively it reported to hejtmanství Budějovice.

Source:Seznam míst v království Českém(1913)

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Zliv were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 91 (Budweis) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 29 (Budweis).

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.1] To byl ve Zlivi u Hluboké před léty jeden hajný, měl takové ošklivé jméno Pinďour.

Sources: Radko Pytlík, Václav Menger, Jaroslav Šerák

Also written:Zliw Reiner

Literature
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hluboka.jpg
hluboka_adr.png

Chytilův úplný adresář Království Českého1915

Hluboká is mentioned in the same anecdote as Zliv, about the widow after the gamekeepers who turns up at the office of The prince at Hluboká to ask for advice.

At Gendarmeriestation Putim in [II.2] it is mentioned by Wachtmeister Flanderka when he informs Švejk how seriously he has got lost on his anabasis.

Later in the chapter Einjährigfreiwilliger Marek how he was given an injection by a cripple from Hluboká. This caused muscle rheumatism and he was admitted to hospital (Budějovická nemocnice).

Background

Hluboká is a small town in South Bohemia, 15 km north of Budějovice. It was one of the favourite haunts of German-Roman emperor Charles IV, who often visited when he resided in Budějovice. Nowadays Hluboká is best known for its Windsor-style chateau which until 1938 belonged to the House of Schwarzenberg.

Jaroslav Hašek visited Hluboká during his childhood (1896 or 1897), and probably also in 1915. See Zliv.

Demography

According to the 1910 census Hluboká had 2,835 inhabitants of which 2,788 (98 per cent) reported that they used Czech in their daily speech. The judicial district was okres Hluboká, administratively it reported to hejtmanství Budějovice.

Source:Seznam míst v království Českém(1913)

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Hluboká were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 91 (Budweis) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 29 (Budweis).

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.1] Byla až v kanceláři knížete pána na Hluboké a stěžovala si, že má s těmi hajnými trápení. Tak jí odporučili porybnýho Jareše z ražické bašty.
[II.2] Tak se podívejte, vojáku. Od nás na jih je Protivín. Od Protivína na jih je Hluboká a od ní jižně jsou České Budějovice.
[II.2] Až jsem se ti jednou ,U růže’ seznámil s jedním invalidou z Hluboké. Ten mně řekl, abych jednou v neděli k němu přišel na návštěvu, a na druhý den že budu mít nohy jako konve. Měl doma tu jehlu i stříkačku, a já jsem opravdu sotva došel z Hluboké domů. Neoklamala mne ta zlatá duše. Tak jsem konečně přece měl svůj svalový rheumatismus.

Also written:Frauenberg de

Literature
Mydlovarynn flag
Wikipedia czen MapSearch Švejkův slovník
mydlovary.jpg

Mydlovary

Jaroslav Hašek ve fotografii,1959

mydlovary_adr.png

Chytilův úplný adresář Království Českého1915

josef_hasek.jpg

Josef Hašek (1843-1896)

Jaroslav Hašek ve fotografii,1959

Mydlovary is mentioned by Švejk in a story he tells detective Bretschneider about U kalicha, about the gamekeeper Pepík Šavel.

I [I.5] Mydlovary is mentioned again when Švejk tells an anecdote from when he did military training with Infanterieregiment Nr. 91.

Background

Mydlovary is a village in South Bohemia, 16 km north west of Budějovice and the birthplace of Josef Hašek, the father of Jaroslav Hašek. He was born in house number 8. The budding satirist visited Mydlovary during his childhood (1896 or 1897) and couldn't have been far away in 1915. See Zliv.

The fact that his father was born in Mydlovary is significant. This meant that Jaroslav Hašek had right of domicile here so he, just like his literary hero, was drafted into Infanterieregiment Nr. 91.

Early story

In 1911 Hašek wrote a story centred around Mydlovary: Vislingská aféra v Mydlovarech. It was first printed in Karikatury 7 March 1911 and soon after it appeared in Šípy in Chicago![a]

Demography

According to the 1910 census Mydlovary had 687 inhabitants of which 680 (98 per cent) reported that they used Czech in their daily speech. The judicial district was okres Hluboká, administratively it reported to hejtmanství Budějovice.In 1913 the community consisted of two villages. It had a church, a school and four pubs. The closest railway station and post office were found in Zliv. Zaháj was actually the largest of the two and the church was located here. Mayor at the time was Jan Kolář (relevant to the story about the scouts who were spanked with birch branches, see Okresní hejtmanství Budějovice).

Source:Seznam míst v království Českém(1913)

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Mydlovary were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 91 (Budweis) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 29 (Budweis).

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.1] Zastřelili ho pytláci a zůstala po něm vdova s dvěma dítkami a vzala si za rok opět hajného, Pepíka Šavlovic z Mydlovar.
[I.5] „U skautů,“ zvolal Švejk. „o těch skautech rád slyším. Jednou v Mydlovarech u Zlivi, okres Hluboká, okresní hejtmanství České Budějovice, právě když jsme tam měli jednadevadesáté cvičení, udělali si sedláci z okolí hon na skauty v obecním lese, kteří se jim tam rozplemenili.

Also written:Mydlowař Reiner Mydlowar de

Literature
References
aVislingská aféra v MydlovarechŠípyJaroslav Hašek22.4.1911
Ražická baštann flag
MapSearch Švejkův slovník
basta.jpg

Photo from the site, 2010

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Ražická bašta is mentioned by Švejk in an anecdote about the pond warden Jareš, no doubt inspired by the author's grandfather, Antonín Jareš. This connection appears again in chapters [I.14] and [II.2].

Background

Ražická bašta was a fishpond construction between Ražice and Putim that belonged to the noble Schwarzenberg family. The authors grandfather was pond warden here and Hašek wrote a few stories about him in Veselá Praha in 1908 called Historky z ražické bašty. The pond and barrier is still there but is no longer used for fish-farming. The pond wardens building is not there, but is still visible on an army-map from 1928.

The young Jaroslav Hašek visited the area in 1896 or 1897 together with his family. See Zliv.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.1] Tak jí odporučili porybnýho Jareše z ražické bašty.

Sources: Radko Pytlík, Jaroslav Šerák

Literature
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Světem letem, Enrique Stanko Vráz,1896

Mexico Mexico is mentioned again in [II.2] when Einjährigfreiwilliger Marek tells Švejk about conditions in Infanterieregiment Nr. 91.

In [II.2] the country again appears, gain indirectly, through the term "the Mexixcan border". Here Fähnrich Dauerling is compared to Maxican bandits so the theme is no doubt the border with USA.

Background

Mexico was in 1914 a republic suffering turmoil after the dictatorship of Porfirio Diaz had been overthrown in the revolution in 1911. In the period from 1864 to 1867 Maximiliano I. av Mexico was emperor, and it is in this context the country is mentioned in the novel.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.1] Manželku Alžbětu mu propíchli pilníkem, potom se mu ztratil Jan Orth; bratra, císaře mexického, mu zastřelili v nějaké pevnosti u nějaké zdi.
[II.2] Nyní vám, kamaráde, musím něco říct o Dauerlingovi," pokračoval jednoroční dobrovolník, "o něm si vypravují rekruti u 11. kompanie tak, jako nějaká opuštěná babička na farmě v blízkostí mexických hranic bájí o nějakém slavném mexickém banditovi.

Also written:Mexiko cz Mexiko de México es

Literature
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Cerro de las Campanas is mentioned indirectly in the conversation between Švejk and detective Bretschneider where it is stated that the brother of Kaiser Franz Joseph I. was executed at "some fortress by some wall".

Background

Cerro de las Campanas is a hill in Queretaro where Emperor Maximiliano I. was executed in 1867 after having lost the war against the republican rebels led by Benito Juárez.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.1] Manželku Alžbětu mu propíchli pilníkem, potom se mu ztratil Jan Orth; bratra, císaře mexického, mu zastřelili v nějaké pevnosti u nějaké zdi.
Literature
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The Russian Empire, 1914

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Moscow

Světozor, 27.9.1912

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Jaroslav Hašek v revolučním Rusku, Jaroslav Křížek,1957

Russia is mentioned 22 times in The Good Soldier Švejk.

Russia is briefly touched upon during the conversation U kalicha about the political situation after the assassinations in Sarajevo. The next brief mention is in [I.14,1] when Feldkurat Katz has lost Švejk in a game of cards "as if he was a serf from Russia".

Russia is also a theme when Švejk is suspected of being a spy and is interrogated at Gendarmeriestation Putim. Wachtmeister Flanderka wants to know is tea is drunk in Russia and if the girls there are pretty. When the policeman ask Švejk why he wants to get to Infanterieregiment Nr. 91 he answers that it is because he wants to go to the front. Flanderka immediately concludes that this is a very clever way to get back to Russia.

Later on in the novel the country is mentioned several times; it was after all Russia the main protagonists were sent to fight against. Russian citizens take part in the plot directly when Švejk is assigned to a transport of Russian prisoners in Chyrów. The author at least once adds fragments from his own experiences in Russia (see Dubno). The original advertising poster for the novel makes it clear that Jaroslav Hašek planned to stage the later part of the plot on Russian territory - the poster mentions the Russian civil war explicitly.

The following political and geographical entities of Russia (i.e. fully or partially located within its borders) are mentioned in the novel: Buryatia, Warsaw, Praga, Ukraine, Dubno, Tashkent, Zdolbunov, Poland, Sea of Azov, Caspian Sea, Kiev, Darnytsia, Franz Joseph Land, Komarów, Sevastopol, Don, Baikal, Kraśnik, Yerevan, Tbilisi, Caucasus, Moscow, Petrograd, Samara, Milatyn and Bubnów.

Background

Russia (rus. Россия) was in 1914 an empire ruled by the Romanov family and was far larger than the current Russian Federation. It included all of the later Soviet Union, all of Finland and the greater part of current Poland. The empire was at its largest in 1866 when it sold Alaska.

Russia's support to Serbia during the July crisis in 1914 is one of the prime reason why a regional conflict on the Balkans developed into a world war.

Russia were ill prepared for a prolonged war, serious supply problems and inept military leadership soon led to big losses. Still they managed to invade Galicia and Bukovina in 1914 and for a while they threatened to cross the Carpathians. On 2 May 1915 the Central Powers launched a successful offensive by Gorlice and Tarnów and 1915 turned out to be a disaster for Russland who had to withdraw from Poland and Galicia almost entirely. During that year the lack of equipment took its toll, and soldiers were sent into battle without firearms.

In 1916 the situation improved somewhat as the Brusilov-offensive inflicted such heavy losses on Austria-Hungary that a collapse threatened. German reinforcements however stabilised the front and Russia spent much of her diminishing strength on futile break-through attempts. The tsar dynasty was toppled in March 1917 but the new provisional government decided to continue the war. A final offensive was launched on 1 July 1917 but soon ground to a halt. During this fighting Czech volunteers (including Jaroslav Hašek) for the first time operated as a unit against the Dual Monarchy (Zborów 2 July). A German counter-offensive from 19 July led to a complete meltdown of a Russian army that already was badly affected by mass desertions and breakdown in discipline.

In the aftermath of the October Revolution (7 November 1917) a ceasefire was concluded, and the new Communist authorities had to accept harsh terms in the peace treaty of Brest-Litovsk (signed 3 March 1918). All of the Baltics, Finland, Poland and Ukraine were ceded (Ukraina was recovered after the war). The subsequent civil war prolonged the suffering of the peoples of Russia with many years and in 1921 a massive hunger catastrophe hit some regions. The Russian defeat in the world war had fatal consequences; it paved the way for 70 years of Communist dictatorship, and at times extremely brutal.

Hašek in Russia
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Jaroslav Hašek in Russia

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Irkutsk. Hašek worked here in 1920.

Jaroslav Hašek served as a messenger in Infanterieregiment Nr. 91 on the front against Russia from 11 July 1915, and at the end of the month the regiment took part in the bloody battle against the Russian 8th army by Sokal. On 27 August 1915 the regiment crossed the border and it was on Russian territory, by Chorupan north of Dubno, that he was captured on 24 September 1915.

After 9 months as prisoner Hašek was from July 1916[1] until March 1918 a volunteer in the Legions in Russia, and therefore he formally became a Russian soldier. During this period he functioned both as a reporter and as recruiter amongst Czech priosners of war. His base was Kiev but he also spent long periods at the front by the river Stochod in 1916. Disciplinary problems led to his expulsion from Kiev in May 1917 and he was sent to the area by Sarny as an ordinary soldier. From there he was, together with what was now called the Czechoslovak Brigade transferred to occupied Austrian territory where they took part in the battle by Zborów (ru/cz. Zborov, ukr. Zboriv) on 2 July 1917. He took part in the withdrawal from Tarnopol (ukr. Ternopil) later that month and for his efforts he was decorated with the Russian Cross of Saint George, 4th class.

After breaking with the Legions in April 1918 he became of journalist, agitator and recruiter for the Czech communists, later directly for the Bolsheviks - positions he held until he was sent back to his homeland as agitator at the end of 1920. He had learnt Russian already as a youngster and reportedly mastered the language very well, and by his return he had adapted to the degree that even his novel contains “russianisms”.

During his 5 year stay in Russia his travels covered extensive areas, mostly in Ukraine, in the Volga region and in Siberia. On 15 May 1920 he married a Russian woman, Alexandra Lvova. She followed him back to Prague later that year. In his story I vyklepal prach z obuvi své... Hašek informs that he left Russia 4 Desember 1920 in Narva.

Places in Russia where Jaroslav Hašek had prolonged stays were: Totskoye (prisoner's camp), Kiev, Moscow, Samara, Bugulma, Ufa and Irkutsk. He obviously had shorter stays in many other places, mainly along the Trans-Siberian Railway.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.1] „Vy myslíte, že to císař pán takhle nechá bejt? To ho málo znáte. Vojna s Turky musí být. Zabili jste mně strejčka, tak tady máte přes držku. Válka jest jistá. Srbsko a Rusko nám pomůže v té válce. Bude se to řezat!“
[I.14.1] Polní karát prodal Švejka nadporučíkovi Lukášovi, čili lépe řečeno, prohrál ho v kartách. Tak dřív prodávali na Rusi nevolníky.
[I.14.5] Francie, Anglie i Rusko jsou příliš slabé proti rakousko-turecko-německé žule.
[I.14.5] Pro chmel je nyní ztracena Francie, Anglie, Rusko i Balkán.
[II.2] Strážmistr podíval se na Švejka a začal: "Pravda, že v Rusku se pije mnoho čaje? Mají tam také rum?"
[II.2] A otázal se důvěrně nakláněje se k Švejkovi: "Jsou v Rusku hezké holky?"
[II.2] "A já se zas pamatuji," prohlásil, "že oni říkali, že jsme proti Rusku kratinové, a že řvali před tou naší bábou ,Ať žije Rusko!`"
[II.4] Jen pořád rovně za nosem do Ruska a z radosti vypalte do vzduchu všechny patrony

Also written:Rusko cz Russland de Россия ru

Notes
1. Hašek was enrolled in the Czecho-Slovak Brigade 29 June 1916, and 4 April 1918 he announced in writing that he left the Legions.
Literature
References
aUpomínky na můj vojenský životKarel Prášil2020
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Prager Tagblatt,30.10.1914

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Der Krieg - Zweiter Band, 1915

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Čech,31.10.1918

Turkey is mentioned 4 times in The Good Soldier Švejk.

Turkey is theme of the conversation at U kalicha about the political situation after the assassination in Sarajevo. Švejk blames the Turks for the murder of Erzherzog Franz Ferdinand.

The country is mentioned again in [I.14] during Oberleutnant Lukáš' long lecture to hop trader Wendler about the war situation. This conversation also mention a number of distinguished Ottoman politicians and officers. Amongst them are the Sultan, Enver Paşa, Cevat Paşa, Hali Bey, and Ali Bey. Also mentioned are Constantinople, Dardanelles and Turkish Parliament.

Background

Turkey (the Ottoman Empire) was a state that existed until 1922 and was succeeded by modern Turkey. The area was still in 1914 far larger than that of the current republic and included great parts of the Middle East. It was a multi-ethnic empire, consisting of Turks, Arabs, Armenians, Albanians, Greeks, Jews etc. The capital was Constantinople.

The first world war

From 29 Oktober 1914 the Ottoman Empire entered the war as one of the Central Powers. It started with an attack on Russian Black Sea ports, and a few days later Russia declared war, and soon after Turkey was also at war with England and France.

Turkey fought on several fronts: against Russia in Caucasus, against the British in Egypt and Mesopotamia, against the Russians and British in Persia. In 1915 the allied attempt to force the Dardanelles opened another front, although short-lived. Moreover the empire had to fight uprisings on the Arab Peninsula and elsewhere.

Several high ranking Germans served in the Ottoman armed forces, both as commanders and advisors. Amongst them were Marschall Liman von Sanders, Goltz Paşa and Usedom Paşa. A lasting shadow over the final years of the Ottoman Empire was cast by the genocide of Armenians in 1915.

Turkey had only minor military success in the war, but a major exception was the defence of the Dardanelles and the Gallipoli Peninsula in 1915. By the end of 1917 Allied forces stood deep in Ottoman territory: Palestine and also in Mesopotamia.

After Bulgaria pulled out of the war in September 1918 Turkey's position became untenable and the armistice was signed on 30 Oktober 1918. The defeat in the World War meant the end of the empire and the loss of all her Arabic possessions. The core Turkish areas of the empire was transformed into a republic and was to become the pillar of modern Turkey.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.1] „Může být,“ pokračoval v líčení budoucnosti Rakouska, „že nás v případě války s Tureckem Němci napadnou, poněvadž Němci a Turci drží dohromady. Jsou to takový potvory, že jim není v světě rovno. Můžeme se však spojit s Francií, která má od 71. roku spadeno na Německo. A už to půjde. Válka bude, víc vám neřeknu.“
[I.14.5] „A co Turecko?“ otázal se obchodník s chmelem, uvažuje přitom, jak začít, aby se dostal k jádru věci, pro kterou přijel.

Also written:Turecko cz Türkei de Tyrkiye tr

Literature
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France is mentioned 8 times in The Good Soldier Švejk.

France is mentioned in the conversation between Švejk and detective Bretschneider at U kalicha about the political situation after the assassinations in Sarajevo. In this case the theme is the Franco-German war of 1870-71. Many French people are mentioned in the novel: Napoléon, Victor Hugo, Papin and Rabelais are amongst them.

In the conversation between hop trader Wendler and Oberleutnant Lukáš in [I.14] French places are mentioned, all along the front in northern France. The officer also mentions the country itself and Wendler mentions these places along the front: Combres, Woëvre, Marchéville and Vosges. The rivers Meuse and Mosel that partly flow through the country are mentioned in the same sequence. French culinary connections appear through the terms Cognac and Bordeaux.

Background

France was in 1914 a democratic republic of nearly 40 million inhabitants and also ruled over a large colonial empire, mainly in Africa.

France was one of the main participants in World War I. Germany declared war on her on 3 August 1914, on 11 August France declared war on Austria-Hungary. Already from 1894 France had signed a military alliance with Russia, and from 1907 England joined them in the so-called Triple Entente, albeit with fewer military obligations. The rising power of Germany was the reason why these former rival powers now joined forces.

Throughout the war nearly the whole the Western Front cut through northern France, and the area where the fighting took place was devastated. French war casualties totalled 1.7 million dead, and out of these 1.4 million were soldiers. The losses made up more than 4 per cent of the population. France was close to collapse both in 1914 and 1918 when the German army reached the river Marne, north-east of Paris.

France was the first state to recognize the Czech and Slovak claim for an independent state, and the Czechoslovak National Council was seated in Paris from 1916. On 7 February 1918 the Czechoslovak Army Corps in Russia formally became part of the French army and were to be transferred to the Western Front. See České legie. This was a decision Jaroslav Hašek disagreed with and it was the main reason why he left the army corps two months later.

After the Treaty of Versailles France was given back Alsace and Lorraine, provinces that had been ceded to Germany in 1871.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.1] „Může být,“ pokračoval v líčení budoucnosti Rakouska, „že nás v případě války s Tureckem Němci napadnou, poněvadž Němci a Turci drží dohromady. Jsou to takový potvory, že jim není v světě rovno. Můžeme se však spojit s Francií, která má od 71. roku spadeno na Německo. A už to půjde. Válka bude, víc vám neřeknu.“
[I.14.5] Francie, Anglie i Rusko jsou příliš slabé proti rakousko-turecko-německé žule.
[I.14.5] Stejně Francouzům hrozí v nejkratší době ztráta celé východní Francie a vtržení německého vojska do Paříže.
[I.14.5] Pro chmel je nyní ztracena Francie, Anglie, Rusko i Balkán.

Also written:Francie cz Frankreich de La France fr

Literature
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Hašek describing his arrival in Swinemünde

Večerní České slovo,1.2.1921

Germany is mentioned 8 times in The Good Soldier Švejk.

Germany is first mentioned at the conversation at U kalicha about the political situation after the assassinations of Sarajevo. The country then appears repeatedly throughout the novel, particularly during the march battalion's journey to the front. Towards the end of the novel Švejk even meets German soldiers. The author notes how well they are provided for compared with their allies from Austria-Hungary.

Many German nationals are mentioned; amongst them Kaiser Wilhelm II. and Hindenburg. A number of German cities also appear: amongst them Berlin, Hamburg and Leipzig. It also revealed that Švejk once visited Bremen, and this is as far as we know the only time he ever ventured beyond the borders of Austria-Hungary. When forging of the pedigree of Fox, Švejk mentions the name of several institutions in Germany related to dog-breeding (see Nuremberg). A few places in Elsass (Alsace) are mentioned in the conversation between Oberleutnant Lukáš and hop trader Wendler, amongst them Mühlhausen (Mulhouse). During his famous dream Kadett Biegler refers to some smaller places in his account of the battle by Leipzig in 1813 (see Wachau). The last time we hear about Germans is when Švejk arrives at Żółtańce where he has to witness that the Germans get draught beer, a luxury he and his comrades can only dream of. We are also told that men from his regiment have been in a brawl with the Bavarians at the town square.

Background

Germany was in 1914 a constitutional monarchy with the emperor as head of state, officially named Das Deutsche Kaiserreich. She entered the war as an ally of Austria-Hungary 1 August 1914 when she declared war on Russia. The two Central European powers had been allies since 1879, and Germany’s explicit support was one of the reasons that the Dual Monarchy risked to "teach Serbia a lesson" in 1914. Two days later the two-front war became a reality through the French declaration of war. The German attack on Belgium on 4 August 1914 contributed to landing an even more powerful enemy: England and the vast British Empire.

In 1914 Germany possessed the strongest army in the world but despite her military might she could ill sustain a prolonged conflict where the adversaries were superior in industrial resources, manpower and not the least in raw materials. The British naval superiority was also a determining factor; the blockade was soon to lead to serious shortages and later outright destitution.

From 1915 onwards Germany repeatedly had to act to help its weaker ally Austria-Hungary. At the section of the front in Galicia and Volhynia where Jaroslav Hašek and his Infanterieregiment Nr. 91 took part in 1915, troops of the Dual Monarchy were supported by German units and three of these are mentioned in the novel (see Posen, Hanover and Brandenburg). Although Germany plays a peripheral role in the novel, it appears considerably more often in the stories Jaroslav Hašek wrote when serving in the Czech exile organisations in Russia in 1916 and 1917. These mainly served propaganda purposes against the Central Powers and Germany is, as one would expect, portrayed in a negative way. Dobrý voják Švejk v zajetí and the story Gott strafe England are typical examples. In the autumn of 1916 the author spent much of his time at the front by the river Stochod (now Stochid), where they faced the German army.

The defeat in 1918 meant the end of imperial Germany and the Versailles peace treaty of 1919 forced Germany to cede large areas; mostly to Poland and France but also smaller areas to Denmark, Belgium and Czechoslovakia. Germany suffered more than 2 million fallen and in addition a few hundred thousand civilians died due to hunger and shortages. The economic, social and political consequences of the of defeat were fatal and to a large extent it paved the way for Nazism and the even more disastrous Second World War.

Jaroslav Hašek and Germany

Serving the Bolsheviks in 1919 and 1920, Jaroslav Hašek worked closely with German internationalists (communists), recruited from prisoner of war camps. There is every indication that he closely followed the revolutionary movement in Germany and at this time he even wrote a poem in German. It was called Spartaks Helden and was a homage to the murdered communists Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht. The poem is however dangerously close plagiarism, borrowing heavily from Erich Mühsam's Generalstreik - Marsch.

Jaroslav Hašek visited Germany in the summer of 1904, probably Bavaria only. Here he at least must have spent a few weeks and he wrote a handful of short stories about this trip. He knew German well although quotes from the novel indicate certain shortcomings (in the German translation numerous German-language quotes are corrected). In another story he indicates that he visited Dresden, which is also very probable.

On 8 Desember 1920 Hašek again set foot on German soil. He and his wife Russian wife Alexandra arrived from Tallinn to Swinemünde (now Swinoujście). They were returning from Russia as repatriates and took the train onwards from Stettin (now Szczecin) in the evening on 9 December. The stay on German soil was brief, probably less than 48 hours, with a likely change of trains in Berlin before they travelled onwards to Pardubice where they arrived in the evening of the "second day” (probably 10 December). Hašek described his arrival in Germany in this story[a].

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.1] „Může být,“ pokračoval v líčení budoucnosti Rakouska, „že nás v případě války s Tureckem Němci napadnou, poněvadž Němci a Turci drží dohromady. Jsou to takový potvory, že jim není v světě rovno. Můžeme se však spojit s Francií, která má od 71. roku spadeno na Německo. A už to půjde. Válka bude, víc vám neřeknu.“
[I.14.3] A vopravdu, lidi hned byli rádi, že to tak dobře dopadlo, že mají doma čistokrevný zvíře, a že jsem jim moh nabídnout třebas vršovickýho špice za jezevčíka, a voni se jen divili, proč takovej vzácnej pes, kerej je až z Německa, je chlupatej a nemá křivý nohy.
[I.15] Nebyl o nic horší než německý básník Vierordt, který uveřejnil za války verše, aby Německo nenávidělo a zabíjelo s železnou duší milióny francouzských ďáblů..
[I.15] Potom si vypravovali o tom, že se obilí od nás vozí do Německa, němečtí vojáci že dostávají cigarety a čokoládu.

Also written:Německo cz Deutschland de

Literature
References
aI vyklepal prach z obuvi své... VI.Večerní České slovoJaroslav Hašek1.2.1921
Index Back Forward I. In the rear Hovudpersonen

2. The good soldier Švejk at police headquarters

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Holice, 1925

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Ottův slovník naučný,1897

Holice was the home of a farmer who was the victim of a failed robbery and murder. The attacker was one of the six who was locked up with Švejk at c.k. policejní ředitelství. He kept away from the other prisoners to avoid being suspected of having committed a political crime.

Background

Holice is a small town by Pardubice with a population of 6,542 (2022).

Demography

According to the 1910 census Holice had 5,938 inhabitants of which 5,924 (99 per cent) reported that they used Czech in their daily speech. The judicial district was okres Holice, administratively it reported to hejtmanství Pardubice.

Source:Seznam míst v království Českém(1913)

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Holice were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 98 (Hohenmauth) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 30 (Hohenmauth).

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.2] „Kvůli Sarajevu!“, „kvůli Ferdinandovi!“, „kvůli té vraždě na panu arcivévodovi!“, „pro Ferdinanda!“, „za to, že pana arcivévodu odpravili v Sarajevu!“. Šestý, který se těch pěti stranil, řekl, že s nimi nechce nic mít, aby na něho nepadlo nijaké podezření, on že tu sedí jen pro pokus loupežné vraždy na pantátovi z Holic.

Also written:Holitz de

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kol.1915 • Průhled Řetězovou ulicí. Uprostřed v pozadí dům čp. 232 v Husově ulici na Starém Městě.

Řetězová ulice in the guise of Café Montmartre was where a fat owner of a paper shop had been observed drunk by detective detective Brixi in the company of two Serbian students. This led directly to the cell at c.k. policejní ředitelství.

Background

Řetězová ulice is a street right in the centre of Prague, next to the current tourist track. Café Montmartre was at the time located here, and is now (2010) open for business on the same premises.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.2] Výjimku dělal neobyčejně tlustý pán s brýlemi, s uplakanýma očima, který byl zatčen doma ve svém bytě, poněvadž dva dny před atentátem v Sarajevu platil „U Brejšky“ za dva srbské studenty, techniky, útratu a detektivem Brixim byl spatřen v jejich společnosti opilý v „Montmartru“ v Řetězové ulici, kde, jak již v protokole potvrdil svým podpisem, též za ně platil.

Also written:Kettengasse de

Literature
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Hodkovičky was where the chairman of the local charity Spolek Dobromil was unlucky with his statements as the police arrived to ask them to stop the festivities as Austria was in a state of sorrow. The chairman ended up in the cell at c.k. policejní ředitelství with Švejk and the other conspirators.

Background

Hodkovičky is a district on the southern outskirst of Prague by Vltava. Hodkovičky was in 1914 still a village and became part of the capital as lates as in 1949.

Demography

According to the 1910 census Hodkovičky had 719 inhabitants of which 718 (99 per cent) reported that they used Czech in their daily speech. The judicial district was okres Nusle, administratively it reported to hejtmanství Královské Vinohrady.

Source:Seznam míst v království Českém(1913)

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Hodkovičky were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 28 (Prag) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 8 (Prag).

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.2] Třetí spiklenec byl předseda dobročinného spolku „Dobromil“ v Hodkovičkách. V den, kdy byl spáchán atentát, pořádal „Dobromil“ zahradní slavnost spojenou s koncertem. Četnický strážmistr přišel, aby požádal účastníky, by se rozešli, že má Rakousko smutek, načež předseda „Dobromilu“ řekl dobrácky: „Počkají chvilku, než dohrajou ,Hej, Slované’.“
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Světem letem, Enrique Stanko Vráz,1896

London is a side-theme when one of Švejk's inmates at c.k. policejní ředitelství states that no assasinations interest him whatsoever, be it in Prague, Vienna, Sarajevo or London.

In [II.4] the city is mentioned in an anecdote that Švejk tells his fellow inmates when is locked up after the scandal with Mr. Kakonyi.

Background

London was in 1914 not only capital of England but also the vast British Empire. The declaration of war against Germany on 4 August 1914 and the follow-up against Austria-Hungary on 12 August were issued from here.

The city was from 1915 onwards exposed to German air raids and 670 were killed. Other references connected to London in The Good Soldier Švejk are Sir Edward Grey and the magazine Country Life.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.2] „Mne vůbec žádná vražda nezajímá, ať je třebas v Praze, ve Vídni, v Sarajevu nebo v Londýně. Od toho jsou úřady, soudy a policie. Jestli někde někoho zabijou, dobře mu tak, proč je trouba a tak neopatrný, že se dá zabít.“
[II.4] Začal dělat dědičně zatíženýho, a když ho štábní lékař prohlížel, tak prohlásil, že von nedesentýroval, že už vod mládí rád cestuje, že má vždycky touhu někam daleko zmizet. Že jednou se probudil v Hamburku a podruhý zas v Londýně, a že nevěděl, jak se tam dostal.

Also written:Londýn cz

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Panoramatický pohled na Záběhlice. V pozadí vlevo kostel Narození P. Marie, vpravo v dáli Spořilov, 1929

© AHMP

Záběhlice is mentioned in an anecdote by Švejk where the question of guilt is on the agenda. Švejk "encouraged" his cell-mates with the fact that Jesus Christ was also innocent, but was sentenced nevertheless, just like the hapless gypsy in Záběhlice.

In [II.3] Sappeur Vodička tells Švejk about a brawl he had instigated at the local restaurant Na Růžovém ostrově.

Background

Záběhlice is the name of several places in Bohemia but the two near Prague are the likeliest candidates. Det first and most likely candidate is a minor town that was situated in okres Vršovice and has been a district of Prague since 1922. In the anecdote that Sappeur Vodička tells Švejk this is definitely the place because he mentions Na Růžovém ostrově.

The other in the cicinity of Prague is located by Zbraslav and was somewhat smaller. Other locations with this name are found by Ledeč in Vysočina, by Příbram, and in Sedlčansko.

Demography

According to the 1910 census Záběhlice had 2,669 inhabitants of which 2,664 (99 per cent) reported that they used Czech in their daily speech. The judicial district was okres Vršovice, administratively it reported to hejtmanství Královské Vinohrady.

Source:Seznam míst v království Českém(1913)

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Záběhlice were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 28 (Prag) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 8 (Prag).

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.2] Nebo ten nevinnej cikán v Záběhlicích, co se vloupal do toho hokynářskýho krámu na Boží hod vánoční v noci. Zapřísáh se, že se šel vohřát, ale nic mu to nepomohlo.
[II.3] „Plácnu taky ženskou, Švejku, mně je to jedno, to ještě neznáš starýho Vodičku. Jednou v Záběhlicích na ,Růžovým ostrově’ nechtěla se mnou jít jedna taková maškara tančit, že prej mám voteklou hubu.

Also written:Zaběhlitz de

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© Richard Ruppe

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Břetislav Hůla

Kočevje is indirectly mentioned through the term Kočevje-basket. This is when a Bosnian entered c.k. policejní ředitelství and was afraid to loose his basket.

Background

Kočevje is a town and region in southern Slovenia that gave rise to the Czech expression Kočevje-basket. It was a basket that pedlars wore on their chest, supported by a belt around the shoulder.

The area around Kočevje was for 600 years a German-speaking enclave, known as Gottschee. The language Gottscheerisch is classed as Oberbairisch (Upper Bavarian) but over the centuries in isolation it grew more and more distinct from its origin.

After devastation by the Turks around 1500, the impoverished inhabitants were given imperial privileges to trade in the neighbouring areas, and they eventually expanded their trade as far as Vienna and Prague, carrying their characteristic baskets. The pedlars from Gottschee became a regular occurrence across large parts of the Habsburg empire, particularly in winter. The trade started to suffer with the advance of the industrial revolution and better transport, but the final blow was the dissolution of Austria-Hungary, which left most of the Gottscheerer's markets beyond the new national borders.

It seems that the term Kočevje basket is particular to the Czech language and to my knowledge no similar term exist in German. In Grete Reiner's translation of the novel, a footnote is added to explain the meaning of Gottscheerkorb. The generic term in German is Hausiererkorb (pedlar's basket). None of the three English translations convey the geographical origin of the term, and Paul Selver's translation has no reference to the basket at all.

The dissolution of Austria-Hungary was only the first in a series of setbacks for the Gottschee community. They suffered severe discrimination in inter-war Yugoslavia, and in 1941 a disaster hit the region: the still numerous Gottschee inhabitants were forcibly moved because an agreement between Hitler and Mussolini decided that Kočevje was to become part of Italy. In post-war Yugoslavia the language was even forbidden. Today the language is close to extinction; only scattered individuals in the USA, Austria, Slovenia and Germany master it. According to UNESCO Gottscheerisch is amongst the world's critically endangered languages.

Demography

According to the 1910 census Kočevje had 2 828 inhabitants. The judicial district was Gerichtsbezirk Gottschee, administratively it reported to Bezirkshauptmannschaft Gottschee.

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Kočevje were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 17 (Laibach) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 27 (Laibach).

Gottscheerkorb

Hausiererkorb: Viele Einwohner der Gottschee, einer Sprachinsel in Slowenien, zogen besonders im Winter als Wanderverkäufer durch die Länder der alten Monarchie.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.2] Zatím přivedli nové dva. Jeden z nich byl Bosňák. Chodil po komoře, skřípal zuby a každé jeho druhé slovo bylo: „Jeben ti dušu.“ Mučilo ho pomyšlení, že se mu na policejním ředitelství ztratí jeho kočebrácký košík.

Also written:Gottschee de Cocevie it

Literature
Eliščin mostnn flag
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Eliščin most is mentioned in an anecdote by Švejk about how well prison inmates are treated nowadays. The story refers to Jan Nepomucký who is said to have been thrown off this bridge and drowned.

The bridge is mentioned again in Part Three, now by Lieutenant Leutnant Dub who uses the formal term Most císaře Františka Josefa I.

Background

Eliščin most was the colloquial name for Most císaře Františka Josefa I. across Vltava in the northern part of Prague. It was demolished in 1947 and in it's place the current Štefánikův most was built. Both the old and the new bridge have been renamed several times, the latest such occurrence was in 1997.

The body of the saint was in fact thrown off Karlův most.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.2] Nebo mu dali nohy do španělský boty a natáhli ho na žebřík, když se nechtěl přiznat, nebo mu pálili boky hasičskou pochodní, jako to udělali svatému Janu Nepomuckému. Ten prej řval při tom, jako když ho na nože bere, a nepřestal, dokud ho neshodili s Eliščina mostu v nepromokavým pytli.

Also written:Eliška's bridge Parrott the Eliška bridge Sadlon Elisabethbrücke de

Literature
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Golgota, Gemälde von Mihály von Munkácsy, Öl auf Leinwand, 460 × 712 cm (1884) Déri-Museum, Debrecen

Golgotha is handled symbolically by the author: Švejk bore his cross to his Golgotha in the third department of c.k. policejní ředitelství.

Background

Golgotha was an execution ground outside Jerusalem where Jesus was crucified between two rebels. The name is a Greek form of the Arameic version Gûlgaltâ, which means «skull», and the name might refer to natural formations that resemble a skull or a place where many skulls are found. Golgotha is believed to have been near Jerusalem, but the location has not been confirmed.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.2] A tak, stoupaje po schodišti do III. oddělení k výslechu, Švejk nesl svůj kříž na vrchol Golgoty, sám ničeho nepozoruje o svém mučednictví.

Also written:Golgota cz Golgatha de

Index Back Forward I. In the rear Hovudpersonen

3. Švejk before the court physicians

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Roman Empire is first mentioned at c.k. zemský co trestní soud when the author describes the prosecutors as "the 1914 versions of Pontius Pilatus". Later on the empire is mentioned by the pious field chaplain in [I.12], by the author again in [II.2] (see Gallic Sea) and also on several other occasions. Overall this surely reflects the author's interest in ancient history and history in general.

Background

Roman Empire was a civilisation that developed from the city state of Rome, founded on the Italian peninsula in the 8th century before Christ. Through its life span of 1200 years, the Roman civilisation changed from being a monarchy to a republic to become an empire. It came to dominate the western part of Europe and the area around Mediterranean Sea by conquest and integration. The empire collapsed through foreign invasions in the 5th century, known as the end of the Roman Empire and start of medieval times.

The Roman Empire left a lasting cultural legacy and is together with ancient Greece regarded the cradle of European civilisation. Formal remnants of the empire lasted until the age of Napoléon in guise of the Holy German-Roman Empire where several Habsburg rulers were nominal heads. Czech king Karel IV was also Roman Emperor.

Imperium Romanum fuit res publica antiqua, cuius caput erat Roma, olim maxima mundi occidentalis urbs, et quae tempore maximae suae potestatis a Britannia usque ad Mesopotamiam extensa est. Ab Augusto Caesare imperium Romanum sic institutum est, ut gubernare rem publicam uni principi solo sit.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.3] Vracela se slavná historie římského panství nad Jerusalemem. Vězně vyváděli i představovali je před Piláty roku 1914tého dolů do přízemku.
[I.12] Zdálo se, že se vracejí doby pronásledování prvních křesťanů. Bývalý katecheta zpíval nějakou píseň mučedníků z římské arény a řval: „Věřím v pána boha, nezapřu ho. Nech si své víno! Mohu si sám pro ně poslat.“
[II.2] Tam někde na severu u Galského moře, kam až se také dostaly římské legie Caesarovy bez mapy, řekly si jednou, že se zas vrátí a pomašírujou jinou cestou, aby ještě víc toho užily, do Říma.
[II.2] ,Nieder’ zůstane ,nieder’, i kdybyste se, bando, v tom blátě rozkrájeli. ,Nieder’ bylo už ve starém Římě, tenkrát už museli všichni rukovat od sedmnácti do šedesáti let a sloužilo se třicet let v poli a neváleli se jako prasata v kasárnách. Byla tenkrát taky jednotná armádní řeč a velení. To by se na to byli páni římští důstojníci podívali, aby mužstvo mluvilo etrurisch.

Also written:Starověký Řím cz Römisches Reich de Impero romano it Imperium Romanum la

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Jerusalem is mentioned by the author when he describes the staff of c.k. zemský co trestní soud as "1914's variation on Pontius Pilate".

Background

Jerusalem was at the time of Pontius Pilate capital of the Roman province of Judea.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.3] Vracela se slavná historie římského panství nad Jerusalemem. Vězně vyváděli i představovali je před Piláty roku 1914 tého dolů do přízemku.

Also written:Jeruzalém cz

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The Pilsner Urquell brewery in 1914

Plzeň is mentioned indirectly in connection with the Pilsner beer that the staff of c.k. zemský co trestní soud get from Teissig. Later in the novel the city's name appears again when Švejk mentions the execution of the gypsy gipsy Janeček.

In [II.2] the city is mentioned again because Toníček Mašků was called up for k.k. Landwehr there. In that case he would have served with k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 7.

Background

Plzeň was one of the most important industrial centres in Austria-Hungary. It was the monarchy's primary weapons forge and Škoda delivered the bulk of the heavy artillery to the army, and even supplied Germany.

The city is nowadays best known for having given name to the Pilsner beer that has been brewed since 1842 and has now become a somewhat imprecise term for pale, bottom-fermented beers. The best known brands that are made in the city today are Pilsner Urquell and Gambrinus.

Hašek in Plzeň

Jaroslav Hašek visited Plzeň in summer 1913 together with Zdeněk Matěj Kuděj. The two writers sought out Karel Pelant, editor of the weekly Směr. He owed Hašek money for a couple of short stories but tried his best to avoid meeting the two. In the end they tricked him into appearing at U Salzmannů and the editor ended up paying the restaurant bill for his guests after an allmighty party.

The two stayed there for a couple of days and visited an impressive number of pubs. Plzeň was the final destination of a trip that had started in Prague and gone via Loděnice, Beroun, Nový Jáchymov, Rakovník, Ziroh and Rokycany. Most of it was done on foot and Kuděj describes the trip in his book Ve dvou se to lépe táhne (1923-24). Hašek mentions the editor in the story O upřímnem přátelství, albeit without mentioning his name (nor does Kuděj).

Demography

According to the 1910 census Plzeň had 80,343 inhabitants of which 69,779 (86 per cent) reported that they used Czech in their daily speech. The judicial district was okres Plzeň, administratively it reported to hejtmanství Plzeň.

Source:Seznam míst v království Českém(1913)

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Plzeň were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 35 (Pilsen) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 7 (Pilsen). More than 1,000 military personnel were at the time stationed in Plzeň, which was also home of Infanterieregiment Nr. 35 and k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 7.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.3] A vyšetřující soudcové, Piláti nové doby, místo aby si čestně myli ruce, posílali si pro papriku a plzeňské pivo k Teissigovi a odevzdávali nové a nové žaloby na státní návladnictví.
[II.2] „U nás byl taky jeden takovej nezbeda. Ten měl ject do Plzně k landvér, nějakej Toníček Mašků,“ povzdechla si babička, „von je vod mojí neteře příbuznej, a vodjel.
[II.4] "Zkrátka a dobře," řekl Švejk, "je to s vámi vachrlatý, ale nesmíte ztrácet naději, jako říkal Cikán Janeček v Plzni, že se to ještě může vobrátit k lepšímu, když mu v roce 1879 dávali kvůli tý dvojnásobný loupežný vraždě voprátku na krk.
[II.4] Tak ho museli vykopat z trestaneckýho hřbitova a rehabilitovati ho na plzeňskej katolickej hřbitov, a potom se teprve přišlo na to, že je evangelík, tak ho převezli na evangelickej hřbitov a potom...

Sources: Radko Pytlík, Jaroslav Šerák, Z.M. Kuděj

Also written:Pilsen de

Literature
Botičnn flag
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Botič is mentioned in the anecdote Švejk tells his cell-mates at c.k. zemský co trestní soud. He had been assaulted by a bridge over this stream in Nusle, having been mistaken for someone else.

Background

Botič is a stream in the south-eastern part of Prague. It ends in the Vltava by Vyšehrad after flowing through Vršovice and Nusle.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.3] Jako jednou v Nuslích, právě u mostu přes Botič, přišel ke mně v noci jeden pán, když jsem se vracel od Banzetů, a praštil mě bejkovcem přes hlavu, a když jsem ležel na zemi, posvítil si na mne a povídá: ,Tohle je mejlka, to není von.’
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Archiv Hlavního Města Prahy

Most přes Botič is mentioned in the anecdote Švejk tells his cell-mates at c.k. zemský co trestní soud. He had been assaulted by the bridge across Botič in Nusle.

Background

Most přes Botič was one of the bridges across Botič in Nusle. The main bridge for pedestrians was the one carrying Havlíčkova třída from Vinohrady to Nusle. This was also the bridge that was closest to the centre of the town.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.3] Jako jednou v Nuslích, právě u mostu přes Botič, přišel ke mně v noci jeden pán, když jsem se vracel od Banzetů, a praštil mě bejkovcem přes hlavu, a když jsem ležel na zemi, posvítil si na mne a povídá: ,Tohle je mejlka, to není von.’

Also written:Bridge across Botič en Bru over Botič no

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Podolí is mentioned is the same anecdote as U Bansethů and Botič, indirectly through the local church: Podolský kostelík.

In [II.3] Podolí resurfaces when Einjährigfreiwilliger Marek relates about his experiences as editor of Svět zvířat.

Background

Podolí is since 1922 a district of Prague. It is located on the eastern bank of the Vltava between Vyšehrad to the north and Braník to the south. To the east is Pankrác and Nusle. Podolí was until 1922 administratively part of Vinohrady.

Demography

According to the 1910 census Podolí had 4,048 inhabitants of which 4,032 (99 per cent) reported that they used Czech in their daily speech. The judicial district was okres Nusle, administratively it reported to hejtmanství Královské Vinohrady.

Source:Seznam míst v království Českém(1913)

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Podolí were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 28 (Prag) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 8 (Prag).

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.3] Votevřel si klíčem podolskej kostelík, poněvadž myslel, že je doma, zul se v sakristii, poněvadž myslel, že je to u nich ta kuchyně, a lehl si na voltář, poněvadž myslel, že je doma v posteli, a dal na sebe nějaký ty dečky se svatými nápisy a pod hlavu evangelium a ještě jiný svěcený knihy, aby měl vysoko pod hlavou.
[II.3] Zkroucené postavy smažených mřínků svědčí o tom, že umírajíce protestují proti tomu, aby byli v Podole smaženi zaživa na margarinu. Hnát krocana...
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Kladno, 1920

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Schematismus der k. k. Landwehr und der k. k. Gendarmerie 1910

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Světozor, 2.10.1908

Kladno is partly a theme in Švejk's story about Rittmeister Rotter who trained his dogs on tramps. The same storz reappers during Švejk's stay at Švarcenberský ovčín but now it is told by a tramp.

Background

Kladno is an industrial city west of Prague and was a vital hub of the labour movement even under Austria-Hungary. It was from here that a failed Communist coup and general strike was organised in December 1920. Jaroslav Hašek was designed by Komintern to play a role in it but arrived a few days after the coup had been put down.

Rotter in Kladno

The mentioned Rittmeister Rotter actually served in Kladno as head of Gendarmerieabteilung Nr. 9 for a period in 1909 and 1910 and during he experimented with use of dogs in the police force. Curiously Josef Lada claims that he and Hašek visited Rotter in Kladno on 28 June 1914[a] but at the time Rotter had lived in Písek at least since 1911[b].

Demography

According to the 1910 census Kladno had 19,369 inhabitants of which 18,732 (96 per cent) reported that they used Czech in their daily speech. The judicial district was okres Kladno, administratively it reported to hejtmanství Kladno.

Source:Seznam míst v království Českém(1913)

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Kladno were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 28 (Prag) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 8 (Prag).

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.3] Taky vám dám příklad, jak se na Kladně zmejlil jeden policejní pes, vlčák toho známého rytmistra Rottera.
[II.2] "Voní ho měli i dřív," ozval se vandrák, "já pamatuju, že na Kladně bejval četnickým rytmistrem nějakej pan Rotter.

Sources: Josef Lada

Literature
References
aToulavé houseRadko Pytlík1971
bSchematismus der k.k. Land­wehr (s. 548)Ministerium für Landesverteidigung1911
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Unhošť

Kladensko is part of the anecdote about Rittmeister Rotter and his police dogs and the experiments with letting the dogs chase down tramps.

Background

Kladensko is the Czech name of the Kladno district west of Prague. Jaroslav Hašek visited the area on 28 June 1914 together with Josef Lada. See Kačák for more information.

Kladensko was probably a term that was synonymous with hejtmanství Kladno, a region counting 80,785 inhabitants distributed across the two judicial districts Kladno and Unhošť, totalling 45 local communities (1913)[a].

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.1.3] Taky vám dám příklad, jak se na Kladně zmejlil jeden policejní pes, vlčák toho známýho rytmistra Rottra. Rytmistr Rotter pěstoval ty psy a dělal pokusy s vandráky, až se Kladensku počali všichni vandráci vyhejbat.
[II.2] Tak dal rozkaz, aby četnictvo po celým Kladencku sbíralo houževnatě vandráky a dodávalo je přímo do jeho rukouch.
[II.2] Vzal jsem to k údolí Kačáku do lesů, do jedný rokle, a za půl hodiny byli už dva ty vlčáci u mne, povalili mne, a zatímco jeden mne držel za krk, ten druhej běžel do Kladna, a za hodinu přišel sám pan rytmistr Rotter ke mně s četníky, zavolal na psa a dal mně pětikorunu a povolení, že můžu po celý dva dny na Kladencku žebrat. Ale kdepak já, běžel jsem, jako když mně hlavu zapálí, na Berounsko a víckrát jsem se na Kladencku neukázal.
References
aSeznam míst v království ČeskémC.k. místodržitelství1913
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Lánské lesy is mentioned in the same story as Kladno, about police chief Rittmeister Rotter and his dogs.

Background

Lánské lesy is a forested area by Kladno, named after the nearby town of Lány. See Kladensko.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.3] Tak mu přivedli jednou tak dost slušně ošaceného člověka, kterého našli v lánských lesích sedět na nějakém pařezu.

Also written:Laner Wäldern de Lány-skogane no

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SMS Kaiserin Elisabeth

Pacific Ocean briefly enters the story when the commission of court doctors ask Švejk how deep the Pacific is at its deepest. In [III.3] the ocean is mentioned again in the anecdote about Koudela.

Background

Pacific Ocean is the largest of the world oceans and also the deepest ocean on earth. The point Švejk is asked about is the 10,911 metres deep Mariana Trench.

In 1914 fighting occurred in the Pacific Ocean and Germany was soon forced to abandon her colonies there, almost without bloodshed. At the outbreak of war, the German "Pacific Fleet" (Ostasiengeschwader) was ordered to sail home, but nearly all the ships were sunk on the way. Austria-Hungary had one vessel in the Pacific. SMS Kaiserin Elisabeth was sunk by its own crew on 2 November 1914 during the Japanese siege of the German navy base Tsingtao.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.3] Soudní lékaři podívali se významně na sebe, nicméně jeden s nich dal ještě tuto otázku: „Neznáte nejvyšší hloubku v Tichém oceáně?“ „To prosím neznám,“ zněla odpověď, „ale myslím, že rozhodně bude větší než pod vyšehradskou skálou na Vltavě.“

Also written:Tichý Oceán cz Pazifische Ozean de

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Vyšehrad is mentioned 4 times in The Good Soldier Švejk.

Vyšehrad enters the dialogue when Švejk answers the psychiatric commission that Pacific Ocean must be deeper than Vltava below Vyšehrad. In Part Two Švejk mentions the district in a couple of anecdotes. See Sjå Božetěchova ulice and Neklanova ulice.

Background

Vyšehrad is the oldest part of Prague, known for the historic fortress. It is located on a rock by Vltava, between the current districts of Nové město and Nusle. The national cemetery is also located here.

In 1913 this city district was identical to the VI. district of the royal capital, officially called Královské Vyšehrad.

Demography

According to the 1910 census Vyšehrad had 5,252 inhabitants of which 5,210 (99 per cent) reported that they used Czech in their daily speech.

Source:Seznam míst v království Českém(1913)

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.3] Soudní lékaři podívali se významně na sebe, nicméně jeden s nich dal ještě tuto otázku: „Neznáte nejvyšší hloubku v Tichém oceáně?“ „To prosím neznám,“ zněla odpověď, „ale myslím, že rozhodně bude větší než pod vyšehradskou skálou na Vltavě.“
[II.2] V Božetěchově ulici na Vyšehradě jeden rozzuřenej otec, který myslel, že si z něho úřady dělají legraci, pověsil tu medalii na záchod a jeden policajt, který s ním měl na pavlači ten záchod společnej, udal ho pro velezrádu, a tak si to ten chudák odskákal.
[II.3] "Z toho tě, Vodičko, vyvedu. Víš, kde je na Vyšehradě Neklanova ulice? Tam měl dílnu zámečník Voborník.
[II.4] Mladší sestra že se utopila, starší že se vrhla pod vlak, bratr že skočíl z železničního mostu na Vyšehradě, dědeček že zavraždil svou ženu a polil se petrolejem a zapálil se, ...

Also written:Wyschehrad de

Index Back Forward I. In the rear Hovudpersonen

4. They threw Švejk out of the madhouse

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England is first mentioned indirectly at Blázinec where the inmates could pretend to be King of England without any repercussions.

Later England appears c couple of times through the propaganda expression Gott strafe England.

Apart from this there are very connection to England in The Good Soldier Švejk. Amongst the few references are London, Sir Edward Grey, Shrapnel, Dalton, Darwin, Yorkshire (pig) and the Country Life magazine.

Background

England was in 1914 centre of the British Empire, the largest colonial power the world has ever seen. The empire entered the war on 4 August, through the alliance with France and Russia (the Entente), provoked by the German attack on Belgium. The declaration of war on Austria-Hungary followed on 12 August.

There was only limited fighting between British and Austro-Hungarian forces as the former mostly operated on the Western Front, in the Middle East, in the colonies and on the seas. By the end of 1914 allmost all the German colonies had been conqured. The British Empire's economic power and its control of the seas were crucial to the outcome of the war. Particularly effective was the naval blockade of the Central Powers.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.4] Člověk se tam může vydávat za pánaboha nebo za panenku Marii, nebo za papeže, nebo za anglickýho krále, nebo za císaře pána, nebo za sv. Václava, ačkoliv ten poslední byl pořád svázanej a nahej a ležel v isolaci.
[I.8] Baronka zatím vytahovala dárky z koše. Tucet pečených kuřat, zabalených do růžového hedvábného papíru a ovázaných černožlutou hedvábnou stužkou, dvě láhve nějakého válečného likéru s etiketou „Gott strafe England!“
[I.14.5] Francie, Anglie i Rusko jsou příliš slabé proti rakousko-turecko-německé žule.
[I.14.5] Pro chmel je nyní ztracena Francie, Anglie, Rusko i Balkán.
[II.3] Bylo jen slyšet, že zástupce vlády, když už byl po krk ve vodě, vykřikl: Gott strafe England!
[II.3] K nim přistupovaly dámy a rozdávaly jim perník s cukrovými nápisy „Sieg und Rache“, „Gott strafe England“, „Der Österreicher hat ein Vaterland. Er liebt’s und hat auch Ursach für’s Vaterland zu kämpfen.“

Also written:Anglie cz Angleterre fr

Literature
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Krkonoše is mentioned when it is revealed that a professor at Blázinec claimed that the cradle of the gypsys was in these very mountains.

Background

Krkonoše is a mountain range on the border between Poland and the Czech Republic, in 1914 the border between Austria-Hungary and Germany. The name is very old, was mentioned by Ptolemaios, and may be of indo-european origin. The interpretation of the name has been preserved, and the latin name was Gigantei montes. These are the highest mountains in Czechia, Sněžka reaches 1602 metres above sea level.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.4] Taky jsem se tam sešel s několika profesory. Jeden s nich pořád chodil za mnou a vykládal, že kolíbka cikánů byla v Krkonoších, a ten druhý mně vysvětloval, že uvnitř zeměkoule je ještě jedna mnohem větší než ta vrchní.

Also written:Giant Mountains en Riesengebirge de Karkonosze pl

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Jaroměř, 1910.

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Jaroměř k.k. Landwehr Kaserne.

Jaroměř is mentioned when Švejk, during his interrogation, list the songs he knows. Immediately after he is thrown out of Blázinec. This song, Když jsme táhli k Jaroměři, is mentioned twice more in the novel.

Background

Jaroměř is an old town near Hradec Králové in eastern Bohemia. Today (2017) the town has around 12,000 inhabitants.

The song

The military song the Švejk sings twice and mentions once during the plot is said to have been on of Hašek's favourites and is also mentioned in one of his short stories, Sportovní fejeton from 1911. According to Václav Pletka it was originally was called Když jsme táhli k Ostroměři, indicating that the origin was from the 1866 war with Prussia. The song has over the years appeared in many guises, some of them pretty vulgar.

Demography

According to the 1910 census Jaroměř had 8,213 inhabitants of which 8,026 (97 per cent) reported that they used Czech in their daily speech. The judicial district was okres Jaroměř, administratively it reported to hejtmanství Dvůr Králové nad Labem.Jaroměř hosted a parish and a post office.

Source:Seznam míst v království Českém(1913)

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Jaroměř were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 18 (Königgrätz) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 11 (Jičin). In 1914 one of the three battalions of k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 11 were garrisoned in Jaroměř. Of the inhabitants in the town 181 were listed as military personnel, a number explained by the proximity to the garrison town Josefov.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.4] „Znám ještě první sloku z ,Kde domov můj’ a potom ,Jenerál Windischgrätz a vojenští páni od východu slunce vojnu započali’ a ještě pár takových národních písniček jako ,Zachovej nám, Hospodine’ a ,Když jsme táhli k Jaroměři’ a ,Tisíckrát pozdravujeme Tebe’...“
[II.1] Když jsme táhli k Jaroměři, ať si nám to kdo chce věří...
[III.4] Když jsme táhli k Jaroměři, ať si nám to kdo chce věří, přišli jsme tam asi právě k večeři...

Sources: Jaroslav Šerák

Literature
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Salmovská towards Ječná, marking the site of the former police station.

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Pokrok západu,2.4.1902

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Národní listy,6.6.1891

Salmova ulice is first mentioned at the end of [I.4] when Švejk was sent to the police station in this street after being thrown out of the madhouse. Here he encounters the brutal inspector Inspektor Braun and shares the cell with a good citizen who has ended on a slippery slope after a company party. The date of his stay must be just after 28 June 1914 because Švejk reads the declaration of war as he is escorted onwards to c.k. policejní ředitelství. Nearly all of [I.5] takes place at this police station.

Background

Salmova ulice is the author's way of writing Salmovská ulice, a short and curved street in Praha II., not far from U kalicha. At the time there was a police station at the corner of Ječná ulice (see Policejní komisařství Salmova ulice). The street is named after Franz Altgraf von Salm-Reifferscheid who at the end of the 18th century laid out a large garden behind house No. 506.

Naming conclicts

Why the author used the name Salmova ulice is not clear. The name of the street was changed from Salmova to Salmovská already in 1870 but newspaper adverts show that Salmova was in use well into the interwar years. Thus the name was used side-by-side with the official Salmovská, so the use of Salmova is surely the author's choice (and not a typing mistake).

The wood trader Švejk

Interesting enough an advert from 1891 was placed by a certain Josef Švejk who lived in No. 14. He put beech planks up for sale.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.4] Švejk prohlásil, že když někoho vyhazují s blázince, že ho nesmějí vyhodit bez oběda. Výtržnosti učinil konec vrátným přivolaný policejní strážník, který Švejka předvedl na policejní komisařství do Salmovy ulice.

Sources: Jaroslav Šerák

Also written:Salmgasse de

Literature
Index Back Forward I. In the rear Hovudpersonen

5. Švejk at the district police station in Salmova street

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1896 Olympic Marathon

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Národní politika,26.10.1908

Marathon is mentioned indirectly by the author through the term marathon Run. The arrested family father at the police station in Salmova ulice runs around is if he wants to win a marathon and screams: "Let me out!"

Background

Marathon is the former name of Marathónas, a small town north of Athens that has been widely known through the marathon run. According to legend a messenger ran to Athens with the news of victory at the battle of Marathon in 490 BC.

The marathon run was introduced during the first Olympic Games in 1896 in Athens. In the beginning the distance varies slightly until it was fixed at the current 42,195 metres in 1921. In 1914 the distance was 40.2 kilometres. The first official run in Kingdom of Bohemia took place on 25 October 1908 between Smíchov and Dobříš. It was arranged by S.K. Slavia and the distance was 40 km.

Today marathon is a big sport with hundreds of runs annually around the world. The largest take place in New York with more than 50,000 finishers (2013). Within old Austria-Hungary there are annual runs in, amongst others, Prague, Vienna, Budapest and Bratislava. Every year there is also a classic marathon along the presumed original route.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.5] Muž, který běhal mezi dveřmi a pryčnou, jako by chtěl vyhrát maratónský běh, se zastavil a udýchán se posadil opět na své staré místo, složil hlavu do dlaní a náhle zařval: "Pusťe mne ven!" "Ne, oni mne nepustí," mluvil pro sebe, "nepustí a nepustí. Už jsem zde od rána od šesti hodin."
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Kravín, where Hašek's party held pre-election meetings

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Populuation statistics and administrative sub-division in 1913

Královské Vinohrady is mentioned 15 times in The Good Soldier Švejk.

Královské Vinohrady is where Švejk's cell-mate from Policejní komisařství Salmova ulice is said to have made an exhibition of himself in a decent establishment. Vinohrady is mentioned again when Doctor Pávek arrives to cure Švejk's rheumatism in [I.7] and later the name appears in several anecdotes. The plot never explicitly takes place here.

Background

Královské Vinohrady is a former city and district of Prague, south east of the centre. Administratively it is split between Prague 2, 3 and 10. After 1968 the official name has been Vinohrady, and this short form was common already during Austrian rule. This is also the name the author uses throughout. In 1922 Vinohrady became part of the capital.

Vinohrady achieved status as "royal town" in 1879 and grew quickly to become the third largest city of Kingdom of Bohemia.

Hašek og Vinohrady

Jaroslav Hašek lived in various locations at Vinohrady from 1896 to 1908 and in shorter periods later. On 23 May 1910 he married Jarmila Mayerova here, in kostel svaté Ludmily. His famous "party" Strana mírného pokroku v mezích zákona held many of their election meetings here, mainly before the elections of 1911 where he according to legend stood as a candidate.

In the second version of Švejk, Dobrý voják Švejk v zajetí, the main character lives in Vinohrady. Here his occupation was a cobbler, not a dog trader as he became known as later.

The good soldier Švejk in captivity

In Dobrý voják Švejk v zajetí Švejk actually lives in Vinohrady and his occupation is cobbler and not a dog trader. His servant is Bohuslav and he assumes part of the role Mrs. Müllerová has in The Good Soldier Švejk by pushing Švejk to the draft board in a wheelchair. Otherwise very little of the plot is set here.[1]

V duchu opustil hradčanský vojenský soud a mysl jeho zaletěla na Vinohrady do malého krámku, svezla se po obraze Františka Josefa a vyhledala pod starou postelí dvě morčata. Švejk k smrti rád pěstoval morčata. A jich osud byl také jedinou chmurou zde.

Demography

According to the 1910 census Královské Vinohrady had 77,190 inhabitants of which 69,091 (89 per cent) reported that they used Czech in their daily speech. The judicial district was okres Královské Vinohrady, administratively it reported to hejtmanství Královské Vinohrady.

Source:Seznam míst v království Českém(1913)

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Královské Vinohrady were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 28 (Prag) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 8 (Prag).

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.5] V duchu opustil hradčanský vojenský soud a mysl jeho zaletěla na Vinohrady do malého krámku, svezla se po obraze Františka Josefa a vyhledala pod starou postelí dvě morčata. Švejk k smrti rád pěstoval morčata. A jich osud byl také jedinou chmurou zde.
[I.5] Tak jsme ho šli opět všude hledat a nakonec jsme se ztratili jeden druhému, až nakonec jsem se ocitl v jedné z nočních kaváren na Vinohradech, velmi slušné místnosti, kde jsem pil nějaký likér přímo z láhve.
[II.2] "O velkej stříbrnej medalii za udatnost, kterou dostal jeden truhlář z Vávrovy ulice na Král. Vinohradech, nějakej Mlíčko, poněvadž byl první, kterému u jeho regimentu utrh na začátku války granát nohu.
[II.2] Jednou přišel do Apolla na Vinohradech a tam se dostal do sporu s řezníky z porážky, kteří mu nakonec utrhli umělou nohu a praštili ho s ní přes hlavu.
[II.3] Jednou před lety byl v Praze nějakej Mestek a ten vobjevil mořskou pannu a ukazoval ji na Havlíčkově třídě na Vinohradech za plentou.

Also written:Königliche Weinberge de

Literature
References
1Dobrý voják Švejk v zajetíJaroslav Hašek1917
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Chytilův úplný adresář Království Českého1915

Ražice is first mentioned by Švejk in an anecdote about scouts he tells his fellow prisoner at the police station at Salmova ulice.

The place also appears in [I.14] and [II.2] and the good soldier must have been within a few kilometres on his anabasis in Part Two when he walked past Protivín til Putim after having stayed overnight at Švarcenberský ovčín.

Background

Ražice is a village in the Písek district in South Bohemia. It is an important railway junction between Písek, Budějovice and Plzeň.

Jaroslav Hašek knew the village very well and mentions it both in The Good Soldier Švejk and in some of his stories. See also ražická bašta.

Demography

According to the 1910 census Ražice had 398 inhabitants of which 398 (100 per cent) reported that they used Czech in their daily speech. The judicial district was okres Písek, administratively it reported to hejtmanství Písek.

Source:Seznam míst v království Českém(1913)

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Ražice were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 11 (Pisek) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 28 (Pisek).

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.5] Potom na trápení u starosty, pod rákoskou, doznali, že není ani jedna louka v okolí, kterou by nebyli zváleli, když se vyhřívali na slunci, dále že ten lán žita nastojatě, právě před žněmi u Ražic, vyhořel čirou náhodou, když si v žitě pekli na rožni srnku, ku které se přikradli s noži v obecním lese.
[I.14.6] „Nejste vy Jarešův?“ otázala se dívka, začínajíc sympatisovat s neznámým vojáčkem. „Jsem.“ „A kterýho Jareše, toho z Krče u Protivína, nebo z Ražic?“ „Z Ražic.“
[II.2] Z Ražic za Protivínem syn Jarešův, dědeček starýho Jareše, baštýře, dostal za zběhnutí prach a volovo v Písku.
[II.2] Fakticky bylo tomu tak, že se s nimi nechtěl jednou v zimě tahat ve sněhu až do Písku, tak je u Ražic v polích pustil a vypálil ránu do vzduchu pro forma.

Also written:Ražitz de

Literature
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Some of the places Švejk mentions

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Chytilův úplný adresář Království Českého1915

Okres Hluboká is mentioned in the story about scouts that Švejk tells the unhappy family father in the cell at Policejní komisařství Salmova ulice.

Background

Okres Hluboká refers to the okres (judicial district) named after its seat Hluboká. The district belonged to Okresní hejtmanství Budějovice as Švejk clearly states. The district counted 26 municipalities that were almost exclusively inhabited by Czechs: Bavorovice, Břehov, Čejkovice, Češnovice, Dasný, Dobřejice, Dříteň, Hluboká, Hosín, Hrdějice, Chlumec, Chotýčany, Jaroslavice, Jeznice, Česká Lhota, Lišnice, Munice, Mydlovary, Nakří, Opatovice, Pištín, Plastovice, Purkarec, Velice, Nová Ves, Volešník, Vyhlavy, Zbudov, Zliv.

Mydlovary plays a particularly prominent role because this is where Jaroslav Hašek had right of domicile and was thus under jurisdiction of the recruitment region of Infanterieregiment Nr. 91. See Ergänzungskommando.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.5] "U skautů?" zvolal Švejk. "O těch skautech rád slyším. Jednou v Mydlovarech u Zlivi, okres Hluboká, okresní hejtmanství České Budějovice, právě když jsme tam měli jednadevadesátí cvičení, udělali si sedláci z okolí hon na skauty v obecním lese, kteří se jim tam rozplemenili.
Literature
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Chytilův úplný adresář Království Českého1915

Okresní hejtmanství Budějovice is mentioned in the story about the unfortunate scouts who Švejk tells the unhappy family father about in the cell at Policejní komisařství Salmova ulice.

Background

Okresní hejtmanství Budějovice was the local government district in the area around Budějovice. Apart from the district capital there were no major towns within its boundaries. In 1913 the district had a population of 120,659 of which nearly 80 per cent registered Czech as their mother tongue. In the city itself the ethnic balance was more even as nearly the entire German minority in the region lived here.

The district contained four okres: Budějovice, Hluboká, Lišov and Trhové Sviny. The office was located in Střelnická ulice, now třída 28. října.

Bezirkhauptmannschaft

This term (cz. okresní hejtmanství) needs clarification. The two most recent English translations of the novel interpret it as "police district", which it definitely isn't. It is rather the third level of government administration in Cisleithanien (i.e. the Austrian part of the Dual Monarchy). The next level up was the Statthalter (cz. místodržitel) who again reported directly to central government in Vienna. In the Hungarian part of the empire the equivalent to Bezirk was vármegye.

The Kingdom of Bohemia consisted of nearly 100 political districts politické okresy (politische Bezirke) that were created after a reform in 1868 that split the executive from the judicial administration. The distruicts often contained 3-4 soudní okresy (Gerichtsbezirke) but the number could vary. Often used in Czech is the shortened version hejtmanstvi, for instance in Ottův slovník naučný. Likewise soudní okres is referred to as simply okres.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.5] "U skautů?" zvolal Švejk. "O těch skautech rád slyším. Jednou v Mydlovarech u Zlivi, okres Hluboká, okresní hejtmanství České Budějovice, právě když jsme tam měli jednadevadesátí cvičení, udělali si sedláci z okolí hon na skauty v obecním lese, kteří se jim tam rozplemenili.

Also written:Bezirkshauptmannschaft Budweis de Okresní hejtmanství České Budějovice Švejk

Literature
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The corner of Ječná and Karlovo náměstí.

Ječná ulice is one of the street Švejk walks though with police escort, on his way from Salmova ulice police station back to c.k. policejní ředitelství. The date must have been around 28 July 1914.

Background

Ječná ulice is a busy street in Praha II., leading from Karlovo náměstí to IP Pavlova. The family of Jaroslav Hašek lived in no. 7 for a while in 1884, the year after he was born.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.5] Ukloniv se uctivě, odcházel s policejním strážníkem dolů na strážnici a za čtvrt hodiny bylo již vidět na rohu Ječné ulice a Karlova náměstí Švejka v průvodu druhého policejního strážníka, který měl pod paždí objemnou knihu s německým nápisem „Arrestantenbuch“.

Also written:Gerstengasse de

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The author with his wife Jarmila at Karlovo náměstí

© LA-PNP

Karlovo náměstí is another place Švejk passes with police escort, on his way from Salmova ulice police station back to c.k. policejní ředitelství. The date must have been around 28 July 1914, the day of the declaration of war against Serbia.

The place is mentioned several times in Part One, and appears already in the first chapter, through the colloquial expression "Karlák".

In [I.13] the plot is again located here as Švejk and Feldkurat Katz go to the military hospital to perform the last rites. See Vojenská nemocnice na Karlově náměstí.

Background

Karlovo náměstí is the centre of Nové město and is one of the largest city squares in Europe. Today it appears more like a park than a square. It was founded by king Charles IV in 1348.

The square is right in the area where Jaroslav Hašek grew up and this is reflected in the number of places here that are mentioned in the novel: c.k. zemský co trestní soud, Černý pivovar, Vojenská nemocnice na Karlově náměstí, U mrtvoly, Kostel svátého Ignáce. Both the gymnasium and Obchodní akademie are located off the square.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.5] Ukloniv se uctivě, odcházel s policejním strážníkem dolů na strážnici a za čtvrt hodiny bylo již vidět na rohu Ječné ulice a Karlova náměstí Švejka v průvodu druhého policejního strážníka, který měl pod paždí objemnou knihu s německým nápisem „Arrestantenbuch“.
[I.13] Potom přečetl polní kurát ještě jednou předpis, ve kterém se mu oznamuje, že zítra má jít na Karlovo náměstí do Vojenské nemocnice zaopatřovat těžce raněné.

Also written:Charles Square en Karlsplatz de Karlsplassen no Karlák Švejk

Literature
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Spálená ulice, 1898

Spálená ulice appears in the plot when Švejk and his police escort stop at the corner of Karlovo náměstí - Spálená ul. to read a poster announcing the declaration of war on Serbia. The date was probably 28 July 1914.

The street is mentioned again in Švejk's anecdote about the bag maker bagmaker Kuneš who always lost his dogs.

Background

Spálená ulice is a street in Praha II. leading from Karlovo náměstí north towards Národní třída (then Ferdinandova třída). The name means "Burnt Street".

This street was also the home of Teissig og U Brejšky, restaurants that are mentioned in the novel.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.5] Na rohu Spálené ulice setkal se Švejk se svým průvodčím s tlupou lidí, kteří se tlačili kolem vyvěšeného plakátu. „To je manifest císaře pána o vypovězení války,“ řekl policejní strážník k Švejkovi.
[I.15] Ve Spálený ulici je nějakej brašnář Kuneš a ten nemoh jít se psem na procházku, aby ho neztratil. Vobyčejně ho nechal někde v hospodě nebo mu ho někdo ukrad nebo si ho vypůjčil a nevrátil...“

Also written:Brenntegasse de

Literature
Europenn flag
Wikipedia czdeennnno MapSearch
europa.png

Europe is mentioned by the author in conjunction with the news that Austria-Hungary had declared war on Serbia: "and somewhere from distant history it dawned on Europe that tomorrow would obliterate the plans of today."

The continent is also mentioned twice in [III.2], but only in passing.

Background

Europe was at the outbreak of World War I far less fragmented than today, not the least because of Austria-Hungary that covered areas that now belong to 13 different states. Germany and Russia were also much larger than they are today.

The great war turned Europe upside down. The empires of Germany, the Austria-Hungary, Turkey and Russia all collapsed and the human and material losses were enormous. The total death toll is estimated to around 15 millions. Only Spain, Netherlands, Switzerland, Sweden, Denmark and Norway managed to preserve their neutrality.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.5] A kdesi v dálných dálavách historie snášela se k Evropě pravda, že zítřek rozboří i plány přítomnosti.
[II.3] "Tato jediná rakouská kolonie může ledem zásobit celou Evropu a jest znamenitým národohospodářským činitelem.
[II.3] Váš duševní obzor se vám ještě víc zouží, a když složíte někde na bojišti své kulturně zakrnělé kosti, po vás v celé Evropě nikdo nezapláče."

Also written:Evropa cz

Index Back Forward I. In the rear Hovudpersonen

6. Švejk at home again, having broken through the vicious circle

Příčná ulicenn flag
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pricna.jpg

Příčná ulice is mentioned by Mrs. Palivcová who could tell Švejk that an upholsterer from there was the only one who had latched on to detective Bretschneider's bait since Švejk's and pubkeeper Palivec's arrest. The street later appears in the anecdote about bookbinder Božetěch in [IV.1].

Background

Příčná ulice is a very short street Nové město slightly east of Karlovo náměstí. It connects Žitna ulice and Navrátilova ulice (then Hopfenstockova ulice).

According to the address book from 1910 there was no upholsterer in this street, the closest were a few in Žitná ulice.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.6] Za tu celou dobu dostal na lep jen čalouníka z Příčné ulice.

Also written:Quergasse de

Literature
Račiněvesnn flag
Wikipedia czdeen MapSearch Švejkův slovník
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racineves.png

Ottův slovník naučný,1904

Račiněves is briefly mentioned in an advert Švejk reads aloud at U kalicha to divert detective Bretschneider's attention. See Straškov.

Background

Račiněves is a village by Roudnice nad Labem, 47 km north of Prague. As correctly pointed out in The Good Soldier Švejk it had a post office.

Demography

According to the 1910 census Račiněves had 840 inhabitants of which 840 (100 per cent) reported that they used Czech in their daily speech. The judicial district was okres Roudnice, administratively it reported to hejtmanství Roudnice.

Source:Seznam míst v království Českém(1913)

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Račiněves were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 42 (Leitmeritz) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 10 (JungbuzlU).

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.6] Švejk sňal s věšáku nějaké noviny a prohlížeje si zadní stranu inserátů, ozval se: „Tak vida, tenhle Čimpera v Straškově č. 5, p. Račiněves, prodá hospodářství s třinácti korci vlastních polí, škola a dráha na místě.“
Literature
Straškovnn flag
MapSearch Švejkův slovník
straskov.jpg
straskov.png

Ottův slovník naučný,1906

Straškov is briefly mentioned in an advert from a certain Čimpera that Švejk reads aloud at U kalicha in order to distract detective Bretschneider. See Račiněves.

Background

Straškov is a village by Roudnice nad Labem, 47 km north of Prague. The nearby mountain Říp is according to legend the first place in Bohemia where arriving Czechs settled.

It is correctly pointed out in The Good Soldier Švejk that the post office was in Račiněves and that Straškov itself had a railway station and a school.

Demography

According to the 1910 census Straškov had 509 inhabitants of which 509 (100 per cent) reported that they used Czech in their daily speech. The judicial district was okres Roudnice, administratively it reported to hejtmanství Roudnice.

Source:Seznam míst v království Českém(1913)

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Straškov were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 42 (Leitmeritz) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 10 (JungbuzlU).

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.6] Švejk sňal s věšáku nějaké noviny a prohlížeje si zadní stranu inserátů, ozval se: „Tak vida, tenhle Čimpera v Straškově č. 5, p. Račiněves, prodá hospodářství s třinácti korci vlastních polí, škola a dráha na místě.“
Literature
Dejvicenn flag
Wikipedia czen MapSearch
dejvice.jpg

Dejvice appears when Švejk tells detective Bretschneider that he is aware of a toothless dog there which he can provide him with. In [II.3] it is mentioned in connection with bricklayer Mlíčko.

Background

Dejvice is an urban area and cadastral district in western Prague between the centre and the airport. It is administratively part of Prague 6, and is regarded as one of the more exclusive parts of the capital. The district became part of Prague in 1922 and Vítězné náměstí is regarded its focal point.

In 1913 Dejvice was still a separate administrative unit, although it was part of the Prague conurbation.

Demography

According to the 1910 census Dejvice had 6,582 inhabitants of which 6,274 (95 per cent) reported that they used Czech in their daily speech. The judicial district was okres Smíchov, administratively it reported to hejtmanství Smíchov.

Source:Seznam míst v království Českém(1913)

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Dejvice were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 28 (Prag) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 8 (Prag).

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.6] „Já bych chtěl špice,“ s klidnou umírněností řekl Bretschneider, „špice, kterej by nekousal.“ „Přejete si tedy bezzubého špice?“ otázal se Švejk, „vím o jednom. Má ho jeden hostinský v Dejvicích.“
[II.3] "Von mně připomíná s těma drobnejma, který nemá", prohodil Švejk, "že je jako nějaký Mlíčko, zedník z Dejvic, ten taky neměl tak dlouho drobný, až se zasekal po krk a byl zavřenej pro podvod. Prožral velký a neměl drobný."
Great St Bernard Passnn flag
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bernardyn.jpg

Svět zvířat, 1910.

bernardyn1.jpg

Světozor, , 6.8.1915

Great St Bernard Pass is mentioned indirectly through the dog breed St Bernard (or Bernardiner) that has its name from the well known mountain pass in the Alps.

The dog breed first appears in [I.6] when Švejk avoids detective Bretschneider's attempts to trick him into compromising himself. This he duly achieves by giving totally off-topic responses, in this case a story about a Bernardiner puppet. In the same chapter Mrs. Müllerová reveals that she had a visit from the police when Švejk sat arrested and a Bernardiner bit a policeman before it ran away.

Later in the novel the dog breed appears several times, included in [I.14] during a conversation with Oberleutnant Lukáš and also during the preparation of the dog theft. Factory owner factory owner Vydra owned a Bernardiner that Blahník stole.

Background

Great St Bernard Pass is a mountain pass in the western Alps that has given name to the mentioned dog bread. The highest point is 2,469 metres above sea level and the pass connects Switzerland and Italy. It is named after Bernard of Aosta, better known as Saint Bernhard.

The dog breed

The St.Bernhard dogs are considered the largest of all dog breeds and may weight up to one hundred kilo and reach a height of one metre. It was originally bred by the sanctuary at Great St Bernard Pass and used for rescue duties in the mountains. One hundred years ago the dogs were much smaller than today, but because of the increased weight they are not longer suitable as avalanche- and rescue dogs.

Hašek and St.Bernhard dogs
bernardyn2.png

Jaroslav Hašek doma, Václav Menger

At the time when Jaroslav Hašek edited the magazine Svět zvířat, the St Bernard dog appeared repeatedly on its pages, in text and photos. Further Václav Menger writes that Hašek once wrote an invented story about such a dog in České slovo, much to the annoyance of the dog's owner, the hotel proprietor Karel Černý from Černošice. The latter even appeared in the editorial offices in an agitated mood, with his enormous dog on a lead!

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.6] Švejk prohlásil, že neměl se státem co dělat, ale že jednou měl na ošetřování slabé štěně bernardýna, které krmil vojenskými suchary, a že také chcíplo.
[I.6] Pak šla stlát postel, neobyčejně pečlivě uváděla všechno do pořádku a vrátivši se ke Švejkovi do kuchyně se zaslzeným zrakem poznamenala: „Ty dvě štěňata, milostpane, co jsme měly na dvoře, chcíply. A ten bernardýn, ten nám utek, když tady dělali domovní prohlídku.“
[I.14.3] Kam se na něj hrabe takovej pitomej bernardýn. Je ještě chytřejší než foxteriér. Já jsem znal jednoho...
[I.14.6] „Pohostím ho hovězíma,“ rozhodl se Blahník, „na ty jsem už dostal bernardýna továrníka Vydry, náramně věrný zvíře. Zejtra ti psa přivedu v pořádku.“

Also written:Velký Svatobernardský průsmyk cz Grosser St. Bernhard de Col du Grand St-Bernard fr Colle del Gran San Bernardo it

Literature
Brnonn flag
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brno1.jpg

Světem letem, Enrique Stanko Vráz,1896

brno_baedeker.png

Baedekers Oesterreich 1910, s.332

brno.jpg

Postcard from Hašek in 1902

Brno is mentioned by Mrs. Müllerová when she tells Švejk about the police interrogation after the latter had been arrested by detective Bretschneider. She was asked by the police if she had received money from abroad, and she said: "Yes, from Brno".

The city is mentioned only once more, in connection with Feldkurat Matyáš who died there without having paid off his debts.

Background

Brno is the second largest city of Czechia with a population of around 380,000. The city has a strong industrial tradition is also seat of the country's most important legal institutions.

In 1914 Brno was the capital of Moravia, but the city was much smaller than today, also in area. At the time a majoriy of the 123,000 inhabitants was German (this number also includes the 15,000 Jews).

Hašek in Brno

Jaroslav Hašek visited Brno in 1902 on his way back from a trip to Slovakia. He wrote a post-card from here, addressed to his cousin Marie who at the time lived in Jaroměř. The card is also signed by Viktor Janota and Jan Čulen.

The good soldier Švejk in captivity

In Dobrý voják Švejk v zajetí the city is briefly mentioned in connection with a German Lehrerinnenverein and also the street Františkova ulice.[1]

Německá učitelka z 'lehrerinnenvereinu' v Brně jednoho rána převlékla se do vojenské uniformy, sekala šavli do výkladních skříní po ulici Františkově a hulákala: "Gott strafe England!"

Demography

According to the 1910 census Brno had 125 737 inhabitants.

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Brno were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 8 (Brünn) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 14 (Brünn).

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.6] Německá učitelka z 'lehrerinnenvereinu' v Brně jednoho rána převlékla se do vojenské uniformy, sekala šavli do výkladních skříní po ulici Františkově a hulákala: "Gott strafe England!"
[I.6] Se mnou také dělali výslech, kdo k nám chodí, jestli nedostáváme nějaké peníze z ciziny, a potom dělali narážky, že jsem hloupá, když jsem jim řekla, že peníze z ciziny chodějí jen zřídka, posledně od toho pana řídícího z Brna ta záloha šedesát korun na angorskou kočku, kterou jste inseroval v Národní politice a místo toho jste mu poslal v bedničce od datlí to slepé štěňátko foxteriéra.
[I.13] „Vidíte: Polní kurát Matyáš v Brně, zemřel v isolační nemocnici před týdnem. Já bych si rval vlasy. Nezaplatil mně 1800 korun, a jde do cholerového baráku zaopatřovat nějakého člověka, po kterém mu nic nebylo.“
[II.4] V ten samej den byl v Brně...

Also written:Brünn de

Literature
References
1Dobrý voják Švejk v zajetíJaroslav Hašek1917
Angorann flag
Wikipedia czdeenno MapSearch Švejkův slovník
angora1.png

Národní politika, 26.7.1908

angora.png

Svět zvířat, 22.2.1909

Angora is here used as an adjective to denote a breed of cats, Angora. The cat race is mentioned several times in the novel.

It first appears when Mrs. Müllerová tells Švejk that she told the police that he had received for cat that he had advertised in Národní politika. The money were from "abroad", from a businessman in Brno.

The second cat [I.14] belonged to senior Oberleutnant Lukáš and takes part in the plot directly. It devours his canary bird after Švejk had the idea to let the cat and the bird together "to get used to each other". The cat soon after ended its life by eating shoe polish [I.15].

Background

Angora is the historical name of Ankara, the capital of Turkey. Ankara is the second largest city in the country and has been capital since 1923. The Angora cat is a breed of domestic cats originating from central Asia Minor.

Pictures of Angora-cats appeared on the pages of the animal magazine Svět zvířat during the time Jaroslav Hašek edited the periodical (1909-1910). At the same time he wrote a story about the Angora tomcat Bobeš, a cat that could talk. The story's title was O domýšlivém kocouru Bobešovi (About the vain tomcat Bobeš) and was printed in Svět zvířat on 1 March 1910.

The Angora Cat also appears in altogether six (or more) pre-war stories. One of them is Má drahá přitelkyně Julča (My dear friend Julie) that was printed in three issues of Zlatá Praha in April/May 1915. This story is also set during Hašek's time as animal trader at Košíře and contains themes known from the novel (Brehm and Klamovka are mentioned). The story O nejošklivějším psu Balabánovi (Svět zvířat, 1913) also contains a reference to an Angora cat. Another talking cat Markus features in another story, there is also a cat Lili in the story about Professor Axamit. See links below for a full list.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.6] Se mnou také dělali výslech, kdo k nám chodí, jestli nedostáváme nějaké peníze z ciziny, a potom dělali narážky, že jsem hloupá, když jsem jim řekla, že peníze z ciziny chodějí jen zřídka, posledně od toho pana řídícího z Brna ta záloha šedesát korun na angorskou kočku, kterou jste inseroval v Národní politice a místo toho jste mu poslal v bedničce od datlí to slepé štěňátko foxteriéra.
[I.14.3] Neobyčejně rád měl zvířata. Měl harckého kanárka, angorskou kočku a stájového pinče.
[I.14.3] A angorská kočka si opět vlezla pod pohovku.
[I.15] „Poslušně hlásím, pane obrlajtnant, že jste přišel o kočku. Sežrala krém na boty a dovolila si chcípnout. Hodil jsem ji do sklepa, ale do vedlejšího. Takovou hodnou a hezkou angorskou kočku už nenajdete.“
Literature
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leonberger.jpg
leonberger2.png

Národní politika, 28.8.1910

Leonberg is mentioned indirectly through the dog breed Leonberger when Švejk tells detective Bretschneider that he once sold a Leonberger to an anarchist. for 100 crowns.

Background

Leonberg is a town in Swabia that gave its name to the mentioned do breed. This is a very large and fury dog breed, that appeared through breeding in 19th century. It can weigh up to 80 kilos.

Leonberger-dogs are written about in Svět zvířat at the time when Jaroslav Hašek was editor of this weekly. The author had good knowledge of dog-breeding, something that is reflected in the many references to dogs throughout the novel and otherwise in his literary output.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.6] Když měli každý pátou čtvrtku, prohlásil se Bretschneider za anarchistu a ptal se Švejka, do které organisace se má dát zapsat. Švejk řekl, že si jednou jeden anarchista koupil od něho leonbergera za sto korun a že mu zůstal poslední splátku dlužen.
Literature
Scotlandnn flag
Wikipedia czdeenno MapSearch
collie.png

Border Collie

Scotland is mentioned indirectly through the dog breed Scottish sheepdog when the author describes Švejk's dog deals with detective Kalous.

Background

Scotland is a nation occupying the nortern part of the island Great Britain that since 1707 has been in a union with England. As part of the United Kingdom, Scottish forces contributed during World War I.

The Scottish sheepdog (border collie) was mentioned in the late 19th century. It is regarded the worlds most popular shepherd's dog.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.6] Pak tam šel koupit psa detektiv Kalous a vrátil se s vyjevenou potvorou, připomínající hyenu skvrnitou, s hřívou skotského ovčáka, a v položkách tajného fondu přibyla nová: D...90 K.

Also written:Skotsko cz Schottland de

Literature
Index Back Forward I. In the rear Hovudpersonen

7. Švejk goes in the military

Rabann flag
Wikipedia ennnpl MapSearch Švejkův slovník
raba.jpg

Raba by Dobczyce.

raba.png

Finljandskaja Gazeta, 30.11.1914

raba2.png

Map appendix to "Kaiserbericht", 26 November 1914.

© ÖStA

Raba is mentioned by the author at the beginning [I.7]. Austrian troops fled across the river and Austria was in a very bad way. The author calls it Ráb, which can easily be confused with the better known river Raab which flows through Austria and Hungary.

In [I.14] the river is mentioned again in a similar description. See Dunajec.

Background

Raba is a river in Galicia which empties into Vistula east of Kraków, in the south of current Poland. In 1914 the entire river flowed on Austrian territory.

The event referred to in the novel is by near certainty the situation on the Galician battlefield in late November 1914. On the 26 November, during the advance on Kraków, the Russian 3rd Army led by Radko Dimitriev crossed the river, some units having reached and crossed it the evening before by Mikluszowice. According to Russian reports the Austro-Hungarian army retreated in disorder and suffered from low morale. They took up new defensive positions west of the river, on the line Dobczyce - Niepołomice, and by the end of the month they had retreated to Wieliczka, only 13 kilometres south-east of Kraków.

This situation persisted until 8 December when the Russians were pushed eastwards towards Dunajec during the battle of Limanowa. It was during the advance on Kraków that Czech volunteers in the Russian army, Česká družina, first were in action against k.u.k. Heer. Wieliczka was also the westernmost point the imperial Russian army ever reached.

Mentioned in a short story

The river was mentioned by the author already in 1908 in the story Ve vesnici u řeky Rábu (In a village by the river Raba), printed in Besedy lidu. This strongly suggests that Jaroslav Hašek had visited the area by the river, most likely during the summer of 1903 when he stayed in Kraków.

Österreich-Ungarns letzter Krieg, Band I.

Südlich der Weichsel hatte sich im Verlaufe des 25. das Vorgehen des Russen zunächst nicht geltend gemacht. Erst am 26. vordem Hellwerden überschritt das XI. Korps die untere Raba und drängte die Gruppe Obst. Brauner auf die Linie Dziewin-Grobla zurück. Zu derselben Stunde griff das feindliche IX. Korps Bochnia an, das von der 11. ID. verteidigt wurde. Weiter südlich rückten stärkere russische Kräfte von G(Lipnica) her gegen die 30. ID. vor. Die auf Rajbrot entsandte 10. KD. war schon in der Nacht zum 25. auf Dobczyce zurückgenommen worden, da sie dringend einiger Erholung bedurfte. In solcher Lage meldete FZM. Ljubičić um 9h vorm., daß seine völlig erschöpften Truppen zu einem nachhaltigen Widerstand in der weitausgedehnten Front zwischen der Weichsel und der Straße Gdów-Muchówka nicht mehr befähigt seien. Inzwischen hatte die 11. ID. unter erheblichen Verlusten dem schweren russischen Druck bei Bochnia nachgeben müssen. FZM. Ljubičić ordnete daher um 9h45 vorm. den Rückzug seiner ganzen Gruppe in die vorbereitete Stellung Dobczyce-Niepołomice an.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.7] V době, kdy lesy na řece Rábu v Haliči viděly utíkat přes Ráb rakouská vojska a dole v Srbsku rakouské divise jedna za druhou dostávaly přes kalhoty to, co jim dávno patřilo, vzpomnělo si rakouské ministerstvo vojenství i na Švejka, aby pomohl mocnářství z bryndy.
[I.14.5] Zatímco masy vojsk připnuté na lesích u Dunajce i Rábu stály pod deštěm granátů a velkokalibrová děla roztrhávala celé setniny a zasypávala je v Karpatech a obzory na všech bojištích hořely od požárů vesnic i měst, prožíval nadporučík Lukáš se Švejk nepříjemnou idylu s dámou, která utekla svému muži a dělala nyní domácí paní.

Also written:Ráb Hašek

Literature
Galiciann flag
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galicia.jpg
galicia2.png

Some places in Galicia that are mentioned in the novel (orange).

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Venkov,5.7.1908

Galicia is mentioned first time by the narrator at the start of [I.7]. Here he informs the reader that Austrian forces are fleeing across the river Raba in Galicia. Towards the end of the novel, from [III.4] and throughout the unfinished Part Four the plot takes in its entirety place in Galicia. Many places in the region are mentioned, or form part of the plot. The most important of these are Kraków, Sanok, Przemyśl, Lwów and Sokal. The plot itself ends in Galicia, near Żółtańce.

Background

Galicia was until 1918 an Austrian "Kronland" north of the Carpathians. As a political unit it was known as Königreich Galizien und Lodomerien from 1846 until 1918. The population at the time was mixed: Poles, Germans, Jews and Ukrainians were the largest groups. Galicia enjoyed a large degree of autonomy and Polish had status as official language within the administration. The "polonisation" of the region enjoyed support even from the emperor. The administrative capital was Lwów which was a Polish enclave in an otherwise Ukrainian dominated region.

In September 1914 Russia occupied most of Galicia, and by the 12th k.u.k. Heer had withdrawn behind the river San. By late November the enemy had advanced much further west and even threatened Kraków. From 2 May 1915 and throughout the summer most of Galicia was reconquered by the Central Powers. It was during these offensives that Jaroslav Hašek took part as a soldier from 11 July to 24 September.

From 1918 the region became part of Poland, and in 1939 and it was partitioned between Germany and the Soviet Union. From 1945 it was split between Poland and the USSR, and from 1991 between Poland and Ukraine.

Hašek in Galicia

Apart from his stay during the war the author knew Galicia well from his wanderings after the turn of the century. He traveled in the "Kronland" both in 1901 and 1903; more precisely in and around Kraków and Tarnów. He wrote several stories set in the region, two of them with Jewish themes from a town he named Zapustna (not identified).

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.7] V době, kdy lesy na řece Rábu v Haliči viděly utíkat přes Ráb rakouská vojska a dole v Srbsku rakouské divise jedna za druhou dostávaly přes kalhoty to, co jim dávno patřilo, vzpomnělo si rakouské ministerstvo vojenství i na Švejka, aby pomohl mocnářství z bryndy.
[II.1] Stačilo to nejmenší, a důstojník se již loučil se svou posádkou a putoval na černohorské hranice nebo do nějakého opilého, zoufalého garnisonu v špinavém koutě Haliče.
[II.2] Přesunutí našich vojsk ve východní Haliči dalo původ k tomu, že některé ruské vojenské části; překročivše Karpaty, zaujaly pozice ve vnitrozemí naší říše, čímž fronta byla přesunuta hlouběji k západu mocnářství.
[II.4] I vy jste objednáni připojiti se k výletu do Haliče. Nastupte cestu s myslí veselou a lehkým, radostným srdcem.
[II.4] S city povznesenými nastoupíte pout do krajin, o kterých již starý Humboldt pravil: "V celém světě neviděl jsem něco velkolepějšího nad tu blbou Halič". Hojné a vzácné zkušenosti, jichž nabyla naše slavná armáda na ústupu z Haliče při prvé cestě, budou našim novým válečným výpravám jistě vítaným vodítkem při sestavování programu druhé cesty.

Also written:Halič cz Galizien de Galicja no Galicja pl Галичина ua

Literature
Krakównn flag
Wikipedia czdeennnnopl MapSearch
krakow.jpg

Kraków, Główny Rynek, vor 1905

korps1.jpg

Militärterritorial- und Ergänzungsbezirkseinteilung,1912

krakow.png

Hašek's story printed in Cleveland.

Dennice novověku,18.5.1905

Kraków is mentioned by Švejk in conversation with Mrs. Müllerová when he informs her that he has been called up for service. Here it is revealed that the Russians have almost reached the city, something that corresponds with the military situation around 1 Desember 1914.

In [I.15] the city is mentioned again in a highly treasonous conversation between Švejk and another soldier: the tsar is already there and by Náchod the thunder from Russian cannons can be heard.

Background

Kraków is a city in southern Poland and the second largest city in the country with more than 700,000 inhabitants. It has a beautiful and well preserved historic core and is on UNESCO's World Heritage list.

Until 1918 Kraków was part of Cisleithanien and even enjoyed the status as a separate crown land within Galicia.

Kraków never experienced fighting during WWW1, but in late November 1914 the situation was critical as Russian forces reached positions only 13 kilometres east of the city before they were pushed back to the river Dunajec during the battle of Limanowa.

Hašek in Kraków

Jaroslav Hašek visited the area in the summer of 1901 and again in July 1903[a]. According to his own account he was on the latter occasion arrested after having crossed over to Russian Poland without his documents in proper order. In 1905 Světozor published the story Mezi tuláky (Amongst tramps), where Hašek described his stay in the city prison[c]. The story even appeared in the Czech-American newspaper Dennice novověku (Cleveland, Ohio) in May that year, and in addition it was published by Besedy lidu.

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Kraków were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 13 (Krakau) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 16 (Krakau). It was a major garrison city, and was protected by one of the strongest fortress complexes in the empire. The city was the head-quarter of Korpsbezirk Nr. 1. Most branches of the armed forces were represented here and amongst them were units that we know from The Good Soldier Švejk: k.u.k. Kavallerietruppendivision Nr. 7, Traineskadron Nr. 3, and k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 16.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.7] „Panenko Maria,“ vykřikla paní Müllerová, „co tam budou dělat?“ „Bojovat,“ hrobovým hlasem odpověděl Švejk, „s Rakouskem je to moc špatný. Nahoře nám už lezou na Krakov a dole do Uher.
[I.15] Když oba potom ještě dále tlumočili názor českého člověka na válku, voják z kasáren opakoval, co dnes slyšel v Praze, že u Náchoda je slyšet děla a ruský car že bude co nejdřív v Krakově.

Also written:Krakov cz Krakau de

Literature
References
aToulavé houseRadko Pytlík1971
bProcházka přes hraniceJaroslav Hašek1915
cMezi tulákySvětozorJaroslav Hašek10.2.1905
Hungarynn flag
Wikipedia czdeenhunnno MapSearch Švejkův slovník
ungarn.jpg

Magyar Állam közigazgatási térképe (1914)

ungarn.png

Ottův slovník naučný, 1907

Hungary is mentioned by Švejk in the conversation with Mrs. Müllerová when he informs her that he has been called up for military service. The Russians are said to be in Hungary already. Later on, the action in parts of Book II and nearly all of Book III takes place in the kingdom of Hungary. Švejk had his first encounter with Hungary in Királyhida and left its territory in Palota. It is also revealed that he had been in Hungary before the war during manoeuvres by Veszprém.

Note that the common Czech term for Hungary, Maďarsko, is never used in the novel.

Background

Hungary (Magyar Királyság) is in this context the historical kingdom that from 1867 to 1918 was in a royal union with the Austria and which together with them constituted Austria-Hungary. The kingdom roughly included modern Hungary, Slovakia, Burgenland, Transylvania and the parts of present Ukraine that lies west of the Carpathians. Head of state was king I. Ferenc József (i.e. Franz Josef). In addition Croatia was a nominal kingdom under Hungarian rule with considerable autonomy.

The population in 1910 was slightly above 21 million of which less than half were ethnic Hungarians. The capital during this period was Budapest. The kingdom was also known as Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, and after 1867 also as Transleithanien, the land beyond the Leitha. The kingdom shared borders with Austria, Romania and Serbia.

After the 1867 Ausgleich Hungary exploited its new found autonomy to impose a policy of magyarisation on its minorities, causing widespread resentment amongst the other nationalities of the kingdom. The Treaty of Trianon in 1920 stripped Hungary of two thirds of its population and territory, but the kingdom continued to exists formally until 1946, although without a king. Since then Hungary has been a republic.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.7] „Panenko Maria,“ vykřikla paní Müllerová, „co tam budou dělat?“ „Bojovat,“ hrobovým hlasem odpověděl Švejk, „s Rakouskem je to moc špatný. Nahoře nám už lezou na Krakov a dole do Uher.
[I.13] Ten padne v Karpatech s mou nezaplacenou směnkou, ten jde do zajetí, ten se mně utopí v Srbsku, ten umře v Uhrách ve špitále.
[II.3] "To už se dávno vědělo," řekl k němu po cestě jednoroční dobrovolník, "že nás přeloží do Uher.
[II.4] Jest rozhodné povinností úradu vyšetriti tento zlocin a optati se vojenského velitelství, které jisté již se touto aférou zabývá, jakou úlohu v tom bezpríkladném štvaní proti príslušníkum Uherského království hraje nadporucík Lukasch, jehož jméno uvádí se po meste ve spojitosti s událostmi posledních dnu, jak nám bylo sdeleno naším místním dopisovatelem, který sebral již bohatý materiál o celé afére, která v dnešní vážné dobe prímo kricí.
[II.4] Že se věcí bude zabývat peštská sněmovna, je nabíledni, aby nakonec se ukázalo jasné, že čeští vojáci, projíždějící Uherským královstvím na front, nesmí považovat zemi koruny svatého Štěpána, jako by ji měli v pachtu.
[II.4] Divizijní soud ve svém přípise na velitelství našeho pluku," pokračoval plukovník, "přichází k tomu mínění, že se vlastně o nic jiného nejedná než o soustavné štvaní proti vojenským částem přicházejícím z Cislajtánie do Translajtánie.

Also written:Uhry Hašek Magyaria Sadlon Maďarsko/Uhersko/Uhry cz Magyar Királyság hu

Literature
Piedmontnn flag
Wikipedia czdeenfritno MapSearch
piemonte.jpg

Places occupied by Austria in May 1859 highlighted red

Piedmont appears in the popular folk song Jenerál Windischgrätz a vojenští páni that Švejk sings in his sick-bed after having been called up by the army for a medical examination.

Background

Piedmont was in 1914 as today a province of Italy. It is located in the north-western part of the country and borders France and Switzerland. The capital is Torino.

The song refers to events during the second Italian war of independence in 1859. On 27 April war erupted between Austria and the kingdom of Sardinia (that Piedmont was part of). At the start of the war, before Sardinia's ally France had come to her aid, Austrian forces crossed into Piedmont. They crossed the border river Ticino on 29 April, and occupied Novara, Montara, Vercelli and the surrounding land west of the river. The four bridges the song mentions may refer to the river Ticino or the river Sesia to the west (which was as far as the invaders got). By early June the Austrian forces had withdrawn east of Ticino and all of Piedmont was again under allied control.

The war ended in victory for Sardinia and France, and as a result Austria had to cede most of Lombardia. The decisive battle stood at Solferino on 24 June 1859, mentioned in the same song. The ceasefire was effectuated on 12 July (il armistizio de Villafranca).

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.7] Uděšená paní Müllerová pod dojmem strašného válečného zpěvu zapomněla na kávu a třesouc se na celém těle, uděšena naslouchala, jak dobrý voják Švejk dál zpívá na posteli:
S panenkou Marií a ty čtyry mosty, postav si, Pimonte, silnější forposty, hop, hop, hop!

Also written:Pimonte Hašek Piemont cz Piemont de Piedmont fr

Literature
Solferinonn flag
Wikipedia czdeenitno MapSearch Švejkův slovník
solferino.jpg

Solferino is mentioned in the song Jenerál Windischgrätz a vojenští páni that Švejk patriotically tunes up after having been called up for army service and immediately is struck by a fit of rheumatism.

Background

Solferino is a small town in Italy, slightly south of Lake Garda. During the second war of Italian independence Austria lost the decisive battle here against France and Sardinia on 24 June 1859. Austria was forced to cede Lombardia and this outcome paved the way for the unification of Italy.

The origins of the Red Cross

Henry Dunant took part in the battle and moved by witnessing the sufferings of the soldiers he was later to found the Red Cross. This was the last major battle in history where the monarchs commanded their armies directly. Kaiser Franz Joseph I. withdrew as Austrian commander-in-chief after this battle.

Windischgrätz

Some verses of the song about General Windischgrätz are also quoted in Dobrý voják Švejk v zajetí and in a context that is very similar[a].

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.7] Byla bitva, byla, tam u Solferina, teklo tam krve moc, krve po kolena, hop, hop, hop!

Krve po kolena a na fůry masa, vždyť se tam sekala vosumnáctá chasa, hop, hop, hop!
Literature
References
aDobrý voják Švejk v zajetíJaroslav Hašek1917
Austria-Hungarynn flag
Wikipedia czdeenhuno Search Švejkův slovník
dobbelmonarkiet.png
monarchie.png

Austria-Hungary is mentioned first time by the author in this way: "and so, at a time when Vienna wished that all the nations of Austria-Hungary would offer to the empire its most exquisite specimens of loyalty and dedication, Doctor Pávek prescribed bromide against Švejk's patriotic enthusiasm. He also recommended that this brave and good former infantryman think no more about the military".

In [II.4] the monarchy is repeatedly mentioned in the article by deputy Barabás in Pester Lloyd.

Otherwise the state of Austria-Hungary and its institutions is the butt of Jaroslav Hašek's satire throughout the novel. The entire plot takes place on the territory of the Dual Monarchy, from Prague in the west to the river Bug to the east. It also passes important cities like Vienna, Lwów and Budapest. The monarchy's most important traffic route, the Danube, is also included. The novel has hundreds of references to places in the monarchy.

Background

Austria-Hungary was a political unit that existed from 8 June 1967 to 21 Oktober 1918 in the form of a personal union between Austria and Hungary. By area and population (about 52 million) it was one of the largest states in Europe. Austria-Hungary was a multi-ethnic state with 11 official languages ​​and even more ethnic groups. It was a constitutional monarchy with freedom of worship and universal suffrage, although with authoritarian leanings. This was first and foremost the case in Hungary where the ethnic minorities had a far weaker position than in the Austrian part of the empire.

With its mixed population Austria-Hungary was vulnerable to internal strife, which was particularly evident in times of crisis. There were also large differences in economic and social development between the various parts of the monarchy. The present Czech Republic and Austria had mostly reached an advanced stage of industrial development, whereas the Balkans, parts of Hungary and Galicia were relatively backward agrarian societies.

Until Ausgleich in 1867 the Habsburg state was known as the Austrian Empire. Hungary took advantage of defeat by Prussia the previous year to force through a redistribution of power that put them on equal terms with Austria. These privileges granted to the Hungarians provoked great resentment amongst the other peoples of the empire, particularly the Slavs. The Czechs felt particulalrly aggrieved as they contributed nearly 25 per cent of the tax income (although this number includes the Germans of Bohemia and Moravia).

The state was also called the Dual Monarchy or the Danube Monarchy. Kaiser Franz Joseph I. was emperor of Austria and king of Hungary respectively. The river Leitha formed in part the boundary between the two parts of the monarchy, which therefore were unofficially referred to by the Latin terms Cisleithanien and Transleithanien.

The official name in German was Die im Reichsrat vertretenen Königreiche und Länder und die Länder der heiligen ungarischen Stephanskrone.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.7] A tak v době, kdy Vídeň si přála, aby všichni národové Rakousko-Uherska dávali nejskvělejší příklady věrnosti a oddanosti, předepsal doktor Pávek Švejkovi proti jeho vlasteneckému nadšení brom a doporučoval statečnému a hodnému vojínu Švejkovi, aby nemyslil na vojnu.
[II.4] Vedení války vyžaduje součinnost všech vrstev obyvatelstva rakouskouherského mocnářství.
[II.4] ... o čemž svědčí celá řada vynikajících českých vojevůdců, z nichž vzpomínáme slavné postavy maršálka Radeckého a jiných obranců rakousko-uherského mocnářství.

Also written:Rakousko-Uhersko cz Österreich-Ungarn de Ausztria-Magyarország hu Austerrike-Ungarn nn

Literature
Belgradenn flag
Wikipedia czdeennnno MapSearch
beograd.png

Bergens Tidende,30.7.1914

beograd.jpg
belgradbrucken.png

Böhmerwalds Söhne im Felde,1924-1928

Belgrade is in the novel expressed first time through Švejk's patriotic rallying cry from the wheelchair: "To Belgrade, to Belgrade!". The city is also mentioned in Királyhida when the author relates the story about the false one year volunteer Zugsführer Teveles.

Background

Belgrade was in 1914 capital of the kingdom of Serbia and after the war it became capital of Yugoslavia. Its position was very exposed, right on the border with Hungary which at the time ruled Vojvodina and Banat on the opposite banks of the rivers Sava and Danube. The current urban district of Zemun west of Sava at the time belonged to Hungary. The first shots of the world war were fired against Belgrade from river boats (monitors) on 29 July 1914.

In late November the city was abandoned, and k.u.k. Wehrmacht duly entered on 2 Desember 1914. But facing a Serbian counter-attack their position became untenable and the occupiers were forced out by the 15th. Belgrade didn't succumb again until 9 Oktober 1915 when Serbian resistance collapsed after Bulgaria and Germany came to the aid of Austria-Hungary. Belgrade was liberated on 1 November 1918 by Serbian and French forces.

IR. 91 and Belgrade

Infanterieregiment Nr. 91 was fighting by the river Kolubara at the time Belgrade was occupied, and during the next two weeks they withdraw north towards the city. It was from here they escaped across the Sava to safety on 14 and 15 December. The regiment was totally decimated after the battle and retreat from Kolubara, and by the time they withdrew from Belgrade they were in disarray, split into smaller groups, and according to interim regiment commander major Kießwetter discipline broke down and cases of plundering were observed even back on Hungarian soil in Zemun, accompanied by widespread drunkenness. Three entire companies were captured during the retreat[a].

Four of the officers we know as models for characters from The Good Soldier Švejk took part in the battle of Kolubara and the traumatic retreat: Rudolf Lukas, Čeněk Sagner (until 27 November) and Jan Eybl (from 30 November). The commander of the 2nd battalion, Franz Wenzel, reported ill during the last week of the retreat.

The good soldier Švejk in captivity

Beograd is in Dobrý voják Švejk v zajetí mentioned and exactly the same settings as in The Good Soldier Švejk. When Švejk is pushed to c.k. policejní ředitelství in a wheel-chair, he shouts to the crowd: "To Belgrade! To Belgrade!" Later the fall of Belgrade in early December 1914 is referred to.[1]

Na rohu Krakovské ulice dav zmlátil tři buršáky a průvod za zpěvu "Nemelem, nemelem" dostal se až k BVodičkově ulici, kde dobrý voják Švejk vztyčuje se bolestí ve vozíku a rozmachuje kolem berlemi, zvolal: "Ještě jednou na Bělehrad, na Bělehrad!" A vtom již do toho vrazila policie pěší i jízdní.

Když padl Bělehrad, Franz Rypatschek z velkého nadšení pomaloval se černě a žlutě a šel tak vzdát hold za šestý okres.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.7] Na rohu Krakovské ulice dav zmlátil tři buršáky a průvod za zpěvu "Nemelem, nemelem" dostal se až k BVodičkově ulici, kde dobrý voják Švejk vztyčuje se bolestí ve vozíku a rozmachuje kolem berlemi, zvolal: "Ještě jednou na Bělehrad, na Bělehrad!" A vtom již do toho vrazila policie pěší i jízdní.
[I.7] Když padl Bělehrad, Franz Rypatschek z velkého nadšení pomaloval se černě a žlutě a šel tak vzdát hold za šestý okres.
[I.7] Stará žena, strkající před sebou vozík, na kterém seděl muž ve vojenské čepici s vyleštěným „frantíkem“, mávající berlemi. A na kabátě skvěla se pestrá rekrutská kytka. A muž ten, mávaje poznovu a poznovu berlemi, křičel do pražských ulic: „Na Bělehrad, na Bělehrad!
[II.3] Vodička se zasmál: „To máš na frontě na denním pořádku. Vypravoval mně můj jeden kamarád, je teď taky u nás, že když byl jako infanterák pod Bělehradem, jejich kumpačka v gefechtu vodstřelila si svýho obrlajtnanta, taky takovýho psa, který zastřelil sám dva vojáky na pochodu, poněvadž už dál nemohli.
[II.4] Když si vzpomenu, že pod Bělehradem stříleli Maďaři po našem druhém maršbataliónu, který nevěděl, že jsou to Maďaři, kteří po nich střílí, a počal pálit do deutschmajstrů na pravém křídle, a deutschmajstři zas si to také spletli a pustili oheň po bosenském regimentu, který stál vedle.

Sources: Rudolf Kießwetter

Also written:Bělehrad cz Belgrad de Београд se

Literature
References
aBelgradBöhmerwalds Söhne im Felde Nr.9Rudolf Kießwetter1924-1928
1Dobrý voják Švejk v zajetíJaroslav Hašek1917
Václavské náměstínn flag
Wikipedia czdeen MapSearch Švejkova cesta
vacnam.jpg

Václavské náměstí is mentioned in the famous scene when Švejk was wheeled down the square in a wheelchair by Mrs. Müllerová, on the way to the call-up board. A crowd of a few hundred had gathered round them.

Background

Václavské náměstí is the most famous square in Nové město (New Town) if not in the whole of Prague. The square is the centre of Prague's commercial district and stretches from the National Museum north towards Staré město (Old Town). It is named after the Czech national saint, the Holy Václav.

Jaroslav Hašek was well known in the editorial offices in the street as he worked with both České slovo and Národní politika. These newspapers printed many of his stories before the war.

The good soldier Švejk in captivity

In Dobrý voják Švejk v zajetí, during the interrogation of Švejk at k.u.k. Militärgericht Prag, the good soldier is accused of creating upheaval at Wenceslas Square.[1]

"Tak, tak," poznamenal veselý auditor, "vy jste tedy provedl švandu na Václavském náměstí. Byla to legrace, co říkáte, Švejku?"

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.7] "Tak, tak," poznamenal veselý auditor, "vy jste tedy provedl švandu na Václavském náměstí. Byla to legrace, co říkáte, Švejku?"
[I.7] Na Václavském náměstí vzrostl zástup kolem vozíku se Švejkem na několik set hlav a na rohu Krakovské ulice byl jím zbit nějaký buršák, který v cerevisce křičel k Švejkovi: „Heil! Nieder mit den Serben!“ Na rohu Vodičkovy ulice vjela do toho jízdní policie a rozehnala zástup.

Also written:Wenceslas Square en Wenzelplatz de Wenselsplassen no

References
1Dobrý voják Švejk v zajetíJaroslav Hašek1917
Krakovská ulicenn flag
MapSearch Švejkova cesta Švejkův slovník
krakovska.jpg

The corner of Václavské nám. and Krakovská ulice

Krakovská ulice is mentioned because a German-speaking student was beaten up by the crowd on the corner between Krakovská and Václavské náměstí. He had shouted "Heil! Nieder mit den Serben!"

Background

Krakovská ulice is a side street to Václavské náměstí, leading northwards, ending at the southern end of the latter.

The good soldier Švejk in captivity

In Dobrý voják Švejk v zajetí the street is also mentioned and the theme is the same as in the novel: Švejk is pushed to the draft commission in a wheel-chair. Here it is however his servant Bohuslav and not Mrs. Müllerová who does the heavy task.[1]

Na rohu Krakovské ulice dav zmlátil tři buršáky a průvod za zpěvu "Nemelem, nemelem" dostal se až k Vodičkově ulici, kde dobrý voják Švejk vztyčuje se bolestí ve vozíku a rozmachuje kolem berlemi, zvolal: "Ještě jednou na Bělehrad, na Bělehrad!" A vtom již do toho vrazila policie pěší i jízdní.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.7] Na rohu Krakovské ulice dav zmlátil tři buršáky a průvod za zpěvu "Nemelem, nemelem" dostal se až k Vodičkově ulici, kde dobrý voják Švejk vztyčuje se bolestí ve vozíku a rozmachuje kolem berlemi, zvolal: "Ještě jednou na Bělehrad, na Bělehrad!" A vtom již do toho vrazila policie pěší i jízdní.
[I.7] Na Václavském náměstí vzrostl zástup kolem vozíku se Švejkem na několik set hlav a na rohu Krakovské ulice byl jím zbit nějaký buršák, který v cerevisce křičel k Švejkovi: „Heil! Nieder mit den Serben!“ Na rohu Vodičkovy ulice vjela do toho jízdní policie a rozehnala zástup.

Also written:Krakow street en Krakauerstrasse de

References
1Dobrý voják Švejk v zajetíJaroslav Hašek1917
Vodičkova ulicenn flag
MapSearch Švejkova cesta Švejkův slovník
vodickova.jpg

Vodičkova ulice is mentioned becaused the crowd that followed Švejk were dispersed by mounted police on the corner between Vodičková and Václavské náměstí.

The street appears again in [I.13] when Feldkurat Katz and Švejk drive through in a horse cab on the way Vojenská nemocnice na Karlově náměstí to administer the last rites.

Background

Vodičkova ulice is the busiest side street to Václavské náměstí on the north-western side. Many tram lines pass through this street which is also in a busy shopping area.

The good soldier Švejk in captivity

In Dobrý voják Švejk v zajetí the street is also mentioned and the theme is the same as in the novel: Švejk is pushed to the draft commission in a wheel-chair. Here it is however his servant Bohuslav and not Mrs. Müllerová who does the heavy task.[1]

Na rohu Krakovské ulice dav zmlátil tři buršáky a průvod za zpěvu "Nemelem, nemelem" dostal se až k Vodičkově ulici, kde dobrý voják Švejk vztyčuje se bolestí ve vozíku a rozmachuje kolem berlemi, zvolal: "Ještě jednou na Bělehrad, na Bělehrad!" A vtom již do toho vrazila policie pěší i jízdní.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.7] Na rohu Krakovské ulice dav zmlátil tři buršáky a průvod za zpěvu "Nemelem, nemelem" dostal se až k Vodičkově ulici, kde dobrý voják Švejk vztyčuje se bolestí ve vozíku a rozmachuje kolem berlemi, zvolal: "Ještě jednou na Bělehrad, na Bělehrad!" A vtom již do toho vrazila policie pěší i jízdní.
[I.7] Na Václavském náměstí vzrostl zástup kolem vozíku se Švejkem na několik set hlav a na rohu Krakovské ulice byl jím zbit nějaký buršák, který v cerevisce křičel k Švejkovi: „Heil! Nieder mit den Serben!“ Na rohu Vodičkovy ulice vjela do toho jízdní policie a rozehnala zástup.
[I.13] A Švejk do toho zvonil, drožkář sekal bičem dozadu, ve Vodičkové ulici nějaká domovnice, členkyně mariánské kongregace, ...

Also written:Wassergasse de

References
1Dobrý voják Švejk v zajetíJaroslav Hašek1917
Střelecký ostrovnn flag
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The mustering took place in the garden restaurant

Střelecký ostrov was the location where Švejk appeared before Odvodní komise (the military draft commission). He was pushed there in a wheelchair by Mrs. Müllerová, guarded by two mounted policemen. Here he was welcomed by Doctor Bautze who uttered the now famous words: "Das ganze tschechische Volk ist eine Simulantenbande" (The whole Czech nation is a pack of malingerers).

Background

Střelecký ostrov is an island in Vltava in Prague, located below Most Legií near the western bank of the river. In 1914 the island was already a popular recreation spot with a large restaurant located at the southern tip.

Landsturmmusterung

From 1 September 1914 this restaurant assumed a new role: the Landsturm (Home Guard) medical examinations took place here and continued at least through 1915. The first group to be called up were born in 1892, 1893 and 1894. The pass rate amongst them was above 50 per cent. Between 16 November and 31 December it was the turn of those born between 1878 and 1890.

In this age group the pass rate was much lower, around 30 per cent. Note that these call-ups only applied to men who had previously either been declared unfit for service, or had initially been deemed Tauglich, but were released from service later - in other words superarbitrated. Ordinary Landsturm soldiers above the age of 32 and who had always been fit were called up earlier in the war, and often fought as separate Landsturm regiments. See also Odvodní komise.

Hašek as domobranec
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Prager Tagblatt,17.11.1914

Army files refer to Jaroslav Hašek as Landsturminfanterist, later Landsturm Gefreiter mit Einjährig-Freiwilliger Abzeichen. It is therefore assumed that he was examined at Střelecký ostrov, and several sources confirm that he indeed was, amongst them Břetislav Ludvík. The examination that affected the age group of Jaroslav Hašek was announced in newspapers on 12 November 1914.

At Střelecký ostrov the following were to appear: those born between 1878 and 1990 who lived in Prague with Heimatrecht there AND those born between 1878 and 1883 resident in Prague but who had Heimatrecht elsewhere. Jaroslav Hašek, born in 1883 and with domicile rights in Mydlovary, indeed belonged to the latter category. The younger age-groups (1884-1990) with domicile rights outside Prague reported at Beseda. Those born in 1883 with domicile right outside Prague were examined from 13 to 15 of December and the author was surely amongst them. Those in his group who were deemed fit for service had to report on 15 February 1915.

Landšturmák Švejk
strelos3.png

Čech,12.11.1914

Švejk no doubt had Heimatrecht in the Czech south, otherwise he would not have served with Infanterieregiment Nr. 91. This gives an indication of Švejk's age. If he was more than 36 he wouldn't have been called up in this round, and had he been younger than 30 he would have reported at Beseda. The fact that Švejk was superarbitrated and had to report at Střelecký ostrov means that he necessarily must have been a landšturmák aged between 30 and 36 in 1914. That unless the belonged to the younger group (aged 20-22) that reported in October 1914. This is however unlikely, because it is explicitly stated that Švejk was called up when the Austrians were fleeing across the Raba (which they did in late November).

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.7] Když Švejk revírnímu inspektorovi ukázal, že to má černé na bílém, že dne musí před odvodní komisi, byl revírní inspektor trochu zklamán; kvůli zamezení výtržnosti dal doprovázet vozík se Švejkem dvěma jízdními strážníky na Střelecký ostrov.

Also written:Schützeninsel de

Literature
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Mannlicher M95 bayonet

Bayonne is indirectly mentioned through the "bayonet", a weapon that is believed to have got its name from this French town. The weapon obviously appears throughout the novel, but is first mentioned as the two soldiers with mounted bayonets escort Švejk from Střelecký ostrov to Posádková věznice at Hradčany.

Background

Bayonne is a town in France that is believed to have provided the name for the bayonet, a bladed weapon typically mounted on rifles and used in close-quarter combat.

The bayonet was invented in the 17th century and was widely used in World War I as is evident from the text of the novel. The stock rifle of k.u.k. Heer, Mannlicher M95, could be supplied with several varieties. The weapon is in use also in moderne armies (2017).

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.7] Dva vojáci s bajonety odváděli Švejka do posádkové věznice. Švejk šel o berlích a s hrůzou pozoroval, že jeho revmatismus začíná mizet.
Literature
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Zlatá Praha,21.6.1901

Most císaře Františka I. was the bridge above Střelecký ostrov where Mrs. Müllerová waited in vain for Švejk after his examination. It's name is not mentioned directly in the text, but the description leaves no doubt to what bridge is in question.

Background

Most císaře Františka I. is the former name of Most Legií, a bridge across Vltava in Prague, named after the last German-Roman emperor Franz I.. It was opened by Kaiser Franz Joseph I. on 14 June 1901. It is a stone bridge, later renamed several times. It replaced a former chain bridge from 1841. See also Starej Procházka.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.7] Paní Müllerová, která čekala nahoře na mostě s vozíkem na Švejka, když ho viděla pod bajonety, zaplakala a odešla od vozíku, aby se vícekrát k němu nevrátila.
Literature
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Malostranské náměstí and the Radetzky monument.

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Malá Strana around 1910 with the important k.k. government institutions.

© AHMP

Malá Strana is mentioned as Švejk was led through this area on his way to the prison on Hradčany. Švejk definitely passed Malostranské náměstí on the way to jail, because he saluted the Marschall Radetzky monument that stood here until 1918.

The plot briefly takes place in Malá Strana again in [I.10] when Švejk is escorted to Feldkurat Katz and in [I.14] when he and Blahník plan the dog theft. Otherwise the places in the district appear in various anecdotes. See U Montágů, U krále brabantského, U svatého Tomáše.

Background

Malá Strana is one of the oldest districts of Prague. The name means "The Little Side" and was originally a short version of "Menší město pražské", "The lesser town of Prague". The district is situated on the western bank of the Vltava below Prague Castle. It borders Hradčany and Smíchov. Today it is no longer an administrative unit but still has status as a cadastral district. Until 1922 the district was equivalent to Praha (III).

Government institutions

In the times of the Dual Monarchy Malá Strana housed three of the empires most powerful representatives in Bohemia: k.k. Statthalterei, k.k. Landesgericht, and 8. Armeekorps (see Korpskommando). The first represented Vienna's executive power, during the war a dictatorship for all practical purposes. The second represented the judiciary, and the third the military authorities. The 8th Army Corps' domain was Prague and the areas to the south and west to the borders of Austria and Bavaria. The rest of Bohemia belonged to 9. Armeekorps in Litoměřice (Leitmeritz). The 8th army corps also commanded 9. Infanteriedivision to which Infanterieregiment Nr. 91 reported. The entire corps was mobilised on 26 July 1914 and most units were sent to Serbia where they suffered disastrous losses throughout the autumn.

Demography

According to the 1910 census Malá Strana had 20,374 inhabitants of which 17,910 (87 per cent) reported that they used Czech in their daily speech.

Source:Seznam míst v království Českém(1913)

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.7] Bajonety svítily v záři slunce a na Malé Straně obrátil se Švejk před pomníkem Radeckého k zástupu, který je vyprovázel: „Na Bělehrad! Na Bělehrad!“

Also written:Kleinseite de

Index Back Forward I. In the rear Hovudpersonen

8. Švejk as a malingerer

Piešťanynn flag
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Hašek's post-card from Piešťany, 1902

Piešťany is mentioned by doctor Doctor Grünstein when he informs Švejk that healing his rheumatism here at the military hospital here (in Prague) would be much quicker than at Piešťany.

Background

Piešťany is a spa in western Slovakia known for its treatment of rheumatism. Until 1920 it was part of Hungary, like the rest of Slovakia.

Jaroslav Hašek visited the place himself; on 28 September 1902 he sent a post-card from here to his cousin Marie. He visited together with Viktor Janota, Ján Čulen and Štefan Čulen.

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Piešťany were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 72 (Pozsony) or Honvédinfanterieregiment Nr. 13 (Pozsony).

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.8] „A celé noci nemůže spát, není-liž pravda? Rheuma je velice nebezpečná, bolestná a těžká nemoc. My už tady máme s rheumatiky dobré zkušenosti. Naprostá dieta a jiný náš způsob léčení se velice dobře osvědčil. Budete zde dřív zdravější než v Píšťanech a mašírovat budete na posice, jen se za vámi zapráší.“

Sources: Radko Pytlík, Václav Menger, Jaroslav Šerák, LA PNP

Also written:Pišťany Hašek Pistyan de Pöstyén hu

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Hradčany in the background, seen from Staré město

Hradčany is mentioned 8 times in The Good Soldier Švejk.

Hradčany is where the plot in this and the next chapter takes place. Švejk is first placed in the sick-bay of Posádková věznice to get a cure for his rheumatism, thereafter locked up in the very prison, suspected of malingering. Švejk also appears in other places at Hardčany: k.u.k. Militärgericht Prag, Vězeňské kaple and probably Vojenská nemocnice Hradčany.

Background

Hradčany is a cadastral district in Prague which includes the castle area. This is where the offices of the president, St. Vitus Cathedral and many other landmarks are located. Hradčany is situated on a hill west of the Vltava and borders Dejvice, Strahov and Malá Strana. In 1914 the district was equivalent to Praha IV.

The good soldier Švejk in captivity

In Dobrý voják Švejk v zajetí the miltary court is also part of the plot and to a higher degree than in the novel. Also here an auditor handles Švejk's case but he is not named. The narrator also explains how the Austro-Hungarian military judiciary works in general.[1]

V duchu opustil hradčanský vojenský soud a mysl jeho zaletěla na Vinohrady do malého krámku, svezla se po obraze Františka Josefa a vyhledala pod starou postelí dvě morčata. Švejk k smrti rád pěstoval morčata. A jich osud byl také jedinou chmurou zde.

Demography

According to the 1910 census Hradčany had 5,412 inhabitants of which 4,911 (90 per cent) reported that they used Czech in their daily speech.

Source:Seznam míst v království Českém(1913)

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.8] V duchu opustil hradčanský vojenský soud a mysl jeho zaletěla na Vinohrady do malého krámku, svezla se po obraze Františka Josefa a vyhledala pod starou postelí dvě morčata. Švejk k smrti rád pěstoval morčata. A jich osud byl také jedinou chmurou zde.
[I.8] Konečně poptávkou na policejním ředitelství zjištěno bylo, že to byl Švejk, a dále bylo už lehké pátrat. Baronka von Botzenheim vzala s sebou společnici a komorníka s košem a jeli na Hradčany.

Also written:Hradschin de

References
1Dobrý voják Švejk v zajetíJaroslav Hašek1917
Siamnn flag
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Siam is mentioned indirectly through the term Siam elephant, used as a word of abuse against Švejk. See Vojenská nemocnice Hradčany.

Background

Siam is the former name of Thailand or roughly the area that corresponds to the modern state. Siam was never colonised but lost some territory to European imperial powers in the 19th century. The capital was always Bangkok.

The term Siam elephant mostly refers to white (albino) animals that were regarded as holy. It was even on the flag of Siam until 1916. Thus Siam elephant is not an animal breed.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.8] „Poslušně hlásím, že já vůbec nemyslím.“ „Himmeldonnerwetter,“ hulákal jeden z členů komise, břinkaje šavlí, „tak von vůbec nemyslí. Pročpak, vy jeden siamskej slone, nemyslíte?“
Literature
Index Back Forward I. In the rear Hovudpersonen

9. Švejk in the garrison prison

Motolnn flag
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Prager Tagblatt,19.7.1914

Motol is mentioned by the narrator as he informs that the Motol military training ground is used for executions of people who are sentenced by k.u.k. Militärgericht Prag.

We must also assumed that the plot took place here in [I.11] and [I.12]: the field masses described very probably took place here, that Feldkurat Katz and Švejk went to nearby Břevnovský klášter to pick up the monstrance and siborium underpins this theory.

In [II.3] the place is mentioned again, now simply referred to as Motol. In this case the theme is the execution of reservist Kudrna. This incident is mentioned in the novel during the train journey from Budějovice to Királyhida.

Background

Motol is a district in western Prague that became part of the capital in 1922. In 1910 it was a small village of 21 houses and 273 inhabitants. In the context of The Good Soldier Švejk is however meant Motolské cvičiště (Motol exercise ground). During World War I it was the scene of several executions, where the best known victim was reservist Kudrna from IR102 who was executed on 7 May 1915.

Fruit trees

During the first field mass the author also mentions a plum-tree alley. Adverts in Prager Tagblatt reveal that Korpskommando tried to lease out fruit-trees at the exercise ground[a]. It is not stated directly, but they may well be dealing with plums.

Demography

According to the 1910 census Motol had 273 inhabitants of which 273 (100 per cent) reported that they used Czech in their daily speech. The judicial district was okres Smíchov, administratively it reported to hejtmanství Smíchov.

Source:Seznam míst v království Českém(1913)

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Motol were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 28 (Prag) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 8 (Prag).

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.9] Z hradčanského garnisonu vedla také cesta přes Břevnov na motolské cvičiště. Napřed šel v průvodu bodáků člověk s řetízky na rukách a za ním vůz s rakví. A na motolském cvičišti úsečný povel: „An! Feuer!“ A po všech regimentech a batalionech četli plukovní rozkaz, že zas jednoho zastřelili pro vzpouru, když narukoval a pan hejtman sekl šavlí jeho ženu, která se nemohla od muže rozloučit.
[I.11] Vypadalo to jako indiánský tanec kolem obětního kamene, ale dělalo to dobrý dojem, zaplašujíc nudu zaprášeného, smutného cvičiště s alejí stromů švestkových vzadu a latrinami, jejichž vůně zastupovala mystickou vůni kadidla gotických chrámů.
[II.3] Teď prej toho hodně věšejí a střílejí,“ řekl jeden z mužů eskorty, „nedávno nám četli na execírplace befél, že v Motole vodstřelili záložníka Kudrnu, poněvadž hejtman sekl šavlí jeho chlapečka, kerej byl na ruce u jeho ženy, když se s ním v Benešově chtěla loučit, a von se rozčílil.
References
aKundmachungPrager Tagblatt27.6.1915
Břevnovnn flag
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Břevnov is mentioned by the narrator as he informs the road from the Hradčany garrison to the Motol military training ground goes across Břevnov. It reappears in [I.11] when Feldkurat Katz and Švejk pass by the monastery to fetch the required gear for the field mass.

Background

Břevnov is a district in western Prague, between Střešovice and Motol. Administratively it is part of Prague 6. It is best known for its monastery. See Břevnovský klášter.

In 1907 Břevnov obtained city status and that year even His Imperial Highness Kaiser Franz Joseph I. visited!

Demography

According to the 1910 census Břevnov had 11,116 inhabitants of which 10,956 (98 per cent) reported that they used Czech in their daily speech. The judicial district was okres Smíchov, administratively it reported to hejtmanství Smíchov.

Source:Seznam míst v království Českém(1913)

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Břevnov were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 28 (Prag) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 8 (Prag).

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.9] Z hradčanského garnisonu vedla také cesta přes Břevnov na motolské cvičiště. Napřed šel v průvodu bodáků člověk s řetízky na rukách a za ním vůz s rakví.
Literature
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North America is mentioned because Feldkurat Katz' father had emigrated there to avoid the consequences of his son's spectacular bankrupcy.

Background

North America denotes a geographical area, the American continent north of the Panama Canal. There are many definitions but the simplest one describes the area north of the Panama Canal and includes the Carribean Islands. The largest states are the United States, Canada and Mexico. The former two both took part in World War I, Cananda already from 1914 as part of the British Empire.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.9] Studoval obchodní akademii a sloužil jako jednoroční dobrovolník. A vyznal se tak dobře v směnečném právu a ve směnkách, že přivedl za ten rok obchodní firmu Katz a spol. k bankrotu tak slavnému a podařenému, že starý pan Katz odjel do Severní Ameriky, zkombinovav nějaké vyrovnání se svými věřiteli bez vědomí posledních i svého společníka, který odjel do Argentiny.

Also written:Severní Amerika cz Nordamerika de Norteamérica es

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Argentina is mentioned by the author when he relates the story of Feldkurat Katz's firm. His companion decided to emigrate to Argentina after their company's spectacular bankrupcy.

Background

Argentina was until 1916 governed by a conservative elite, and was at the time a relatively wealthy republic. General male suffrage was introduced in 1912. The country was neutral in the world war and benefited greatly economically. A dispute with Germany occured because some Argentian ships were sunk, but it never came to any formal declaration of war.

The country's capital is Buenos Aires and the official language is Spanish. The population is almost entirely of European descent, predominantly through immigration from Spain and Italy.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.9] Studoval obchodní akademii a sloužil jako jednoroční dobrovolník. A vyznal se tak dobře v směnečném právu a ve směnkách, že přivedl za ten rok obchodní firmu Katz a spol. k bankrotu tak slavnému a podařenému, že starý pan Katz odjel do Severní Ameriky, zkombinovav nějaké vyrovnání se svými věřiteli bez vědomí posledních i svého společníka, který odjel do Argentiny.

Also written:Argentinien de

South Americann flag
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soramerika.jpg

South America as he relates the story of how the compnay Feldkurat Katz & Co now had moved to America, north as well of south.

Background

South America is the southernmost of the two continents that make up America. In 1914 it consisted of the same countries as today, it was only in Gyuana thta colonies remained. The other countries except Brasil (and the three mentioned colonies) had Spanish as official language.

During World War I all the states except Brasil preserved their neutrality. They entered the war on the side of the Entente in 1917 and sent auxiliary personell to the western front and the navy took over patroling duties in the south Atlantic. Fighting around the continent only took place at sea and were limited to 1914 when British and German naval forces clashed. The German Pacific Fleet (on their way home) was destroyed by the Falkland Islands on 8 Desember 1914.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.9] Když tedy mladý Otto Katz podělil firmou Katz a spol. nezištně Ameriku Severní i Jižní, octl se v situaci člověka, který nemá vůbec co dědit, neví, kam hlavu složit, a musí se dát na vojně aktivovat.

Also written:Jižní Amerika cz Südamerika de Sudamérica es América do Sul pt

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Ethnic Slovak areas in 1910

Slovakia is mentioned in the narrative as a gypsy was accused by lawyer Auditor Bernis for having spoken in the pub about a future Czech-Slovak state under a common Slavic king. The gypsy was actually arrested for theft, but Bernis always mixed up the documents of the criminal proceedings.

Later some of the action in C (III, 4) takes place in eastern Slovakia, mainly in Humenné and Medzilaborce. Otherwise many places in the country are mentioned through anecdotes and stories from the winter battle in the Carpathians in 1914-15.

Background

Slovakia was in 1914 part of Austria-Hungary and was governed from Budapest. It was also referred to as Upper Hungary. From Ausgleich in 1867 onwards Slovakia was subjected to increased magyarization, with oppression and discrimination, economically as well as culturally. Schools were closed and the Slovak language suppressed. During this period international names like Bjørnson, Seton-Watson and Tolstoy came to the aid of the Slovak cause. The biggest city was Pozsony (ge. Pressburg), after the war renamed Bratislava.

From November 1914 to the spring of 1915 Russian forces occupied a smaller part of Slovak territory, but were finally pushed out in early May 1915. In 1918, Slovakia together with Bohemia, Moravia, Ruthenia and a small part of Silesia formed the new state of Czechoslovakia.

Hašek and Slovakia

Jaroslav Hašek knew Slovakia very well due to four extensive trips he did in the summers from 1900 to 1903. He wrote several stories that were inspired by these trips. In 1915 he again entered Slovakia, but now as a soldier. His march battalion actually stopped in Humenné on 2 July 1915. They travelled through the Laborec valley with train and this short through-trip is reproduced precisely in the novel (in a geographical sense at least).

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.9] Jeho prozíravost a znalost lidí byla tak veliká, že jednoho cikána, který se dostal od svého pluku na garnison pro krádež několika tuctů prádla (byl k ruce skladníkovi ve skladišti!), obvinil z politických zločinů, že prý někde v hospodě mluvil s vojáky o zřízení samostatného národního státu ze zemí koruny české a Slovenska se slovanským králem v čele.

Also written:Slovensko cz Slowakei de Szlovákia hu Slovensko sk

Literature
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1896 • Pohled na domy čp. (zleva) 135 a 30 (Malý mlýn) v Mlýnské ulici v Libni.

Libeň is mentioned Švejk when he is interrogated by Auditor Bernis. In an anecdote he emphasizes that he, just as the kid who was found in Libeň is an orphan and doesn't know why he is found and arrested. Libeň is mentioned in a few more anecdotes but the plot is never set there. See also U Exnerů, liquor trader Paroubek, Boušek and Na Zavadilce.

Background

Libeň is an urban district and cadastral area in the north-eastern parts of Prague. It was granted town rights in 1898 but was included in Prague only three years later and administratively it became Praha VIII.

Demography

According to the 1910 census Libeň had 27,192 inhabitants of which 26,607 (97 per cent) reported that they used Czech in their daily speech.

Source:Seznam míst v království Českém(1913)

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Libeň were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 28 (Prag) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 8 (Prag).

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.9] „Poslušně hlásím, že to mohu vysvětlit náramně jednoduchým způsobem. U nás v ulici je uhlíř a ten měl úplně nevinnýho dvouletýho chlapečka a ten se jednou dostal pěšky z Vinohrad až do Libně, kde ho strážník našel sedět na chodníku.
[I.13] „Poslušně hlásím, pane feldkurát,“ poznamenal Švejk, „že je to hotovej nezmar, jako nějakej Boušek z Libně. Vosumnáctkrát za večer ho vyhodili od ,Exnerů’, a vždycky se jim tam vrátil, že tam zapomněl fajfku.
[II.3] Já jsem znal nějakýho kořalečníka Paroubka v Libni.
[II.3] Potom ještě řekl Paroubkovi, že je huncút a šaščínská bestie, tak ho milej Paroubek chyt, votlouk mu jeho pastě na myši a dráty vo hlavu a vyhodil ho ven a mlátil ho po ulici tyčí na stahování rolety až dolů na Invalidovnu a hnal ho, jak byl zdivočelej, přes Invalidovnu v Karlíně až nahoru na Žižkov, vodtud přes Židovský pece do Malešic, kde vo něj konečně tyč přerazil, takže se moh vrátit nazpátek do Libně.

Also written:Lieben de

Index Back Forward I. In the rear Hovudpersonen

10. Švejk as a military servant to the field chaplain

Karlův mostnn flag
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karluvmost.jpg

Karlův most seen eastwards towards Staré Město, around 1914.

Karlův most is part of the plot in a single brief sentence when Švejk is escorted to Feldkurat Katz: "they went across the Charles Bridge in absolute silence". The bridge has previously been mentioned in [I.4] where Švejk during his stay in the madhouse mentions some baths near the bridge.

Background

Karlův most is the oldest and most famous bridge in Prague and the second oldest bridge in Czechia after the one in Písek. It connects the Malá Strana and Staré město. As a landmark and tourist attraction it belongs to the most famous in the country.

Construction was started in 1357 under Charles IV's reign and the bridge is named after him. Around 1700 it was given the shape known today and the barock statues were erected in this period. The bridge has repeatedly been threatened by high water levels but escaped the great flood of 2002 without damage, but in 1890 it was partly destroyed.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.10.1] Šli přes Karlův most za naprostého mlčení. V Karlově ulici promluvil opět malý tlustý na Švejka: „Nevíš, proč tě vedem k polnímu kurátovi?“

Also written:Charles Bridge en Karlsbrücke de Karlsbrua no

Literature
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MapSearch Švejkova cesta
karlova.jpg

Průhled Karlovou ulicí od křižovatky s Liliovou k východu. Vpravo dům čp. 180 ("U Modré štiky"). Uprostřed v pozadí dům čp. 175 na Starém Městě.

Karlova ulice is the scene of the plot as Švejk is led through Karlova ulice on the way to Feldkurat Katz in Karlín. The guards ask Švejk why they were taking him to the chaplain. "Because I'm going to be hanged tomorrow", was the answer. Thus he got their sympathy and they ended up in merry company in Na Kuklíku.

Background

Karlova ulice is a street in Staré město (Old Town) in Prague. It leads from Karlův most to Staroměstské náměstí.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.10.1] Šli přes Karlův most za naprostého mlčení. V Karlově ulici promluvil opět malý tlustý na Švejka: „Nevíš, proč tě vedem k polnímu kurátovi?“ „Ke zpovědi,“ řekl ledabyle Švejk, „zítra mě budou věšet. To se vždycky tak dělá a říká se tomu duchovní outěcha."

Also written:Karlstrasse de

Literature
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Seidels kleines Armeeschema, August 1914.

Josefov is mentioned by Švejk's fat and optimistic escort, on the way to Feldkurat Katz. He came from the area around this town.

In [I.10] the name appears again in during Švejk's final visit to U kalicha. Here met meets a locksmith from Smíchov who thinks the soldier is a deserter, tells him that his son has run away from the army, and now stays with his grandmother at Jasenná by Josefov.

Background

Josefov is a fortress and former garrison town in eastern Bohemia, near the border with Poland. It is now part of Jaroměř.

Demography

According to the 1910 census Josefov had 5,438 inhabitants of which 4,033 (74 per cent) reported that they used Czech in their daily speech. The judicial district was okres Jaroměř, administratively it reported to hejtmanství Dvůr Králové nad Labem.

Source:Seznam míst v království Českém(1913)

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Josefov were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 18 (Königgrätz) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 11 (Jičin). A total of 2612 people were employed by the garrison and this explains the high the number of Germans speakers in this very Czech part of Bohemia.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.10.1] „Asis se narodil na nešťastné planetě,“ znalecky a se soucitem poznamenal malinký, „u nás v Jasenné u Josefova ještě za pruský války pověsili také tak jednoho. Přišli pro něho, nic mu neřekli a v Josefově ho pověsili.“

Also written:Josefstadt de

Literature
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Ottův slovník naučný, 1898

Jasenná (also Jasená) was the home village of the fat and optimistic guard who escorted Švejk to Feldkurat Katz.

In [I.10] the name appears again in during Švejk's final visit to U kalicha. Here met meets a locksmith from Smíchov who thinks the soldier is a deserter, tells him that his son has run away from the army, and now stays with his grandmother at Jasenná by Josefov.

Background

Jasenná is a village located 8 km south east of Jaroměř in the district of Královéhradecko.

Hašek in Jasenná

In August 1914 Jaroslav Hašek visited his friend Václav Hrnčíř here, no doubt an inspiration for this reference in the novel. The stay lasted for about a month[a]. The theme also appears in the story Nebezpečný pracovník that was printed in Humoristické listy on 28 August 1914[b].

Demography

According to the 1910 census Jasenná had 1,354 inhabitants of which 1,353 (99 per cent) reported that they used Czech in their daily speech. The judicial district was okres Jaroměř, administratively it reported to hejtmanství Dvůr Králové nad Labem.

Source:Seznam míst v království Českém(1913)

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Jasenná were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 18 (Königgrätz) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 11 (Jičin).

Radko Pytlík, Toulavé house, kap. Sarajevo

V Praze začíná to být pro rebela a bývalého anarchistu nebezpečné. Kamarádi radí, aby zmizel z Prahy. Hašek odjíždí hned po vyhlášení války v létě 1914 k příteli Václavu Hrnčířovi do Jasené u Jaroměře. Příhody, které zažil na žních u Samků (jejichž Aninka byla Hrnčířovou nevěstou), popsal v povídce Nebezpečný pracovník. Zdržel se zde asi měsíc.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.10.1] „Asis se narodil na nešťastné planetě,“ znalecky a se soucitem poznamenal malinký, „u nás v Jasenné u Josefova ještě za pruský války pověsili také tak jednoho. Přišli pro něho, nic mu neřekli a v Josefově ho pověsili.“

Sources: Radko Pytlík

Also written:Jasena de

Literature
References
aToulavé houseRadko Pytlík1971
bNebezpečný pracovníkHumoristické listy28.8.1914
Prussiann flag
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Prussia is first mentioned in the novel in connection with the "Prussian War", a colloquial term for the so-called German war of 1866. This war is the theme of the conversation between Švejk and his escort on the way from Hradčany to Feldkurat Katz.

In [I.11] the country is referred to directly, now in connection with the author's description of religious rituals at executions.

Background

Prussia was until 1947 a geographical and political unit, and had been a separate kingdom from 1701 til 1871. Prussia was the leading state in Germany until 1945. The area is today split between Germany, Poland and Russia. The capital was Berlin.

The Prussian War, more commonly known as the German war, was a month-long armed conflict between Prussia and Italy on one side and Austria and their mainly south German allies on the other. The war took place in 1866 and ended quickly with a Prussian victory. The deciding battle was fought by Hradec Králové (Königgrätz) on 3 July 1866. The Austrian defeat had far-reaching political repercussions. Hungary exploited the defeat to demand parity within the monarchy, thus the war led directly to the creation of Austria-Hungary.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.10.1] „Asis se narodil na nešťastné planetě,“ znalecky a se soucitem poznamenal malinký, „u nás v Jasenné u Josefova ještě za pruský války pověsili také tak jednoho. Přišli pro něho, nic mu neřekli a v Josefově ho pověsili.“
[I.11] V Prusku vodil pastor ubožáka pod sekyru...

Also written:Prusko cz Preußen de

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Hradec Králové, 2010.

hradecko.png

Národní politika,5.12.1915

Královéhradecko is the home region of the two soldiers who escorted Švejk from Hradčany to Feldkurat Katz.

Background

Královéhradecko is now an administrative region in Bohemia that borders Poland. It is named after the main city of Hradec Králové, one of the 10 most populous cities in Czechia.

Newspaper clips from World War I indicate that the term okres Hradec Králové is meant, an area that doesn't include Jasenná og Josefov where the author indicates that Švejk's escort is from. The administrative unit was hejtmanství Hradec Králové that counted 74,125 inhabitants (1913) and also the smaller okres with 55,521 inhabitants, of which the city itself counted 11,065.

It is however unlikely that the author got this is wrong, solid as his knowledge of geography was. Královéhradecko was the name of a former kraj, a long established administrative unit that was abolished in 1862 but obviously lingered as a term for many years. The kraj (Kreis) was a much larger unit than hejtmanství and it did include Jasenná. In 1862 there were a total of 13 kraj in Bohemia.

Ottův slovník naučný also refers to Hradec Králové as a "kraj capital" so the word was still in use even in formal literature. As a judicial division the term was still in use, as in krajský soud (Kreisgericht). In 1920 the kraj resurfaced as an administrative unit so Královéhradecko existed also formally when the novel was written.

The city is in history best known for the battle between Austria og Prussia i 1866, abroad known as the battle of Königgrätz. The Austrian defeat was exploited by Hungary to demand parity within the Habsburg monarchy. This so-called Ausgleich led directly to the creation of Austria-Hungary in 1867.

The good soldier Švejk in captivity

Similarly the region is mentioned in Dobrý voják Švejk v zajetí but also here only in passing.[1]

Někdy se dával do hovoru se stařečkem odněkud z Královéhradecka, který byl odsouzen na čtyry roky, poněvadž při soupisu obilí přinesl otýpku sena a hodil ji komisaři pod nohy se slovy: "A to vemte také s sebou, ať má císař pán co jíst!"

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.10.1] Někdy se dával do hovoru se stařečkem odněkud z Královéhradecka, který byl odsouzen na čtyry roky, poněvadž při soupisu obilí přinesl otýpku sena a hodil ji komisaři pod nohy se slovy: "A to vemte také s sebou, ať má císař pán co jíst!"
[I.10.1] Zakouřili si všichni a průvodčí počali sdělovat jemu o svých rodinách na Královéhradecku, o ženách, dětech, o kousku políčka, o jedné krávě.

Also written:Region Königgrätz de

Literature
References
1Dobrý voják Švejk v zajetíJaroslav Hašek1917
Pankrácnn flag
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Vilímek's Führer durch Prag und die Ausstellung, 1891

Pankrác is introduced already by pubkeeper Palivec in the first chapter, but here he obviously refers to Věznice Pankrác. This is also the case in [I.3] where the unfortunate lathe operator who broke into Podolský kostelík where imprisoned and later died.

The place itself is introduced through the popular song "Na Pankráci" when the author and his entourage enters Na Kuklíku.

The fourth time Pankrác is mentioned is when the author informs that one of Švejk's predecessors as servant of Oberleutnant Lukáš had sold his master's s dog to the knacker at Pankrác (see Pohodnice Pankrác) and even pocketed the proceeds.

Background

Pankrác is a district in Prague, named after Saint Pancras, located in the upper parts of Nusle. The district is best known for its prison, was also an important industrial area, but is now (2015) a business and administrative district where many multinational firms have their Czech headquarters. See also Věznice Pankrác.

Demography

According to the 1910 census Pankrác had 8,119 inhabitants of which 7,921 (97 per cent) reported that they used Czech in their daily speech. The judicial district was okres Nusle, administratively it reported to hejtmanství Královské Vinohrady.Pankrác was part of Nusle town until 1922 when they became part of Prague. It belonged to Nusle Catholic parish but had its own post office.

Source:Seznam míst v království Českém(1913)

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Pankrác were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 28 (Prag) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 8 (Prag).

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.10.1]
Na Pankráci, tam na tom vršíčku, 
stojí pěkné stromořadí...
[I.14.3] Kanárka mořili hladem, jeden sluha angorské kočce vyrazil jedno oko, stájový pinč byl od nich práskán na potkání a nakonec jeden z předchůdců Švejka odvedl chudáka na Pankrác k pohodnému, kde ho dal utratit, nelituje dát ze své kapsy deset korun.
Literature
Florencnn flag
Wikipedia czde MapSearch Švejkova cesta Švejkův slovník
florenc.jpg
florenc.png

Prager Abendblatt,23.3.1915

Florenc is where Švejk and his two by now sozzled escort dropped by a café, actually behind Florenc. This was their last stop on the way to Feldkurat Katz. The fat guard sold his silver watch here so he could amuse himself further.

Background

Florenc is a district of Prague, east of the centre towards Karlín. Today it is a traffic machine and Prague's enormous coach station is also located here. The entire district was inundated during the great flood in august 2002.

The name Florenc appeared in the 15th century, believed to be named after Italian workers who settled here. As Florenc was not an administrative unit the borders are only loosely defined but the quarter is in Praha II. and the street Na Florenci defines it approximately. The best known building was (and still is) Museum města Prahy (Prague City Museum).

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.10.1] Stavili se za Florencí v malé kavárničce, kde tlustý prodal své stříbrné hodinky, aby se mohli ještě dále veselit.
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Karlín 1909

Karlín is mentioned 13 times in The Good Soldier Švejk.

Karlín was the town where Feldkurat Katz lived, more precisely in Královská třída (now Sokolovská třída). We must assume that his office was near Ferdinandova kasárna. Part of the action in [I.10-13] takes place in Karlín, mostly in the flat of Katz. The town itself and places within it are mentioned numerous times later in the novel (through anecdotes).

Background

Karlín is a district in Prague that borders Vltava, Praha II., Žižkov and Libeň. It was until 1922 a separate town.

Ferdinandova kasárna (also Karlínska kasárna) was located here and served as heaquarters of Infanterieregiment Nr. 91 until August 1914. See Regimentskanzlei Budweis. Karlín was an industrial town where large plants like Daňkovka were located. Another important institution in town was Invalidovna. During the world war it served as a military hospital, and it was until 2013 the site of VÚA (The Central Military Archive).

Karlín hejtmanství had a population of 69,184 where the largest communities apart from the town itself were Troja, Kobylisy and Vysočany.

Demography

According to the 1910 census Karlín had 24,230 inhabitants of which 20,694 (85 per cent) reported that they used Czech in their daily speech. The judicial district was okres Karlín, administratively it reported to hejtmanství Karlín.

Source:Seznam míst v království Českém(1913)

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Karlín were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 28 (Prag) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 8 (Prag). The town was in 1910 home to 1,773 military personnel, amongst these distribution between Czech and German speakers was fairly equal.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.10.1] Na úsměvy diváků odpovídal Švejk měkkým úsměvem, teplem a něhou svých dobráckých očí. A tak šli do Karlína, do bytu polního kuráta. První promluvil na Švejka malý tlustý. Byli právě na Malé Straně dole pod podloubím. „Odkud jseš?“ otázal se malý tlustý. „Z Prahy.“
[II.3] Potom ještě řekl Paroubkovi, že je huncút a šaščínská bestie, tak ho milej Paroubek chyt, votlouk mu jeho pastě na myši a dráty vo hlavu a vyhodil ho ven a mlátil ho po ulici tyčí na stahování rolety až dolů na Invalidovnu a hnal ho, jak byl zdivočelej, přes Invalidovnu v Karlíně až nahoru na Žižkov, vodtud přes Židovský pece do Malešic, kde vo něj konečně tyč přerazil, takže se moh vrátit nazpátek do Libně.

Also written:Karolinenthal de

Literature
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Wikipedia cz MapSearch Švejkova cesta
kralovska.jpg

Průhled Královskou ulicí (dnes Sokolovská) od křižovatky s Vítkovou ulicí k východu ke Karlínskému náměstí. Zleva domy čp. 439, čp. 5 (U Červené hvězdy) v Karlíně.

Královská třída was the street in Karlín where Feldkurat Katz lived. The exact address is not known, but the field chaplain's flat was probably near Ferdinandova kasárna (where he may have served).

Background

Královská třída (now Sokolovská) is a long avenue in Prague that connects Praha II., Karlín, Libeň and Vysočany.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.10.1] Švejk je neustále musel upozorňovat, když šel naproti důstojník nebo nějaká šarže. Po nadlidském úsilí a namáhání podařilo se Švejkovi přivléct je k domu v Královské třídě, kde bydlel polní kurát.

Also written:Königstraße de

Literature
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Vatican is mentioned by Feldkurat Katz in when he talks drunk drivel in the cab home from Oberleutnant Helmich. He claims that the Vatican shows an interest in him.

Background

Vatican is the centre of the Roman-Catholic Church, and the name of the associated micro-state located in the middle of Rome. Here it is probably meant The Holy See as an institution rather than the Vatican State. Pope from 1904 until 20 August 1914 was Pius X, who was succeeded by Benedict XV. See also The Pope.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.10.2] Já byl u arcibiskupa,“ hulákal, drže se vrat v průjezdu. „Vatikán se o mne zajímá, rozumíte?“

Also written:Vatikán cz

Literature
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Domažlice is mentioned in a song Feldkurat Katz attempts to sing when in an inebriated state in the back from Oberleutnant Helmich. The town is mentioned in several anecdotes later in the novel, for instance by Einjährigfreiwilliger Marek in the story about the editor that invented new animals. One of Hašek's closest friend, Hájek, appears in some of these stories.

Background

Domažlice is a town with around 11,000 inhabitants in Plzeňský kraj in western Bohemia, less than 20 km from the Bavarian border. Jaroslav Hašek visited the town in 1904 on the way back from his wanderings in Bavaria. He stayed with his friend Hájek and his family.

Demography

According to the 1910 census Domažlice had 8,170 inhabitants of which 8,096 (99 per cent) reported that they used Czech in their daily speech. The judicial district was okres Domažlice, administratively it reported to hejtmanství Domažlice.

Source:Seznam míst v království Českém(1913)

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Domažlice were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 35 (Pilsen) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 7 (Pilsen). The census of 1910 reveals a small military presence. To judge by Schematismus they seem to have been involved in horse-breeding.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.10.2] Jednu chvíli se zdálo, že drkotáním drožky o dlažbu přichází k rozumu. To se posadil rovně a začal zpívat nějaký úryvek z neznámé písně. Může být též, že to byla jeho fantasie:
Vzpomínám na zlaté časy, když mne houpal na klíně, bydleli jsme toho času u Domažlic v Merklíně.

Also written:Taus de

Literature
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Merklín is mentioned in a song that Feldkurat Katz sings when inebriated in the horse-drawn cab.

Background

Merklín is a village between Domažlice and Plzeň. At the latest population count (2006) the village had 1,035 inhabitants.

Demography

According to the 1910 census Merklín had 1,789 inhabitants of which 1,659 (92 per cent) reported that they used Czech in their daily speech. The judicial district was okres Přestice, administratively it reported to hejtmanství Přestice.

Source:Seznam míst v království Českém(1913)

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Merklín were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 35 (Pilsen) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 7 (Pilsen).

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.10.2] Jednu chvíli se zdálo, že drkotáním drožky o dlažbu přichází k rozumu. To se posadil rovně a začal zpívat nějaký úryvek z neznámé písně. Může být též, že to byla jeho fantasie:
Vzpomínám na zlaté časy, když mne houpal na klíně, bydleli jsme toho času u Domažlic v Merklíně.
Literature
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Nymburk station around 1900

Nymburk appears as Feldkurat Katz, during the cab drive back from Oberleutnant Helmich, talks drunken drivel about Nymburk station.

Background

Nymburk is a town with around 14,000 inhabitants by the Elbe. It is located 45 km east of Prague and is amongst other things known as the town where Bohumil Hrabal grew up. This well known author was strongly influenced by Jaroslav Hašek.

Demography

According to the 1910 census Nymburk had 10,169 inhabitants of which 10,050 (98 per cent) reported that they used Czech in their daily speech. The judicial district was okres Nymburk, administratively it reported to hejtmanství Poděbrady.

Source:Seznam míst v království Českém(1913)

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Nymburk were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 36 (Jungbunzlau) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 7 (Pilsen).

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.10.2] Potom počal považovat drožku za vlak, a nahýbaje se ven, křičel do ulice česky a německy: „Nymburk, přestupovat!“

Also written:Nimburg de

Literature
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Podmokly is mentioned by Feldkurat Katz when he wants to jump out of the cab because he thinks he is on a train. It occurs to him that he is in Podmokly instead of Budějovice.

Background

Podmokly is the name of four places in Czechia. Here the place in question has a railway station, so it is by near certainty Podmokly by Děčín. The German translation by Grete Reiner underpins this assumption by using the name Bodenbach.

The town was until 1945 largely populated by German-speakers. Podmokly is now part of Děčín and the station has been renamed Děčín hlavní nádraží. It is the last stop before the German border and all trains from Prague to Berlin stop here.

Demography

According to the 1910 census Podmokly had 13,412 inhabitants of which 608 (4 per cent) reported that they used Czech in their daily speech. The judicial district was okres Děčín, administratively it reported to hejtmanství Děčín.

Source:Seznam míst v království Českém(1913)

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Podmokly were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 42 (Leitmeritz) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 9 (Leitmeritz).

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.10.2] Jen jednou učinil pokus se vzbouřit a vyskočit z drožky, prohlásiv, že dál již nepojede, že ví, že místo do Budějovic jedou do Podmoklí.

Also written:Bodenbach de

Gorgonzolann flag
Wikipedia czdeenitno MapSearch
gorgonzola.jpg
gorgonzola.png

Národní politika,8.12.1908

Gorgonzola is mentioned by Feldkurat Katz in the cab on the way home from Oberleutnant Helmich. The drunk Katz asks Švejk various questions: if he is married, if he enjoys eating gorgonzola cheese, and even if his home has ever been infested with bed bugs!

Background

Gorgonzola her refers to the famous blue cheese from Gorgonzola by Milan. The cheese has a history that goes back more than one thousand years and was obviously very well known also in Austria-Hungary. It was amongst other places produced at the dairy in Hall in Tirol (who also produced Emmental and many other well known cheeses).

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.10.2] Byl také zvědav, není-li prosinec nebo červen, a projevil velkou schopnost klásti nejrůznější otázky: „Jste ženat? Jíte rád gorgonzolu? Měli jste doma štěnice? Máte se dobře? Měl váš pes psinku?“
Literature
Moraviann flag
Wikipedia czdeennnno MapSearch
mahren.png
morava.png

Politický kalendář občanský a adresář zemí koruny České na rok 1910

Moravia is first mentioned by Feldkurat Katz when he tells Švejk that he here had drunk the best borovička (juniper spirits) ever. The region enters the discussion a few more times, for instance in Putim in [II.2], in connection with the conscientous objector Nemrava, and in a conversation with Feldkurat Martinec in [IV.2].

Several locations in Moravia are mentioned in the The Good Soldier Švejk; amongst them Brno, Moravská Ostrava, Frýdlant nad Ostravicí, Místek, Jihlava, Hodonín, Přerov, Hostýn, Šternberk and Nový Jičín.

Several people from Moravia are also mentioned: Archbishop Kohn, Feldkurat Martinec, Feldoberkurat Lacina, Jos. M. Kadlčák, Nemrava, and last but not least: Professor Masaryk.

Background

Moravia is a historic region in Central Europe which is no longer an administrative unit. Together with Bohemia and a small part of Silesia it makes up Czechia. The capital is Brno and the region is named after the river Morava (de. March).

Other important cities were Moravská Ostrava (industry) and Olomouc that was (and is) an arch-bishop's seat and a prominent centre of education. Olomouc was also the reserve capital of the Habsburgs in periods when Vienna was under threat. During the times of Austria-Hungary Moravia had status as Kronland. In 1910 Czechs made up over 70 per cent of the population, but Germans formed a substantial minority. In cities like Brno, Olomouc, Vyškov and Jihlava they were in majority.

Jaroslav Hašek travelled here far less frequently here than in Bohemia but passed by on trips to Galicia and Slovakia every year from 1900 to 1903, and in 1905 he visited Jihlava. In early August 1903 his stay was involuntarily extended; he was arrested for vagrancy in Frýdek-Místek.

The good soldier Švejk in captivity

In Dobrý voják Švejk v zajetí the duchy is briefly mentioned at the start of chapter 5. The author notes that the Russian army had occupied Lvov and encircled Przemyśl. In Serbia the Austrian army was in trouble, in Prague people were happy and in Mähren they were making preparations to bake cakes to welcome the cossacks. This had happened when Švejk was in prison at the start of the war.[1]

Mezitím co byl Švejk zavřen, ruská vojska zabrala Lvov, oblehla Přemyšl, dole v Srbsku stálo to také velmi špatně s rakouskou armádou, lidé v Praze byli veselí a na Moravě dělali již přípravy k pečení koláčů, až přijdou kozáci.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.10.3] Mezitím co byl Švejk zavřen, ruská vojska zabrala Lvov, oblehla Přemyšl, dole v Srbsku stálo to také velmi špatně s rakouskou armádou, lidé v Praze byli veselí a na Moravě dělali již přípravy k pečení koláčů, až přijdou kozáci.
[I.10.3] Taková borovička není ani chutná, nemá ani barvu, pálí v krku. A kdyby byla aspoň pravá, destilát z jalovce, jakou jsem jednou pil na Moravě. Ale tahle borovička byla z nějakého dřevěného lihu a olejů.
[I.14.3] Nejvíc mně dalo práce ho přebarvit, aby měl barvu pepř a sůl. Tak se dostal se svým pánem až na Moravu a vod tý doby jsem ho neviděl.
[I.15] Nikdy nedorazil nikam včas, vodil pluk v kolonách proti strojním puškám a kdysi před lety stalo se při císařských manévrech na českém jihu, že se úplně s plukem ztratil, dostal se s ním až na Moravu, kde se s ním potloukal ještě několik dní po tom, když už bylo po manévrech a vojáci leželi v kasárnách.
[II.2] Všichni měli naději, že válka musí za měsíc, dva skončit. Měli představu, že Rusové už jsou za Budapeští a na Moravě. Všeobecně se to v Putimi povídá.
[II.2] Tato nová situace umožnila ruským vyzvědačům, při pohyblivosti fronty, vniknutí hlouběji do území našeho mocnářství, zejména do Slezska i Moravy, odkud dle důvěrných zpráv velké množství ruských vyzvědačů odebralo se do Čech.
[II.3] Než to jsou věci vedlejší, ač by zajisté nebylo na škodu, kdyby se váš redaktor Světa zvířat dříve přesvědčil, komu vytýká hovadinu, nežli nájezd vyjde z pera, třeba je určen na Moravu do Frýdlandu u Místku, kde byl do tohoto článku též odbírán váš časopis.
[II.3] Před vojnou žil na Moravě nějakej pan Nemrava, a ten dokonce nechtěl vzíti ani flintu na rameno, když byl odvedenej, že prej je to proti jeho zásadě, nosit nějaký flinty. Byl za to zavřenej, až byl černej, a zas ho nanovo vedli k přísaze. A von, že přísahat nebude, že je to proti jeho zásadě, a vydržel to.“

Also written:Morava cz Mähren de

Literature
References
1Dobrý voják Švejk v zajetíJaroslav Hašek1917
Josefovnn flag
Wikipedia czdedken MapSearch Švejkův slovník
josefov-praha.jpg
studenacesta.png

Výroba lihovin na studené cestě, 1877

uzidech.png

Břetislav Hůla. Vysvětlíky.

© LA-PNP

Josefov is first mentioned through the term "of the Jews" when Feldkurat Katz tells Švejk how spirits ought to be manufactured, and not cold distilled in a factory by the Jews.

The district is mentioned again using the same term when Švejk is introduced to Oberleutnant Lukáš. The latter gives his "pucflék" a lecture in proper behaviour, which does not include stealing his masters parade uniform and sell it "in the Jews" (i.e. Josefov), like one of his previous servants did.

Later on, in [IV.2], the same expression is used in an anecdote Švejk tells feldkurát Feldkurat Martinec in the cell in Przemyśl (see porter Faustýn). The word Josefov is never explicitly used in the novel.

Background

Josefov is part of Prague, Staré město. Until 1922 it was a separate urban district also known as Praha V. From the late 19th century onwards it went through a redevelopment that changed the character of the quarter drastically, and few of the old buildings survived.

Prague V. was the smallest of the districts in the city with only 76 houses. It also had the highest proportion of German-speakers of any district in the city. This was no doubt due to the high number of Jewish inhabitants. Josefov roughly consisted of the area west of Mikulášská třída towards Vltava.

The Jewish community in Prague was next to extinguished by the Nazis during the occupation from 1939 to 1945. The most famous resident of the area was arguably Franz Kafka. Egon Erwin Kisch was also born here.

Demography

According to the 1910 census Josefov had 3,376 inhabitants of which 2,633 (77 per cent) reported that they used Czech in their daily speech.

Source:Seznam míst v království Českém(1913)

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.10.3] Kořalka je jed,“ rozhodl se, „musí být původní originál, pravá, a nikoliv vyráběná ve fabrice na studené cestě od židů. To je jako s rumem. Dobrý rum je vzácností.
[I.14.3] "U mě musíte si čistit boty, mít svou uniformu v pořádku, knoflíky správné přišité a musíte dělat dojem vojáka, a ne nějakého civilního otrapy. Jest to zvláštní, že vy neumíte se žádný držet vojensky. Jen jeden měl ze všech těch mých sluhů bojovné vzezření, a nakonec mně ukradl parádní uniformu a prodal ji v Židech.
[IV.2] Já dál na světě bejt živ nemůžu, já poctivej člověk sem žalovanej pro kuplířství jako ňákej pasák ze Židů.

Also written:JosefovP cz Jüdisches Viertel de Jødekvarteret no

Literature
Vršovicenn flag
Wikipedia czdeen MapSearch Švejkova cesta
vrsovice.jpg

Vršovice 1910

vrsovice_hasek.png

Vršovice is mentioned 15 times in The Good Soldier Švejk.

Vršovice was where Švejk dropped by to borrow money from Oberleutnant Mahler. There is another and longer visit in the next chapter when the field chaplain and his servant go there to recuperate the field altar. See Vršovice kostel. In [I.14] and [I.15], the plot for the most part takes place in Vršovice, without this being stated explicitly. This was when Švejk was a servant for Oberleutnant Lukáš.

Background

Vršovice is from 1922 a district in Prague, now contained entirely within the capital's 10th district but at Švejk's time it was still a separate town.

Hašek in Vršovice

Jaroslav Hašek lived in Vršovice with his wife Jarmila in 1911 and 1912, and it was here in house no. 363 (Palackého třída, now Moskevská) that his son Richard was born on 2 May 1912. The author was registered at this address on 28 Desember 1911, but already on 29 July 1912 he was listed in Vinohrady. His wife had also moved, to her parents in Dejvice. The split must obviously have happened very soon after their son was born.

The good soldier Švejk in captivity

In Dobrý voják Švejk v zajetí Vršovice is mentioned only in passing when a fellow at k.u.k. Militärgericht Prag whistles the song Když jsem já šel do Vršovic na posvícení.[1]

Tam chodily služky a paničky z nákupu, nějaký hoch si hvízdal pronikavě "Když jsem já šel do Vršovic na posvícení".

Demography

According to the 1910 census Vršovice had 24,646 inhabitants of which 23,132 (93 per cent) reported that they used Czech in their daily speech. The judicial district was okres Vršovice, administratively it reported to hejtmanství Královské Vinohrady.

Source:Seznam míst v království Českém(1913)

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Vršovice were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 28 (Prag) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 8 (Prag). In 1910 Vršovice hosted more than one thousand military employees and there were two barracks in town. At the outbreak of war IR73 ("Egerregiment") was garrisoned here with staff and three battalions. They remained here until the end of the war. See Vršovice kasárna.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.10.3] Tam chodily služky a paničky z nákupu, nějaký hoch si hvízdal pronikavě "Když jsem já šel do Vršovic na posvícení".
[I.4] "Seděl jsem zde 5. června 1913 a bylo se mnou slušně zacházeno. Josef Mareček, obchodník z Vršovic: A byl tu i nadpis otřásající svou hloubkou: "Milost, velký bože . . ." a pod tím: "Polibte mně p."
[I.6] "A což policejního psa byste si nepřál?" otázal se Švejk, "takovýho, kerej hned všechno vyslídí a přivede na stopu zločinu. Má ho jeden řezník ve Vršovicích a on mu tahá vozejk, ten pes se, jak se říká, minul se svým povoláním."
[I.8] "To nic není," řekl druhý, "ve Vršovicích je jedna porodní bába, která vám za dvacet korun vymkne nohu tak pěkně, že jste mrzák nadosmrti".
[I.8] Jestli tam nepochodíte, tak půjdete do Vršovic, do kasáren k nadporučíkovi Mahlerovi.
[I.11.2] On sedí kvůli nějaké ukradené almaře a naše pohovka je u jednoho učitele ve Vršovicích.
[I.11.2] Od rozespalé ženy obchodníka se starým nábytkem dozvěděli se adresu učitele ve Vršovicích, nového majitele pohovky. Polní kurát projevil neobyčejnou štědrost. Štípl ji do tváře a zalechtal pod bradou.

Šli do Vršovic pěšky, když polní kurát prohlásil, že se musí projít na čerstvém vzduchu, aby dostal jiné myšlénky.

Ve Vršovicích v bytě pana učitele, starého nábožného pána, čekalo je nemilé překvapení. Naleznuv polní oltář v pohovce, starý pán domníval se, že je to nějaké řízení boží a daroval jej místnímu vršovickému kostelu do sakristie, vyhradiv si na druhé straně skládacího oltáře nápis: „Darováno ku cti a chvále boží p. Kolaříkem, učitelem v. v. Léta Páně 1914.“ Zastižen jsa ve spodním prádle, jevil velké rozpaky.
[I.11.2] A když tam viděl miniaturní skládací třídílný oltář s výklenkem pro tabernákulum, že klekl před pohovkou a dlouho se vroucně modlil a chválil boha a že to považoval za pokyn z nebe, ozdobit tím kostel ve Vršovicích.
[I.11.2] Domníval jsem se, že mohu takovým božím řízením posloužiti k ozdobení našeho chudého chrámu Páně ve Vršovicích."
[I.11.2] Přijal jsem polní oltář, který se náhodou dostal do chrámu ve Vršovicích.
[I.14.6] Zabočil jsem do Jindřišské, kde jsem mu dal novou porci. Pak jsem ho, když se nažral, uvázal na řetízek a táh jsem ho přes Václavské náměstí na Vinohrady, až do Vršovic.
[II.3] Byli tam známí z Vršovic a ty mně pomohli. Ztřískali jsme asi pět rodin i s dětma. Muselo to bejt slyšet až do Michle a potom to taky bylo v novinách o tej zahradní zábavě toho dobročinnýho spolku nějakejch rodáků ňákýho města.

Sources: Radko Pytlík, Jaroslav Šerák

Literature
References
1Dobrý voják Švejk v zajetíJaroslav Hašek1917
Zbraslavnn flag
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zbraslav.jpg

Zbraslav is mentioned in Feldkurat Katz's drunken drivel in the cab when he thinks Švejk is a lady who owns a villa in Zbraslav.

Background

Zbraslav is an area of Prague, 10 km south of the centre, where the river Berounka flows into Vltava. Zbraslav became part of Prague as late as 1974.

Zbraslav was in 1913 a community of 1,772 inhabitants in the okres of the same name, hejtmanství Smíchov. Zbraslav had both a parish and a post office. The district was however much larger with its 28,094 inhabitants. It contained several places that are mentioned in the novel: Záběhlice, Všenory, Mníšek and Chuchle.

Demography

According to the 1910 census Zbraslav had 1,772 inhabitants of which 1,767 (99 per cent) reported that they used Czech in their daily speech. The judicial district was okres Zbraslav, administratively it reported to hejtmanství Smíchov.

Source:Seznam míst v království Českém(1913)

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Zbraslav were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 28 (Prag) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 8 (Prag).

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.10.3] Vy máte vilu na Zbraslavi. A můžete jezdit parníkem po Vltavě. Víte, co je to Vltava?“

Also written:Königsaal de

Literature
Steinhofnn flag
Wikipedia deenruuk MapSearch Švejkova cesta Švejkův slovník
thalerhof.jpg

Was Thalerhof the k.u.k Konzentrationslager Steinhof that Hašek had in mind?

thalerhof.png

Salzburger Chronik,13.12.1914

Steinhof was the concentration camp where Mrs. Müllerová was interned without ever having been convicted. She had been taken away the same evening as she had pushed Švejk to the draft commission in a wheelchair.

Background

Steinhof is referred to by the author as a concentration camp, but it is unclear which place he has in mind. Steinhof by Vienna is an unlikely candidate although the name fits. From 1907 it was the location of the largest psychiatric institution in the Dual Monarchy, but there was no concentration camp here during World War I.

Shots in the dark

Milan Hodík thinks he may have had Stein an der Donau in mind, there was a prison there. Radko Pytlík suggests Kamenný Dvůr (former Steinhof) by Cheb but is unsure. Antonín Měšťan claims that there was a concentration camp in Steinhof, but he does not indicate where this "Steinhof" actually was[a].

Steinklamm

Jaroslav Šerák points to another possible mix-up with names. Here the possibility is Steinklamm, a camp in Bezirk St. Pölten that in 1914 was opened to cater for refugees but that later was used for prisoners, also for politically suspect civilians. As in Thalerhof cases of spotted typhus were recorded, and in early May 1915 these were reported in several newspapers.

Last minute name change
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Klosterneuburg replaced with Steinhof in the manuscript (page 107)

© LA-PNP

The manuscript of Švejk is also worth a study. The author has actually started off by locating the camp in Klosterneuburg before he struck the word and changed it to Steinhof. It might therefore be prudent not to read too much into the choice of name for the camp where Müllerova's was interned.

The Dual Monarchy's concentration camps

None of the above suggestions fit the official overview of internment camps in Austria-Hungary. In 1916 there were three of them, located in Thalerhof by Graz, Nézsider (Neusiedl) and Arad (Oradea)[b].

The good soldier Švejk in captivity

In the end the best indicator is Jaroslav Hašek himself and Dobrý voják Švejk v zajetí. Here the camp Thalerhof is mentioned directly and the author even lets Švejk get interned here. For unknown reasons Hašek names the camp Thalerhof-Zelling.[1]

One hence assumes that the author had Thalerhof in mind when he penned this sequence of The Good Soldier Švejk. It was one of the first concentration camps in Europe, operating from 5 September 1914. Most of the inmates were politically suspect Ruthenian "russophiles" (i.e. Ukrainians) but a number of Czechs also found their way there.

Mezitím co byl Švejk zavřen, ruská vojska zabrala Lvov, oblehla Přemyšl, dole v Srbsku stálo to také velmi špatně s rakouskou armádou, lidé v Praze byli veselí a na Moravě dělali již přípravy k pečení koláčů, až přijdou kozáci.

Antonín Měšťan

So gab es in Steinhof in der Tat während des Ersten Weltkriegs ein österreichisches Konzentrationslager (I. 113/118) sowie in Hainburg eine Kadettenschule (I. 268/274).

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.10.4] Mezitím co byl Švejk zavřen, ruská vojska zabrala Lvov, oblehla Přemyšl, dole v Srbsku stálo to také velmi špatně s rakouskou armádou, lidé v Praze byli veselí a na Moravě dělali již přípravy k pečení koláčů, až přijdou kozáci.
[I.10.4] Starou paní soudili vojenskými soudy a odvezli, poněvadž jí nic nemohli dokázat, do koncentračního tábora do Steinhofu.
[I.10.4] A přes celý lístek růžové razítko: Zensuriert. K.u.k. Konzentrationslager Steinhof.

Sources: Jaroslav Šerák, AME, Radko Pytlík

Literature
References
aRealien und Pseudorealien in Hašeks "Švejk"Antonín Měšťan1983
bBeiblatt zum Verordnungsblatte für das k. und k. HeerKaiserlich-königliche Hof- und Staatsdruckerei18.3.1916
1Dobrý voják Švejk v zajetíJaroslav Hašek1917
Smíchovnn flag
Wikipedia czdeen MapSearch
smichov.jpg

Kol. 1900 • Pohled do Nádražní ulice na Smíchově s pivovarem (dům čp. 43 na Smíchově)

Smíchov is mentioned 3 times in The Good Soldier Švejk.

Smíchov is briefly mentioned when a locksmith from the district approaches Švejk outside U kalicha when he was back there for the last time.In the famous farewell scene between Švejk and Sappeur Vodička in Királyhida [II.4] the Smíchov beer is mentioned. Otherwise Smíchov rarely figures in the novel, but in [III.4] it is revealed that Leutnant Dub lived here.

Background

Smíchov is a district of Prague, located west of the Vltava, in the southern part of the city. Smíchov has a major railway station, is an industrial area, and is the home of the Staropramen brewery. Smíchov became part of Prague in 1922.

In 1914 Smíchov was a town which that with its surrounding district contained large part of what is now the western part of Prague. It was centre of hejtmanství and okres of the same name, and the district Smíchov was very populous with 167,830 inhabitants (1910) - in effect larger than any district in Bohemia apart from Prague. Okres Smíchov alone counted 139,736 inhabitants of which around 95 per cent were Czechs. The hejtmanství also contained okres Zbraslav. Within okres Smíchov itself, several places we know from The Good Soldier Švejk were located. Amongst those are Břevnov, Dejvice, Klamovka, Kobylisy, Košíře, Motol, Roztoky and Horní Stodůlky.

Hašek and Smíchov
strana.png

Pod černým vrchem in 1912

Jaroslav Hašek lived in Smíchov from 1909 to 1911, or more precisely in Košíře where he was editor of the magazine Svět zvířat and later ran his Cynological Institute (see Psinec nad Klamovkou). There are many places in Smíchov associated with the author, not least the pub Pod černým vrchem where Strana mírného pokroku v mezích zákona held some of their meetings and where the famous picture of four party members with the four beers was taken[a].

Demography

According to the 1910 census Smíchov had 51,791 inhabitants of which 47,348 (91 per cent) reported that they used Czech in their daily speech. The judicial district was okres Smíchov, administratively it reported to hejtmanství Smíchov.

Source:Seznam míst v království Českém(1913)

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Smíchov were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 28 (Prag) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 8 (Prag).

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.10.4] Při té rozmluvě byl jeden starší pán, zámečník ze Smíchova, který šel ke Švejkovi a řekl k němu: „Prosím vás, pane, počkejte na mne venku, já s vámi musím mluvit.“
[II.4] Potom se vzdálili a bylo slyšet zas za hodnou chvíli za rohem z druhé řady baráků hlas Vodičky: „Švejku, Švejku, jaký mají pivo ,U kalicha’?“ A jako ozvěna ozvala se Švejkova odpověď: „Velkopopovický.“ „Já myslel, že smíchovský,“ volal z dálky sapér Vodička. „Mají tam taky holky,“ křičel Švejk. „Tedy po válce v šest hodin večer,“ křičel zezdola Vodička.
Literature
References
aRománové restaurační a jiné zábavní podnikyJaroslav Šerák2009 - 2021
Index Back Forward I. In the rear Hovudpersonen

11. Švejk rides with the field chaplain to serve a field mass

New Guineann flag
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newguinea.jpg

German reservists in New Guinea in 1914

New Guinea is mentioned by the author in connection with the religious rituals of cannibals, compared to current rituals related to the war. This is his introduction to Feldkurat Katz' og Švejk's field mass.

Background

New Guinea was by 1914 split between the Netherlands, the British Empire and Germany but Australian forces occupied the German part already in 1914.

New Guinea is the second largest island in the world and is located just north of Australia. Today the island is divided between Papua New Guinea and Indonesia.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.11.1] Lidožrouti ostrovů Guinejských a Polynesie, než sežerou slavnostně své zajatce či lidi nepotřebné, jako misionáře, cestovatele a jednatele různých obchodních firem či prosté zvědavce, obětují předtím svým bohům, vykonávajíce nejrozmanitější náboženské výkony. Poněvadž k nim nepronikla ještě kultura ornátů, vyzdobují své hyždě věnci z pestrého péří lesního ptactva.

Also written:Guinea Hašek Nová Guinea cz Neuguinea de

Literature
Polynesiann flag
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Polynesia is named when the author expands his opinion on religious rituals in connection with executions.

Background

Polynesia is a subregion of Oceania, made up of over 1,000 islands scattered over the central and southern Pacific Ocean. The term "Polynesia" was originally applied to all the islands of the Stillehavet. The only major political and geographical entity is New Zealand. The American state of Hawaii is also in Polynesia. The islands are partly independent, partly belonging to other states (USA, Chile, France and Australia). Until 1914 Germany was also present (Samoa).

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.11.1] Lidožrouti ostrovů Guinejských a Polynesie, než sežerou slavnostně své zajatce či lidi nepotřebné, jako misionáře, cestovatele a jednatele různých obchodních firem či prosté zvědavce, obětují předtím svým bohům, vykonávajíce nejrozmanitější náboženské výkony.

Also written:Polynésie cz Polynesien de Polynésie fr

Spainnn flag
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Spain is mentioned by the author when he tells about methods for executing people, and accompanying rituals where clerics take part. In this case there is talk "of a chair where the victim is strangled", certainly the garrote (el garrote). This execution device has been in use until present times, and not only in Spain.

The country was mentioned indirectly already in [I.2] through the term "the Spanish boot", an instrument of torture. Some geographical points in Spain also appear in the novel: Madrid, Toledo and Seville. Amongst historical figures Ignatius of Loyola is the only one referred to. Literary figures on the other hand are better represented: Don Quijote, Sancho Panza and the still unidentified Count Almavira and his servant Fernando.

Background

Spain was in 1914 a kingdom and preserved its neutrality throughout the world war. Conflicts with Germany occurred because some Spanish ships were sunk, but there was never any armed action taken from the Spanish side.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.11.1] V Prusku vodil pastor ubožáka pod sekyru, v Rakousku katolický kněz k šibenici, ve Francii pod gilotinu, v Americe kněz na elektrickou stolici, ve Španělsku na židli, kde byl důmyslným způsobem uškrcen, a v Rusku bradatý pop revolucionáře atd.

Also written:Španělsko cz Spanien de España es

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Bremen vor 1907

Bremen is mentioned by Švejk when tells Feldkurat Katz that he learned to make grog in Bremen. He was there on his wanderings a few years back. Bremen is one of the few places outside Bohemia that Švejk explicitly says he has visited.

Background

Bremen is a city and port in north west Germany, 60 km south of the mouth of the river Weser. During the times of Švejk it had status as a Freie Hansestadt (Free Hanseatic city).

Although Švejk says he has been to Bremen, there is no evidence that the author himself ever went there, so it is not clear what might have inspired this story. A possible source is Zdeněk Matěj Kuděj who traveled to New York from Cuxhaven on 17 March 1906 and may well have visited nearby Bremen on the way.

What Jaroslav Hašek no doubt was well informed about was the Bremer Räterepublik from early 1919, one of the two best known Soviet Republics on German territory. The revolutionary republic lasted for only one month.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.11.2] „Když jsem před léty vandroval,“ odpověděl Švejk, „v Brémách od jednoho zpustlýho námořníka, který říkal, že grog musí být tak silný, aby, když někdo spadne do moře, přeplaval celej kanál La Manche. Po slabým grogu se utopí jako štěně.“

Also written:Brémy cz

English Channelnn flag
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lamanche.jpg

English Channel is mentioned when Švejk tells Feldkurat Katz that grog must be so string that one can swim across the Channel with one a these inside.

Background

English Channel is a strip of sea that separates England and France. It is part of the Atlantic Ocean, and connects this to the North Sea. The channel is at its narrowest between Dover and Calais where it is 34 km wide.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.11.2] „Když jsem před léty vandroval,“ odpověděl Švejk, „v Brémách od jednoho zpustlýho námořníka, který říkal, že grog musí být tak silný, aby, když někdo spadne do moře, přeplaval celej kanál La Manche. Po slabým grogu se utopí jako štěně.“

Also written:kanál La manche cz Ärmelkanal de La Manche fr engelske kanalen nn

Mödlingnn flag
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Mödling, Aquädukt, 1913

Mödling is mentioned by the author in connection with the race Vienna - Mödling where Oberleutnant Witinger had won the cup that Feldkurat Katz used as a chalice at the field mass. Witinger reportedly ran 40 km in 1 hour 48 minutes.

Background

Mödling is a town in Niederösterreich, with a population number (in 2007) of around 21,000. The town is situated 16 kilometres south of Vienna and is often called Perle des Wienerwaldes.

Oberleutnant Witinger allegedly ran 40 km in 1 hours 48 minutes which suggests that the author didn't care much about numbers. The marathon (41,185 metres) world record per 2016 is 2.02.57 and was claimed by Dennis Kimetto in Berlin in 2014. This is the first example in the novel of the author's disregard for chronological accuracy. Obviously Jaroslav Hašek could also have got the distance wrong, the actual distance between the towns (16 km) gives an indication.

That said, it may be that the author was perfectly aware of the distances and times involved and that he was simply making fun of the boastful Oberleutnant Witinger.

Demography

According to the 1910 census Mödling had 18 067 inhabitants. The judicial district was Gerichtsbezirk Mödling, administratively it reported to Bezirkshauptmannschaft Mödling.

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Mödling were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 84 (Wien) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 21 (Sankt Pölten).

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.11.2] Tak dostaneme sportovní pohár od nadporučíka Witingra od 75. pluku. On kdysi před lety běhal o závod a vyhrál jej za ,Sport-Favorit’. Byl to dobrý běžec. Dělal čtyřicet kilometrů Vídeň-Mödling za 1 hodinu 48 minut, jak se nám vždycky chlubí. Jsem hovado, že všechno odkládám na poslední chvíli. Proč jsem se, trouba, nepodíval do té pohovky.“
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zhor.jpg

Zhoř by Písek

zhor.png

Liste over stader i Böhmen, 1913

Zhoř is mentioned in an anecdote Švejk tells the priest in Vršovice, where he implicitly threatens with the worst if the field altar, the property of the army, doesn't appear again.

A place with such a name is mentioned again in the story about Špatina in [III.2] but may not be the same place.

Background

Zhoř is the name of several places in Bohemia and Moravia. The author has surely been aware of most of these, so it's anybody's guess which one he has in mind. It should still be assumed that it is from an area he knew well, for instance Vysočina or South Bohemia.

In the list of places in Bohemia from 1913 the Zhoř appears now less than 11 times[a]. They were all small places, the largest being in okres Pacov, hejtmanství Pelhřimov, with 622 inhabitants. I Moravia there are also several, one of them by Jihlava.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.11.2] Jeden člověk ve Zhoři taky vyoral nějakej kalich na poli, kterej pocházel ze svatokrádeže a byl tam schovanej na lepší doby, až se na to zapomene, a považoval to taky za pokyn boží a šel, místo aby jej rozšmelcoval, k panu faráři s tím kalichem, že prý ho chce darovat kostelu.
[III.2] „Poslušně hlásím, pane obrlajtnant“ řekl s obvyklou ohebností Švejk, „věc, o kterou jde, je nesmírně důležitou. Prosil bych, pane obrlajtnant, abychom mohli tu celou záležitost vyřídit někde vedle, jako říkal jeden můj kamarád, Špatina ze Zhoře, když dělal svědka na svatbě a chtělo se mu najednou v kostele...“
References
aSeznam míst v království ČeskémC.k. místodržitelství1913
Chotěbořnn flag
Wikipedia czdeen MapSearch Švejkův slovník
chotebor.jpg
chotebor1.png

Panský dům. Fotografie László Polgár

Chotěboř is mentioned in Švejk's conversation with the priest in Vršovice, relating to a certain Pivoňka.

Background

Chotěboř is a town in Vysočina with 9,633 inhabitants (2011). It is located 14 km north east of Havlíčkův Brod and belongs to the district of that same name.

Hašek in Chotěboř

Jaroslav Hašek visited Chotěboř in the summer of 1912 and this stay no doubt inspired the story The traitor of the nation in Chotěboř[a]. The author stayed at Panský dům and the building boasts a memorial plaque in his honour.

Demography

According to the 1910 census Chotěboř had 4,481 inhabitants of which 4,472 (99 per cent) reported that they used Czech in their daily speech. The judicial district was okres Chotěboř, administratively it reported to hejtmanství Chotěboř.

Source:Seznam míst v království Českém(1913)

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Chotěboř were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 21 (Časlau) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 30 (Hohenmauth).

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.11.2] Nějakej Pivoňka z Chotěboře považoval jednou také za boží řízení, když se mu do rukou připletla ohlávka s cizí krávou.

Sources: Radko Pytlík, László Polgár

Literature
References
aZrádce národa v ChotěbořiKopřivyJaroslav Hašek10.10.1912
Zambezinn flag
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zambezi.jpg

Zambezi is mentioned in the author's description of the field altar, which just as well could have been used by pagans from that area.

Background

Zambezi is Africa's fourth longest river and flows from west to east in the southern part of Africa.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.11.2] Nebylo také možno zjistit bez fantasie, co vlastně představují obrazy namalované na těch třech dílech. Jisto je, že to byl oltář, kterého by mohli stejně používat nějací pohani na Zambezi či šamáni Burjatů i Mongolů.

Also written:Sambesi de

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burjatia.jpg

Gusinoye Ozero (Гусиное Озеро), 2010

Buryatia is mentioned in the authors description of the field altar which according to him just as well could have been used by Buryat and Mongol shamans.

Background

Buryatia is an autonomous republic in Siberia between Baikal-sjøen and Mongolia. The Burjats is a people of mongolian descent, no in a minority in the republic. In 1923 Buryatia became an autonomous Soviet republic (ASSR). The capital is Ulan-Ude and the Trans-siberian railway goes through the republic.

In 1920 Jaroslav Hašek ran propaganda activities amongst the Burjats and even taught himself some of the language. It is proven that he visited the region and at least got as far as Гусиное Озеро (Gusinoye Ozero), close to the Mongolian border.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.11.2] Nebylo také možno zjistit bez fantasie, co vlastně představují obrazy namalované na těch třech dílech. Jisto je, že to byl oltář, kterého by mohli stejně používat nějací pohani na Zambezi či šamáni Burjatů i Mongolů.

Sources: Pavel Gan

Also written:Буряад Республика bu Burjatsko cz Burjatien de Республика Бурятия ru

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mongolia.jpg

Gers in Songal, Northern Mongolia, 2007

mongolia.png

Pepíček Nový a jiné povídky, Jaroslav Hašek,1921

Mongolia is mentioned by Jaroslav Hašek in his description of the field altar "that just as well could have meen used by Buryatian and Mongolian shamans".

Background

Mongolia is a republic in Asia between Russia and China that broke away from China in 1911. During the Russian civil war Mongolia changed hands several time, but from 1921 the communists led by Damdin Sükhbaatar got the upper hand, something that led to nearly 70 years of communist rule and strong links to the Soviet Union. A legacy from this period is the use of the Cyrillic alphabet.

Hašek and Mongolia

In 1920 Jaroslav Hašek was involved on the periphery of the political struggle for Mongolia and he indeed knew Sükhbaatar in person. In the story Malé nedorozumění (Small misunderstandings)[a] he writes that he travelled all the way to Urga (now Ulaanbaatar). This story has not been verified and is surely an example of "mystifikace". Such a journey during the short time he stayed in Irkutsk would in 1920 have been practically impossible.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.11.2] Nebylo také možno zjistit bez fantasie, co vlastně představují obrazy namalované na těch třech dílech. Jisto je, že to byl oltář, kterého by mohli stejně používat nějací pohani na Zambezi či šamáni Burjatů i Mongolů.

Sources: Pavel Gan

Also written:Mongolsko cz Mongolei de Монгол Улс mn Монголия ru

References
aMalé nedorozuměníJaroslav Hašek1921
Wyandottenn flag
Wikipedia czdeennn MapSearch Švejkův slovník
wyandotte.jpg

Svět zvířat,29.1.1909

wyandotte.png

Národní politika,11.8.1910

Wyandotte is mentioned indirectly through the Wyandotte chicken who cackle themselves into the story twice. First when the author describes the altar that Feldkurat Katz uses for his field mass, and then when Einjährigfreiwilliger Marek tells about his unfortunate experiences as editor of Svět zvířat.

Background

Wyandotte is the name of several places in the US, but the name of this chicken breed is taken from the Huron tribe who also call themselves Wyandotte. The tribal headquarters are located in Wyandotte, Oklahoma.

The breed of chicken was officially recognised in 1883 and borrowed the name from the above-mentioned Indian tribe. In Europe a midget-variation was bred later.

Jaroslav Hašek obviously knew about this animal breed (and many others) from his time as editor of Svět zvířat in 1909 and 1910. During his time as an editor the magazine printed some stories about "wyandottek" and photos also appeared.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.11] Namaloval nějakého ptáka, který mohl být stejně holubicí jako slepicí bílých wyandotek.
[II.3] Opět mne přerušil a řekl, že mu to úplně stačí, a jestli jen polovičku toho podaří se mně splnit, že mně daruje párek trpasličích wyandotek z poslední berlínské výstavy drůbeže, které obdržely první cenu a majitel zlatou medalii za výborné spáření.
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sazava.jpg

View from Lipnice across the Sázava valley, 8.9.2009

Posázaví is mentioned by the author when he describes the field altar and where he compares some of its motives with the landscape by the Sázava.

Background

Posázaví is a region in the Vysočina region, and is the name of the area by the river Sázava. The river flows from east to west, the source is the lake Velké Dářko and it flows into the Vltava by Davle south of Prague.

This was an area Jaroslav Hašek knew very well from the time he lived in Lipnice, near the upper part of the river valley.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.11.2] Vojáci se vždy hádali a luštili ten rebus. Někdo myslel dokonce, že je to krajinka z Posázaví.
Index Back Forward I. In the rear Hovudpersonen

12. A religious debate

Cognacnn flag
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cognac.jpg

Cognac is mentioned indirectly because Švejk had cognac in his flask during the second field mass with Feldkurat Katz. The field chaplain gallantly offered his pious companion a swig of the bottle. The latter perceived this conspicuous enough to justify a visit to his colleague to try to talk him away from the thornful path of sin. This visit led to the religious debate that [I.12] is all about.

Background

Cognac in this context refers to a group of grape spirits from the region around Cognac in France. The drink is produced here and stored (at least two years) in oak vessels to achieve the particular cognac taste.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.12] Švejk sloužil s polním kurátem ještě jednu polní mši u zákopníků, kam byl omylem pozván ještě jeden polní kurát, bývalý katecheta, neobyčejně nábožný člověk, dívající se na svého kolegu velice udiveně, když ten mu nabízel ze Švejkovy polní láhve, kterou ten vždy nosil na takové náboženské úkony s sebou, doušek koňaku.

Also written:Koňak cz Konjakk no

Nová Pakann flag
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novapaka1.jpg

Průvodce Podkrkonoším, Václav Kudrnáč, 1911

Nová Paka is mentioned by Švejk in anecdote he tells Feldkurat Katz. At U zlatého věnce he had spoken to a man from the countryside who had gone to their offices of Okresní hejtmanství Nová Paka to ask why his carriage had been requisitioned for war duty. Here he was unceremoniously thrown out. Then he continued to the town square (see Nová Paka náměstí) where a stranger asked if he could look after his horses. The other man never returned and the poor man was left with the horses and eventually he ended up in Hungary.

Background

Nová Paka is a town in north Bohemia in the district of Jičín. It is located 22 km north of the district capital. As of 2016 the population is 9,208. The town hosts a museum and a historic town square.

In 1913 Nová Paka counted 6,057 inhabitants, and all apart from 12 were Czechs. The town was the centre of okres and hejtmanství of the same name.

Demography

According to the 1910 census Nová Paka had 6,847 inhabitants of which 6,824 (99 per cent) reported that they used Czech in their daily speech. The judicial district was okres Nová Paka, administratively it reported to hejtmanství Nová Paka.

Source:Seznam míst v království Českém(1913)

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Nová Paka were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 74 (Jičin) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 11 (Jičin).

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.12] Včera jsem mluvil v hospodě ,U zlatého věnce’ s jedním člověkem z venkova, je mu už šestapadesát let, a ten šel se optat na okresní hejtmanství do Nové Paky, proč mu rekvisírovali bryčku.

Also written:Neu-Paka de

Literature
Nová Paka náměstínn flag
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novapaka.jpg

1916

Nová Paka náměstí is mentioned by Švejk in anecdote he tells Feldkurat Katz. At U zlatého věnce he had spoken to a man from the countryside who had gone to their offices of OHNovaPakato ask why his carriage had been requisitioned for war duty. Here he was unceremoniously thrown out. Then he continued to the town square where a stranger asked if he could look after his horses. The other man never returned and the poor man was left with the horses and eventually he ended up in Hungary.

Background

Nová Paka náměstí is the town square of Nová Paka, today Masarykovo náměstí.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.12] Včera jsem mluvil v hospodě ,U zlatého věnce’ s jedním člověkem z venkova, je mu už šestapadesát let, a ten šel se optat na okresní hejtmanství do Nové Paky, proč mu rekvisírovali bryčku. Na zpáteční cestě, když ho z okresního hejtmanství vyhodili, díval se na trén, který právě přijel a stál na náměstí. Nějaký mladý muž poprosil ho, aby mu chvíli počkal u koní, že vezou pro vojsko konservy, a víckrát už nepřišel. Když se pak hnuli, musel s nimi a dostal se až do Uher, kde někde poprosil taky někoho, aby mu počkal u vozu, a tím se jedině zachránil, a to by ho táhli do Srbska. Přijel celý vyjevený a víckrát nechce mít nic s vojenskejma věcma.“
Literature
Colognenn flag
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Zlatá Praha,8.8.1929

farina.png

Národni listy,5.12.1889

louvain.png

Le Matin,2.11.1914

Cologne is indirectly mentioned through the term water from Cologne, in other words Eau de Cologne, the world famous perfume.

Background

Cologne is a city on the middle stretch of the Rhine, with currently in excess of 1 million inhabitants. It was in 2016 the 4th largest city in Germany.

Since becoming part of Prussia in 1815 Cologne had experienced an enormous growth and become an important industrial and transport centre, and by 1913 the population count was nearly 700,000. It was at the outbreak of World War I also the largest fortress complex in Germany, occupying a strategic position on the Rhine. From 1918 until 1926 the city was occupied by British troops. The later so famous Konrad Adenauer was mayor from 1917 until he was dismissed by the Nazis in 1933.

Eau de Cologne

The famous perfume was invented in 1709 by Giovanni Maria Farina and soon trickled down through the various underlying layers of society. The original outlet in Cologne still exists and before World War I the company had a sales office in Vienna.

The brand Eau de Cologne was one of the early victims of the renaming frenzy during World War I. This happened in France in November 1914 as it after a vote was decided to rename the fragrance "Eau de Lovain" after the Belgian city of Lovain (Leuven) that was destroyed and looted by the Germans in late August that year. Other candidates were also considered but didn't get as many votes. Amongst them was Eau de Pologne (Polish Water).

The best known example of degermanisation is surely Sankt Peterburg which as early as 1914 was renamed Petrograd, but it was not alone. In USA the mildly amusing name "liberty cabbage" was proposed as a substitute for sauerkraut, but it is unclear if it was ever introduced.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.12] V ráji účinkují rozprašovače kolínské vody a filharmonie hraje tak dlouho Brahmsa, že raději dáte přednost peklu a očistci. Andílkové mají v zadnici vrtuli od aeroplánu, aby se tolik nenadřeli se svými křídly. Pijte, pane kolego, Švejku, nalejte mu koňak, mně se zdá, že mu není dobře.“

Also written:Kolín nad Rýnem cz Cologne fr

Literature
Japannn flag
Wikipedia czdeennnno MapSearch
japan.png

Das interessante Blatt,18.2.1904

japan.jpg

Österreichische Illustrierte Zeitung,6.9.1914

Japan is mentioned indirecty in the conversation between Feldkurat Katz and his pious colleague. Katz shows him a daring picture with a samurai in an intimate situation with a geisha.

Reappairs in [III.1] when Kadett Biegler shows off his knowledge of war history after Hauptmann Ságner's gaffe with Die Sünden der Väter (see Ludwig Ganghofer). He is referring to the Russo-Japansese war of 1904-05 and the cryptographic system being used.

Background

Japan was in 1914 an empire with a parliamentarian constitution. From August the country entered the war on the side of the Entente and soon took possession of some German islands in Pacific Ocean. They also exploited the war to intervene in China and in 1919 they engaged in the Russian civil war by occupying Vladivostok and parts of the Russian Far East.

The war Kadett Biegler refers to took place in 1904-05 and the outcome was a Japanese victory over Russia. This was the first time a European power had been defeated by an adversary from another continent.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.12] Katz se usmál: "To je ,Zuzana v lázni` a ta nahá ženská pod tím je má stará známost. Napravo je japonérie, znázorňující sexuelní akt mezi gejšou a starým japonským samurajem. Pravda, něco velice originelního? Breviář mám v kuchyni. Švejku, přineste ho sem a otevřete na třetí straně."
[III.1] Znám systémy šifer, které byly používány ve válkách o Sardinii a Savojsko, v anglo-francouzské kumpanii u Sevastopolu, při povstání boxerů v Číně i za poslední rusko-japonské války. Systémy tyto byly předávány...“

Also written:Japonsko cz

Moselnn flag
Wikipedia deensv MapSearch Švejkův slovník
mosel.jpg

Mosel by Metz

Mosel is first mentioned by Feldkurat Katz as he compares mass wine with Moselle wine.

Mosel appears more directly in [I.14] in the conversation between hop trader Wendler and Oberleutnant Lukáš. This time the theme is no doubt the river, not the wine.

Background

Mosel is a wine region in Germany, named after the river Mosel that flows through France, Luxemburg and Germany and ebbs into the Rhine by Koblenz.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.12] „Je to mešní víno lehké, pane kolego,“ řekl Katz, „velice dobré jakosti, ryzlink. Chutí podobá se moselskému.“
[I.14.3] Proč zas se vedou mezi Maasou a Moselou prudké dělostřelecké boje? Víte, že v Combres a Woewru u Marche shořely tři pivovary, kam jsem posílal ročně přes pět set žoků chmele?

Also written:Mosela cz Mosel de Moselle fr

Vlašimnn flag
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Vlašim is mentioned when Švejk tells the pious field chaplain about the dean who, just like Saint Augustine, didn't believe in the antipodes.

Background

Vlašim is a town in central Bohemia, located in the Benešov district east of the Vltava.

Jaroslav Hašek visited the town in the summer of 1922. This was his last major excursion before his premature death six months later. He also visited the area together with Zdeněk Matěj Kuděj in 1914. The inspiration for the novel would surely have come from the first visit because this part of the novel was written already in 1921.

Demography

According to the 1910 census Vlašim had 3,206 inhabitants of which 3,201 (99 per cent) reported that they used Czech in their daily speech. The judicial district was okres Vlašim, administratively it reported to hejtmanství Benešov.

Source:Seznam míst v království Českém(1913)

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Vlašim were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 102 (Beneschau) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 28 (Pisek).

Toulavé House (Radko Pytlík)

V létě 1922 podniká letní cestu na Pacovsko a Vlašimsko. Tentokrát už nejde pěšky, ale vyjíždí kočárem spolu se svými průvodkyněmi (se Šurou a její ruskou přítelkyní) do Dolních Kralovic. Tato místa navštívili už před válkou se Zdeňkem Matějem Kudějem na divokých toulkách "střední Evropou". Z výletu zasílá pozdrav hostinskému Invaldovi: "Mé společnice už ani nemoho plakat, jak jsou unaveny. Táhnu je do Vlašimi. Dnes jsme urazili 37 km. Dostaneme patrně, než přijedem na Lipnici, vši. Počínáme vypadat zpustle. Tvůj Jaroslav Hašek."

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.12] „U Vlašimě byl, poslušně hlásím, pane feldkurát,“ řekl Švejk, „jeden děkan a ten měl, když mu jeho stará hospodyně utekla s klukem i s penězi, posluhovačku

Sources: Zdeněk M. Kuděj, Radko Pytlík

Also written:Wlašim de

Benešovnn flag
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benesov2.jpg
benesov.jpg

Benešov is mentioned in the story about the dean from Vlašim who didn't believe in the antipodeans. The town is mentioned again in [II.3] in connection with the executed reservist Kudrna and in [II.5] when preparing the departure to the front.

The train with Švejk and Oberleutnant Lukáš would have stopped here in [II.1], about one hour after the departing from Prague.

Background

Benešov is a town in central Bohemia with around 16,000 inhabitants. It is located appx. 40 kilometres south east of Prague, and is a stop on the railway line to Budějovice. The well-known château Konopiště, that until 1914 belonged to Erzherzog Franz Ferdinand is located 2 km to the west.

The good soldier Švejk in captivity

In Dobrý voják Švejk v zajetí Benešov is mentioned because Švejk passed it on the way to the internment camp at Thalerhof by Graz. In Benešov was attached a wagon with soldiers destined for the front in Serbia.[1]

Ve Vídni se s jich transportem přihodil malý omyl. Jejich vagón přidali v Benešově k vojenskému vlaku vezoucímu vojáky na srbské bojiště.

Demography

According to the 1910 census Benešov had 7,400 inhabitants of which 7,298 (98 per cent) reported that they used Czech in their daily speech. The judicial district was okres Benešov, administratively it reported to hejtmanství Benešov.

Source:Seznam míst v království Českém(1913)

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Benešov were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 102 (Beneschau) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 28 (Pisek). The town and district was the home of IR102. This regiment was assigned to the 17. Infanteriebrigade, just like the author's own Infanterieregiment Nr. 91. The two regiments fought side by side throughout the time when Jaroslav Hašek served in k.u.k. Heer. The town hosted 534 military personnel who served with IR102 and the associated recruitment district.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.12] Ve Vídni se s jich transportem přihodil malý omyl. Jejich vagón přidali v Benešově k vojenskému vlaku vezoucímu vojáky na srbské bojiště.
[I.12] Vono by jich tam patřilo víc. ,U uršulinek’ mají v klášteře lahvičku s mlékem panny Marie, kterým kojila Ježíška, a v sirotčinci u Benešova, když jim tam přivezli lurdskou vodu, dostali po ní sirotkové takovou běhavku, že to svět neviděl.“
[II.3] Teď prej toho hodně věšejí a střílejí,“ řekl jeden z mužů eskorty, „nedávno nám četli na execírplace befél, že v Motole vodstřelili záložníka Kudrnu, poněvadž hejtman sekl šavlí jeho chlapečka, kerej byl na ruce u jeho ženy, když se s ním v Benešově chtěla loučit, a von se rozčílil.

Also written:Beneschau de

Literature
References
1Dobrý voják Švejk v zajetíJaroslav Hašek1917
Australiann flag
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Australia is mentioned in the anecdote about the dean from Vlašim who didn't believe in the antipodeans after having read Saint Augustine.

Background

Australia was still in 1914 a dominion but with extensive self-government. The country contributed to the allied war effort; Australian forces were heavily involved in the campaign against Turkey in 1915 (Gallipoli) and in attacks on German colonies in Polynesia.

Australia is by area the sixth largest country in the world, and is also classed as a continent. The population was in 2016 just above 23 million.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.12] Tak si zavolal svou posluhovačku a povídá k ní: ,Poslouchejte, vy jste mně jednou povídala, že váš syn je strojní zámečník a odjel do Australie.
[II.2] Dauerling má pověst lidožrouta, antropofága z australských kmenů, kteří požírají příslušníky druhých kmenů padší jim do rukou.

Also written:Australie cz Australien de

Literature
Lourdesnn flag
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lourdes.jpg
lourdes.png

Leopold Kolísek, 1907

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Jean Gaignet, 1875

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Čech,1.6.1910

Lourdes is mentioned by Švejk through the adjective "lurdský". This is in the anecdote aboute the dean who didn't believe in the antipodeans. In this case the water of Lourdes was the theme.

The town reappears in [III.4] on the march from Sanok to the front, through The song of Lourdes.

Background

Lourdes is one of the most popular Roman-Catholic pilgrimage destination in the whole world. It is located in south-western France, not far from the border with Spain. The number of inhabitants today (2010) is around 15,000.

The song of Lourdes

The song is printed in full in the book První česká pouť do Lurd roku 1903 (The first Czech pilgrimage to Lourdes in the year 1903) and in the successor from 1907. Both books are written by father Leopold Kolísek.

The novel quotes sixteen of the sixty original verses and these are with a few exceptions reproduced to the letter by the author. The major difference is the refrain, and the first line on some of the verses. He also adds a verse that is not found in the books about the pilgrimages. The verses that appear in the novel are the following: 1, 2, 4, 7, 9, 24, 25, 50, 29, 30, 41, 53, 54, 57, 52 and 60. The somewhat changed verse order and the odd textual discrepancy indicates that the author used other sources than Kolísek's book.

The earliest printed copy in French that has been identified is a small book from 1875 that was written by the abbot Jean Gaignet (1839-1914). Gaignet is therefore no doubt the author of the original lyrics but the music may have been added later. The title of the song varies but is mostly known as l'Ave Maria de Lourdes. Gaignet's version from 1875 is called Cantique-récit de l'apparition de N.-D. de Lourdes en six dizaines de strophes. He wrote the lyrics in 1873[a].

The Czech lyrics do not correspond to the original French version, and is more aligned with the German lyrics from which it presumably has been translated. It is in any case not uncommon that verse lyrics are adapted to make rhyme and rhythm fit. An advert in the Catholic newspaper Čech in 1910 revealed that two versions of the Czech text existed: one complete text across four pages but also a shorter version printed on a single page. The first is listed as a translation done by Beneš Method Kulda (1820-1903). The same man is also behind the short version but it has not been possible to locate any copy that may confirm that this was the one Jaroslav Hašek used.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.12] Vono by jich tam patřilo víc. ,U uršulinek’ mají v klášteře lahvičku s mlékem panny Marie, kterým kojila Ježíška, a v sirotčinci u Benešova, když jim tam přivezli lurdskou vodu, dostali po ní sirotkové takovou běhavku, že to svět neviděl.“
[III.4] Zatímco se všichni čtyři vypravili na cestu, objevil se u kumpanie pan místní plebán a rozdával vojákům dle jich národnosti lísteček s „Lourdskou písní“ ve všech jazycích.

Sources: Leopold Kolísek

Also written:Lurdy cz

Literature
References
aCe prêtre vendéen qui créa l'Ave Maria de LourdesBenoît Guérin
Gotthard Passnn flag
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Gotthard Pass is mentioned by the pious field chaplain after he has consumed a number of potent drinks.

Background

Gotthard Pass is a mountain pass in the Alps that is located slightly south of the border between the cantons Uri and Ticino. The pass has lost much of its importance since the tunnel beneath it was opened in 1980. There is also a railway tunnel under the pass.

The chaplains somewhat nebulous monologue suggests that he rather has the St Bernhard pass in mind, since Saint Bernhard built mountain huts there for travellers, amongst them many pilgrims.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.12] „Sv. Ludmilu mám rád, i sv. Bernardina,“ pokračoval bývalý katecheta, „ten zachránil moc poutníků ve sv. Gotthardě.

Also written:Průsmyk svatého Gottharda cz Gotthardpass de Passo del San Gottardo it

Index Back Forward I. In the rear Hovudpersonen

13. Švejk goes to provide the last rites

Dlouhá třídann flag
MapSearch Švejkova cesta
dlouha.jpg

Pohled do Dlouhé ulice s domy (zprava) čp. 740 ('U Záplatky'), 741 ('U Červeného raka'), 743 na Starém Městě před zbořením roku 1899.

Dlouhá třída is the street where Firma Polák, trading in oil and varnish, were located. Švejk bought oil consecrated by a bishop: Hempseed oil No. 3.

Background

Dlouhá třída is a street in Staré město (Old Town), Prague. It extends from Staroměstské náměstí towards Poříčí and is one of the oldest streets in the city.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.13] V druhé chtěli telefonovat na ochrannou stanici a ve třetí mu řekl provisor, že firma Polák v Dlouhé třídě, obchod olejem a laky, bude mít rozhodně žádaný olej na skladě.

Also written:Langengasse de

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Karlova třída in 1915 (now Seifertova)

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Osudy dobrého vojáka Švejka, 1921

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Jeronýmova 324/8 (2010). This is where the first part of the novel was written in 1921.

Žižkov is mentioned 9 times in The Good Soldier Švejk.

Žižkov is here mentioned in an anecdote about a priest, but the district (in 1914 a separate city) appears several times throughout the novel without the plot ever being explicitly set here.

Amongst them is the sequence where Švejk ask for the way here and asks the maid of Oberst Kraus about the habits of the dog he is planning to steal. He also mentions Doctor Masák who helped Einjährigfreiwilliger Marek prolong his stay at Budějovická nemocnice. Žižkov is also mentioned in connection with Professor Axamit.

Background

Žižkov is an urban district and cadastral area east of the centre of Prague. Administratively it is part of Prague 3 and partly Prague 8. The district as named after the Hussite leader Jan Žižka. From 1881 to 1922 it was a city in its own right.

The first and part of the second volume of The Good Soldier Švejk was written here. Jaroslav Hašek stayed with his friend Franta Sauer at Jeronýmova 324/3 from January to August 1921. Nearby at Prokopovo náměstí there is now a statue of the author.

Demography

According to the 1910 census Žižkov had 72,173 inhabitants of which 70,174 (97 per cent) reported that they used Czech in their daily speech. The judicial district was okres Žižkov, administratively it reported to hejtmanství Žižkov.

Source:Seznam míst v království Českém(1913)

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Žižkov were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 28 (Prag) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 8 (Prag).

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.13] Na Žižkově jednou farář zmlátil jednoho slepýho, že při takovej příležitosti nesmek, a eště byl zavřenej, poněvadž mu u soudu dokázali, že není hluchoněmej, a jenom slepej, a že slyšel cinkot zvonečku a budil pohoršení, ačkoliv to bylo v noci.
[I.14] Švejk ji oslovil: „Dovolte, slečno, kudy se jde na Žižkov?“ Zastavila se a podívala se na něho, myslí-li to upřímně, a dobrácký obličej Švejkův jí řekl, že opravdu ten vojáček chce asi jít na Žižkov. Výraz její tváře změkl a ona ochotně mu vykládala, jak na ten Žižkov půjde.
[II.2] Do Budějovic byl přeložen můj pošvagřenec dr. Masák ze Žižkova a tomu mohu děkovat, že jsem se tak dlouho v nemocnici udržel.
[II.3] Ve plentě byl otvor a každej moh vidět v takovej polotmě prachvobyčejný kanape a na něm se válela jedna ženská ze Žižkova.
[II.3] Potom ještě řekl Paroubkovi, že je huncút a šaščínská bestie, tak ho milej Paroubek chyt, votlouk mu jeho pastě na myši a dráty vo hlavu a vyhodil ho ven a mlátil ho po ulici tyčí na stahování rolety až dolů na Invalidovnu a hnal ho, jak byl zdivočelej, přes Invalidovnu v Karlíně až nahoru na Žižkov, vodtud přes Židovský pece do Malešic, kde vo něj konečně tyč přerazil, takže se moh vrátit nazpátek do Libně.
[III.2] To je na Žižkově pan profesor Axamit a ten tam kopal, hledal hroby skrčenců a několik jich vybral, a voni si ho, toho flašinetáře, vodtáhly do jedný takový vykopaný mohyly a tam ho dřely a zneužívaly.
Literature
Malešicenn flag
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Malešice, 1974

Malešice is mentoned in an anecdote Švejk uses as a parallell to the persistent money lender. The soldier refers to a landlord who for any occasion can show up with a quote from the Bible. Later the place appears in the anecdote about liquor trader Paroubek.

Background

Malešice is an urban district in eastern Prague, located in Prague 10 and Prague 9 respectively. It became part of the capital in 1922.

Demography

According to the 1910 census Malešice had 1,114 inhabitants of which 1,109 (99 per cent) reported that they used Czech in their daily speech. The judicial district was okres Žižkov, administratively it reported to hejtmanství Žižkov.

Source:Seznam míst v království Českém(1913)

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Malešice were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 28 (Prag) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 8 (Prag).

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.13] V Malešicích byl jeden šenkýř, písmák, který na všechno měl citáty z Písma svatýho, a když někoho pral bejkovcem, vždycky říkal: ,Kdo šetří metly, nenávidí syna svého; ale kdo ho miluje, včas jej tresce, já ti dám prát se mi v hospodě.’“
[II.3] Potom ještě řekl Paroubkovi, že je huncút a šaščínská bestie, tak ho milej Paroubek chyt, votlouk mu jeho pastě na myši a dráty vo hlavu a vyhodil ho ven a mlátil ho po ulici tyčí na stahování rolety až dolů na Invalidovnu a hnal ho, jak byl zdivočelej, přes Invalidovnu v Karlíně až nahoru na Žižkov, vodtud přes Židovský pece do Malešic, kde vo něj konečně tyč přerazil, takže se moh vrátit nazpátek do Libně.
Bordeauxnn flag
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bordeaux1.png

Troppauer Zeitung,10.12.1893

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Zemědělské listy,31.12.1899

Bordeaux is indirectly mentioned by Feldkurat Katz when he suggests to Švejk that they prepare a Bordeaux punch.

Background

Bordeaux is a city in south western France with appx. 250,000 inhabitants (the urban area appx. 1 million). Det is centre of the wine growing region of the same name and it is this connection that makes its way into the novel.

Bordeaux-punch

This variety of punch may not be well known term today, but an internet search reveals a punch based on red wine. Bordeaux is obviously connected to the this very ingredient because the area around this French city is a famous wine growing region.

The drink was also on sale in bottles, as adverts bear witness to. The best known was a brand seems to have been E. Lichtwizt & Co from Opava (Troppau) who were also suppliers to the imperial and royal court. Even more common were concentrated flavours in bottles and these are the ones that appear in the earliest adverts. The first mention of Bordeaux-punch that can be traced in the Austrian press is from 1845 and refers to an event at Sofien-Insel in Prague (now Slovanský ostrov).

In the handwritten manuscript of The Good Soldier Švejk (page 127) Feldkurat Katz uses the term "bordeux-punč". This and some other minor errors were corrected in post-World War II editions of the novel.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.13] "Vidíte, Švejku, jak to dopadá s takovým člověkem, který nectí kněze," usmál se polní kurát. "Svatý Jan Zlatoústý řekl: ,Kdo ctí kněze, ctí Krista, kdo příkoří činí knězi, činí příkoří Kristu Pánu, jehož zástupcem právě kněz jest.` - Na zítřek musíme se dokonale připravit. Udělejte smažená vajíčka se šunkou, uvařte Bordeaux punč a potom věnujeme se rozjímání, neboť jak je v modlitbě večerní: ,Odvráceny jsou milostí boží všechny úklady nepřátel o tento příbytek.` "

Sources: Sergey Soloukh

Literature
Drinann flag
Wikipedia czdeennn MapSearch Švejkův slovník
drina.jpg

БИТКА НА ДРИНИ: 101 година од крвавих борби у Подрињу.

ДРИНА ИНФО ПОРТАЛ,8.9.2015

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Böhmerwalds Söhne im Felde,1924-1928

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About the fatal attempt to cross the Drina on 8.9.1914.

Böhmerwalds Söhne im Felde,1924-1928

Drina is first mentioned by the moneylender who pestered Feldkurat Katz. He complains that Oberleutnant Janata had been cheeky enough to get killed by the Drina, despite owing him 700 crowns.

Drina is later mentioned several times, particlularly in Királyhida where veterans relate from the campaign against Serbia in 1914. Here the author reveals that Major Wenzl had proved his utter incompetence by ordering the destruction of a pontoon-bridge across Drina despite of the fact that half his battalion were stranded on the opposite bank.

Background

Drina is a river on the Balkans, and one the tributaries to Sava. Stretching 346 km, it is the border between Bosnia-Hercegovina and Serbia, in 1914 effectively the border between Austria-Hungary and Serbia.

IR. 91 by Drina

Infanterieregiment Nr. 91 and 9. Infanteriedivision took part of the campaign against Serbia from August to December 1914. Amongst those participating where several of the officers that Jaroslav Hašek used as models for characters in The Good Soldier Švejk: Rudolf Lukas, Čeněk Sagner, Josef Adamička, and Franz Wenzel (the latter from mid August). As an officer's servant František Strašlipka presumably accompanied Lukas already then.

The regiment arrived on Gunja by the Sava on 4 August after a three day train journey from Budějovice. They immediately continued by ship and foot to the assembly area by Bjelina (now Bijeljina), where they arrived the next day. On 12 August they crossed the river on pontoon bridges by Novoselo and took part on the bloody battle of Cer from 16 to 19 August. Suffering heavy losses they withdrew and were back on the Bosnian bank on the river by 20 August.

On 8 September 1914 the division took part in another attempt to invade Serbia, during the so-called battle of Drina. This time the point of crossing the river was by the confluence with Sava. It ended in disaster, and IR. 91 lost more than 700 men dead, wounded and missing. Although initially able to cross on pontoon bridges, they were forced back, and in the night they were ordered to retreat across the river. But the bridges had been destroyed, and subjected to devastating Serbian fire, panic broke out. Many threw themselves into the river and nearly all of them drowned. They remained on the west bank of the Drina until 26 September when they were transferred to the northern bank of the Sava. This was the last time they were stationed by this river.

E.E. Kisch

The famous reporter Egon Erwin Kisch kept a diary during him time with Infanterieregiment Nr. 11 in Serbia. His regiment, recruited from the Písek military district, belonged, like Infanterieregiment Nr. 91, to 9. Infanteriedivision and took part in the same battles under the same circumstances. In this moving and well-written book, Schreib das auf Kisch!, the author describes the hardship and sufferings the soldiers were subjected to, about the horrendous losses, about the incompetence at all levels, morally deprived officers, about chaos and confusion, about the false description on the real situation that people at home were served. The book contains plenty that readers of The Good Soldier Švejk will recognise.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.13] Nadporučík Janata dluhoval mně 700 korun a odvážil se padnout na Drině.
[II.3] Švejk seděl na odestlané posteli nadporučíkově a naproti němu seděl na stole sluha majora Wenzla. Major se opět vrátil k regimentu, když byla v Srbsku konstatována jeho úplná neschopnost na Drině.
[II.4] To jsme stáli na Drině. A jednou v noci, když byl pryč, tak někomu napadlo šťourat se v jeho věcech, a pacholek měl v ruksaku celý tři krabičky po stovce športek.
[II.4] Potom jsme na něho navlíkli jeho ruksak i s cigaretama a hodili ho pěkně do Driny. Kdopak by takový cigarety kouřil. Ráno byla po něm sháňka."
[II.4] Každej den někdo zmizel, a ani už to z Driny nelovili. Plaval tam nadmutej čúžák vedle našeho rozflákanýho landveráka hezky po Drině do Dunaje. Někteří nezkušení, když to viděli ponejprv, tak dostali malinkou horečku.

Sources: Gustav Jungbauer, Rudolf Kießwetter, Egon Erwin Kisch, VÚA

Also written:Дрина sr

Literature
Rawa Ruskann flag
Wikipedia czdeennnplruuk MapSearch Švejkův slovník
ravaruska.jpg

The railway station

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Kaiserbericht, 11.9.1914

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Finljandskaja Gazeta,15.9.1914

Rawa Ruska is mentioned by the persisting money-lender when he complains to the reluctant Feldkurat Katz that captain Hauptmann Wichterle had let himself get killed by his own soldiers despite owing 2000 crowns.

Background

Rawa Ruska is the Polish name of Рава-Руська (Rava-Ruska), a town and railway junction in Galicia, near the current border between Ukraine and Poland. The city is administratively part of Lviv oblast, Until 1918 it was part of Austria-Hungary, in the inter-war period it belonged to Polen, since 1945 the Soviet Union and from 1991 Ukraine.

Rawa Ruska was during Austria-Hungary rule part of Ergänzungsbezirk Nr. 30 that again belonged to Korpsbezirk Nr. 11 (both Lwów). Infantry soldiers from the area would this have been enrolled in Infanterieregiment Nr. 30.

The battle of Rawa Ruska

The fragment from the novel refers to the battle of Rawa Ruska that took place from 6 to 11 September 1914 between the armies of Austria-Hungary and Russia.

The outcome was a catastrophic defeat for k.u.k. Wehrmacht who were forced to withdraw to a defensive line along the river San and the Carpathians range, and in effect abandon most of Galicia. Hardest hit was Brudermann's third army. The withdrawal started in the early hours of 12 September and on that day Russian forces occupied Rawa Ruska itself. One of the casualties of the battle was Herbert Conrad von Hötzendorf, son of Chief of General Staff, Feldmarschall Conrad.

The Central Powers were only to return on 21 June 1915 when the town was conquered by German troops.

Demography

According to the 1910 census Rawa Ruska had 10 440 inhabitants. The judicial district was Gerichtsbezirk Rawa Ruska, administratively it reported to Bezirkshauptmannschaft Rawa Ruska.

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Rawa Ruska were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 89 (Gródek) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 34 (Jaroslau).

Deutsche Heeresbericht, 21. Juni 1915

Die Armeen des Generalobersten v. Mackensen kämpfen um Lemberg und Zolkiew; Rawa-Ruska ist in unserer Hand. Westlich Rawa-Ruska wurde der Feind gestern von deutschen Truppen angegriffen und geworfen.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.13] Hejtman Wichterle, dluhující mně stejný obnos, dal se zabít pod Ruskou Ravou vlastními vojáky.

Also written:Ruská Rava Hašek Rawa-Ruska de Рава-Русская ru Рава-Руська ua

Literature
Carpathiansnn flag
Wikipedia deenru MapSearch
karpaty.jpg

Wiener Bilder,3.1.1915

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Světová válka 1914-1915 slovem a obrazem, s.519

karpaty4.png

Prager Tagblatt,5.5.1915

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Lage und Verteilung der Kräfte 1. Mai 1915. Österreich-Ungarns letzter Krieg II, Beilage 15.

Carpathians is mentioned by the money lender who pestered Feldkurat Katz, because yet another officer who owed him money had been killed there. In the same chapter there is a description of two soldiers dying at Vojenská nemocnice na Karlově náměstí. Both had been shot in the stomach.

Carpathians also appears in [I.14] as Oberleutnant Lukáš enters the plot. Švejk reads about events there in the paper when he accompanies Katy Wendler to the barracks where Lukáš teaches one-year volunteers. Later in the chapter the mountains are mentioned by Lukáš in the conversation with hop trader Wendler.

From [III.1] the Carpathians and places in the mountains are mentioned frequently by soldiers who have been there with previous march battalions and tell their stories.

In [III.4] the plot takes place in the Carpathians. See Łupków Pass.

Background

Carpathians is the easternmost of the great mountain ranges of Europe. It extends 1,500 km on the territory of Romania, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Ukraine, Austria, Serbia and Hungary.

In September 1914 Russian forces pushed into the northern part of the mountain range and in early October they tried to break through the Uszok pass. In November they occupied Humenné for a short while and also entered Hungarian territory in Maramaros (now Maramureș in Romania).

The winter battle

The winter battle in the Carpathians started in December 1914 and lasted until March 1915. The Uszok pass was captured by the Russians in December and Dukla was also for a long time controlled by the Russian army. A third important spot was Lupkow where fierce fighting took place during the winter. In reaching the Laborec valley Russian forces crossed the Karpatane but never managed to force their way through to the Hungarian plain.

K.u.k. Heer attempted several offensives throughout the winter, but the two armies that were involved (2nd and 3rd) were poorly equipped for a winter war and more men froze to death than fell victims of enemy bullets. The Russians also suffered horrendous losses, made worse by the tactic of sending human waves towards the enemy, a tactic the due to machine gun fire ended in mass slaughter.

Gorlice-Tarnów

The end of the war in the Carpathians came in early May 1915 after the Central Powers' advance during and after the battle of Gorlice-Tarnów. Under German command the SEN forced the Russians away from the mountains.

IR. 91 in the Carpathians
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IR. 91 left the transport trains by Nagy-Berezna 7 February 1915.

Böhmerwalds Söhne im Felde,1924-1928

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IR. 91 in Jaworzec, March 1915.

Fond Jan Ev. Eybl.

© SOkA Beroun

Three battalions (2nd, 3rd and 4th) of Infanterieregiment Nr. 91 fought in the Carpathians from 7 February 1915 until the first week of May. Thereafter they marched across the mountains and pursued the enemy in the direction of Sambor. IR. 91 operated within a relatively small area, near the current border triangle between Slovakia, Poland and Ukraine (see Východní Beskydy).

Commander of the regiment at the time was Oberst Alfred Steinsberg who 1 February 1915 had been transferred from the sister regiment IR73 who belonged to the same division (9th). During the hard winter the cold was often a bigger problem than the enemy. This is reflected in the anecdotes veterans from the Carpathians tell in the novel.

At least four of the real-life models of characters from Švejk served here: Rudolf Lukas, Jan Vaněk, Josef Adamička and Jan Eybl. The former two were wounded in early March and only rejoined the regiment on 11 July with the XII. Marschbataillon. The more peripheral Oberleutnant Wurm also served there, from March 1915.

In Jan Eybl's archive valuable photos from this period exists. Most of them are from Jaworzec where IR. 91 staff was located in March 1915. Eybl's diaries cover the whole period the regiment stayed in the Carpathians.

After 2 May 1915 the situation changed. The Central Power's breakthrough victory by Gorlice-Tarnów forced the Russians away from the mountain range and IR. 91 was among the units that pursued the enemy across the river San and in the direction of Sambor. The regiment marched off from their positions by Kistopolya and Oroszpatak on 4 May, crossed the San a week later and by 15 May they have reached the area by Sambor.

Press quotes
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Světová válka 1914-1915 slovem i obrazem, page 505

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Světová válka 1914-1915 slovem i obrazem, page 508

In [I.14] there are two near literal quotes from Kronika světové války regarding the Carpathians. These are amongst many snippets from this publication that appear in this part of the novel.

The first quote regards Švejk's considerations at the gate of the barracks where he accompanied Katy Wendler. Almost word for word identical quotes are found in "Kronika" at page 505. It deals with events on 26 March 1915.

The second borrowed quote appears in the conversation between Oberleutnant Lukáš and hop trader Wendler where the officer states that a breakthrough of the Russian front between middle Dunajec and the ridge of the Carpathians will definitely end the war. The source is Kronika světové války page 508 and refers to events by Dunajec on 2 May 1915, the first day of the Gorlice-Tarnów offensive.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.13] Ten padne v Karpatech s mou nezaplacenou směnkou, ten jde do zajetí, ten se mně utopí v Srbsku, ten umře v Uhrách ve špitále.
[I.13] Po posledním pomazání ve vojenské nemocnici toužili dva. Jeden starý major a jeden bankovní disponent, důstojník v záloze. Oba dostali kulku do břicha v Karpatech a leželi vedle sebe.
[I.14.4] Švejk posadil se na lavici ve vratech a vykládal, že v bitevní frontě karpatské se útoky vojska ztroskotaly, na druhé straně však že velitel Přemyšlu, generál Kusmanek, přijel do Kyjeva a že za námi zůstalo v Srbsku jedenáct opěrných bodů a že Srbové dlouho nevydrží utíkat za našimi vojáky.
[I.14.5] Zatímco masy vojsk připnuté na lesích u Dunajce i Rábu stály pod deštěm granátů a velkokalibrová děla roztrhávala celé setniny a zasypávala je v Karpatech a obzory na všech bojištích hořely od požárů vesnic i měst, prožíval nadporučík Lukáš se Švejk nepříjemnou idylu s dámou, která utekla svému muži a dělala nyní domácí paní.
[I.14.5] Jakmile však prolomíme ruskou frontu mezi karpatským hřbetem a středním Dunajcem, není nijaké pochybnosti, že bude to znamenat konec války.
[I.14.5] V karpatských úsecích, jak vidíte, máme velkou oporu.
[II.2] Přesunutí našich vojsk ve východní Haliči dalo původ k tomu, že některé ruské vojenské části; překročivše Karpaty, zaujaly pozice ve vnitrozemí naší říše, čímž fronta byla přesunuta hlouběji k západu mocnářství.
[II.2] Černožluté obzory počaly se zatahovat mraky revoluce. Na Srbsku, v Karpatech; přecházely batalióny k nepříteli. 28. regiment, 11. regiment.
[II.3] Tam budou formírovat maršbatalióny, vojáci se vycvičí v polní střelbě, se perou se s Maďary a vesele pojedeme do Karpat.

Sources: Österreich-Ungarns letzter Krieg, Norman Stone, Rudolf Kießwetter, Jan Ev. Eybl

Also written:Karpaty cz Karpaten de Карпаты ru Карпати ua

Literature
Českomoravská vysočinann flag
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vysocina.png

From the book "Českomoravská vysočina", 1909.

vysocina1.jpg

Vysočina in 2017. View from Lipnice castle.

Českomoravská vysočina (mostly called only Vysočina - The Highland) is mentioned by the author when he describes a group of soldiers with Švejk at the forefront holding a discussion. Then a young soldier from Vysočina who still believed in God entered the discussion. The conversation took place at Vojenská nemocnice na Karlově náměstí.

Background

Českomoravská vysočina is a historical term for the geographical area that is now called Českomoravská vrchovina (Bohemian-Moravian Highlands).The area roughly corresponds to the modern administrative region of Kraj Vysočina but is slightly bigger. The administrative centre in the modern Vysočina is Jihlava.

Hašek and Vysočina

The highlands are strongly associated with Jaroslav Hašek, mainly because most of The Good Soldier Švejk was written here, more precisely at Lipnice. This is also where he died and where his grave still is. His descendants have since 2003 been running U české koruny, the inn where the author lived from August 1921 to October 1922.

Hašek knew the region well, also from his trips before the war, and mentions several places from Vysočina in the novel. Apart from Lipnice itself he mentions Posázaví, Německý Brod, Chotěboř, Skuteč, Okrouhlice, Kejžlice, Jihlava, Pelhřimov, Jedouchov, Dolní Královice, Velké Meziříčí.

It should be added that when the author wrote this passage of the novel he had not yet moved to Lipnice nad Sázavou.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.13] Nějaký mladičký vojáček z Českomoravské vysočiny, který ještě věřil v pánaboha, prosil, aby se o takových věcech nevedly řeči a aby se svatá tajemství nezatahovala do debaty. Musíme křesťansky doufat.

Also written:Bohemian-Moravian Highlands en Böhmisch-Mährische Höhe de

Literature
Carthagenn flag
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kartago.jpg

Das interessante Blatt,5.6.1913

Carthage is mentioned by a soldier who is a teacher in civilian life. It concerns how sun spots can cause disasters on earth, as the conquest of Carthage. The conversation took place at the military hospital at Karlovo náměstí (see Vojenská nemocnice na Karlově náměstí).

Carthage is mentioned again by Einjährigfreiwilliger Marek, where he in the arrest in Budějovice tells how his complacency led to his expulsion from the officer's school.

Background

Carthage was an ancient city state at the coast of North Africa, south of Lake of Tunis in modern Tunisia. At its prime it is believed to have had up to 700,000 inhabitants. The Phoenician city was an important sea power.

The city was destroyed by the Romans after the Punic Wars in 146 BC and this is the event both conversations in the novel refers to.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.13] Jeden voják, učitel z povolání, jako by četl jeho myšlenky, poznamenal: „Někteří učenci vysvětlují válku objevením se skvrn na slunci. Jakmile taková skvrna se udělá, tak přijde vždy něco hrozného. Dobytí Karthaga...“
[II.2] Svou zpověď zakončil jednoroční dobrovolník slavnostně: „Došlo i na Karthago, z Ninive udělali zříceniny, milý příteli, ale hlavu vzhůru! Ať si nemyslí, že když mne pošlou na front, že dám jednu ránu. Regimentsraport! Vyloučení ze školy!

Also written:Karthago Hašek Kartágo cz Karthago de

Literature
Mount Peléenn flag
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montpelee.jpg

Saint-Pierre after the eruption in 1902.

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Le Journal,4.5.1902

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Národní listy, 15.5.1902

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Gudbrandsdølen, 10.5.1902

Mount Pelée and the volcanic eruption here "that time" is the theme in a dialogue at the military hospital (see Vojenská nemocnice na Karlově náměstí) where Švejk and Feldkurat Katz administer the last rites to wounded soldiers. The conversation circles around sunspots and that some professor had written in Národní politika that years ago he had warned that sunspots cause disasters on planet earth.

Background

Mount Pelée is a volcano at the north-western part of the French Caribbean island Martinique. It had an explosive eruption on 8 May 1902 that caused an estimated 30,000 casualties. The island's main city, Saint-Pierre, was totally destroyed and only few of its citizens survived. Švejk is however imprecise when he claims that the eruption destroyed the whole island of Martinique. It was mainly Saint-Pierre and the northern part of the island that were hit.

Already early that year volcanic activity was observed and on 23 April 1902 the eruption started. Early in May the situation had become serious, with ash raining down on the surrounding areas. In the morning of 4 May there was a larger eruption, resulting in a mudslide that destroyed a sugar factory and caused the death of at least 23 people. Many had already been killed by poisonous insects and snakes that fled from the area around the volcano. The same day the governor informed the French minister of colonies about the eruption, and the press around the world now reported the event (including newspapers in Vienna).

Then within a few days the great disaster struck. On 8 May at 7:52 in the morning the volcano literally exploded and dispatched a cloud of burning ash and gases (pyroclastic flow) towards Saint-Pierre. It took only one minute for the cloud to hit the city where it killed the inhabitants instantaneously. They died by the heat and the shock wave. Everything flammable caught fire and the city was levelled to the ground. Ships anchoring in the harbour were also destroyed. During the summer smaller eruptions caused further destruction and loss of human life.

The professor

The professor that the good soldier refers to was by near certainty Professor Zenger.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.13] Když tenkrát ta sopka Mont-Pellé zničila celý ostrov Martinique, jeden profesor psal v ,Národní politice’, že už dávno upozorňoval čtenáře na vekou skvrnu na slunci.

Sources: Simone Chrétien

Also written:Mont-Pellé Hašek Mont Pelée cz

Literature
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martinique.jpg

Saint-Pierre today.

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Wiener Zeitung,4.5.1902

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Národní politika,2.10.1902

Martinique sunspots and the eruption at Mount Pelée is the theme of the dialogue at the military hospital where Švejk and Feldkurat Katz administer the last rites. Švejk connects the disaster to sunspot activity based on what he had read in Národní politika where a professor wrote that he already had warned about a big sunspot.

Background

Martinique is and island in the Small Antilles in the Carribean Sea and a French overseas département. The island is located about 450 north east of the South American coast and 700 km south east of the Dominican Republic. The island is as part of France, member of the EU, and the currency is Euro. The population count in 2014 was around 384,000.

Disastrous eruption

The volcanic eruption referred to in the novel happened on 8 May 1902 and was reported in Czech newspapers two days later. See Mount Pelée for more information about the disaster.

The professor

The professor that the good soldier refers to was by near certainty Professor Zenger.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.13] Když tenkrát ta sopka Mont-Pellé zničila celý ostrov Martinique, jeden profesor psal v ,Národní politice’, že už dávno upozorňoval čtenáře na velkou skvrnu na slunci.

Also written:Martinik cz

Literature
Index Back Forward I. In the rear Hovudpersonen

14. Švejk as military servant to senior lieutenant Lukáš

Na Zderazenn flag
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nazderaze.jpg

Pohled do ulice Na Zderaze uprostřed s domem čp. 271 na Novém Městě na nároží s ulicí Na Zbořenci.

Na Zderaze is mentioned by Švejk in his long story about the big card-playing session. This was in connection with himself having been gambled away by Feldkurat Katz and therefore now became the servant of Oberleutnant Lukáš. The big winner in the card-playing anecdote, old tinsmith Vejvoda, lived in this street. The session took place in a pub behind Stoletá kavárna.

Na Zderaze appears again in [III.2] during a conversation between Švejk, Oberleutnant Lukáš and Offiziersdiener Baloun in Budapest. The good soldier tells a petrified Baloun that he had read in the papers that a whole family had been poisoned by liver paté there.

Background

Na Zderaze is a street in Nové město between Karlovo náměstí and Vltava. It stretches parallel to the river from Myslíkova ulice to Resslova ulice. Next to Stoletá kavárna and Na Zbořenci the street splits in two. The steet Na Zbořenci behind Stoletá kavárna was the likely location of the tavern where the famous game of cards took place.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.14.1] Na Zderaze žil nějakej klempíř Vejvoda a ten hrával vždy mariáš jedné hospodě za ,Stoletou kavárnou’.
[III.2] Já jsem čet několikrát v novinách, že se celá rodina votrávila játrovou paštikou. Jednou na Zderaze,jednou v Berouně, jednou v Táboře, jednou v Mladé Boleslavi, jednou v Příbrami.
Literature
Myslíkova ulicenn flag
Wikipedia cz MapSearch
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Kopřivy, 29.4.1909

Myslíkova ulice is mentioned in the anecdote about the great card-playing party in the pub behind Stoletá kavárna. Old tinsmith Vejvoda went to ask for help from the patrolling police in this street after winning to the extent that the other card players started to make it unpleasant for him.

Background

Myslíkova ulice is a street in Nové město that stretches from Spálená ulice down towards Vltava. One of the side streets is Na Zderaze.

Myslíkova ulice is a street Jaroslav Hašek would have known very well. Not only was it in the middle of his stomping ground in Praha II. - number 15 housed the editorial offices and print-works of Kopřivy (Nettles) and Právo lidu (The Peoples Right), publications of the Czechoslavic Social Democratic Labour Party. Hašek contributed frequently to both publications in 1913 and 1914.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.14.1] A jen tak bez klobouku vyběh na ulici a přímo do Myslíkovy ulice pro strážníky. Našel patrolu a oznámil jí, že v tej a tej hospodě hrajou hazardní hru.
Literature
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Světozor,2.12.1910

Monte Carlo is mentioned in the anecdote about the great card-playing party of old tinsmith Vejvoda. The police inspector though this was worse than Monte Carlo.

Background

Monte Carlo is the most prosperous district of the Principality of Monaco and is best known for its casino that indirectly is referred to in the novel.

The districts road to fame started in 1863 when the current casino was completed. The same year the well known financier François Blanc (1806-1877), until then director of the casino in Bad Homburg, was hired to manage the casino. It still took many years before Monte Carlo became a household name for gambling, but by the outbreak of World War I it was already famous world wide.

In the manuscript Jaroslav Hašek spelt the name Monte Karlo but during a "clean-up" of The Good Soldier Švejk in the early 1950's, this and some other "oddities" were corrected. The inter-war issues of the novel, published by Adolf Synek, kept Hašek's original spelling.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.14.1] ,Tohle jsem ještě nežral,’ řekl policejní inspektor, když viděl takový závratný sumy, tohle je horší než Monte Karlo.

Also written:Monte Karlo Hašek

Literature
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chodov.jpg

Chodov, 1908

chodov2.png

Kopřivy,1.1.1914

Chodov is mentioned in a song that Feldkurat Katz' new servant sings after considerable intake of strong drinks.

Background

Chodov is the name of four places in Bohemia, one on the outskirts of Prague and the three others in the west of the country. The text in the quote is picked from five different folk songs[a]. The first line is from a song from the Chodsko region near the border with Bavaria, so here it certainly refers to Chodov by Domažlice.

In 1913 Chodov belonged to hejtmanství Domažlice and the like-named okres. The population count was 1,947 and all but one were registered with Czech as their mother tongue. The community consisted of the villages Chodov, Trhanov and Pec.

Re-used text

The song-fragment from the book had already been used by Jaroslav Hašek. On New Years Day 1914 Kopřivy printed A story about a proper man but here the author uses Domažlice instead of Chodov.

Demography

According to the 1910 census Chodov had 1,947 inhabitants of which 1,945 (99 per cent) reported that they used Czech in their daily speech. The judicial district was okres Domažlice, administratively it reported to hejtmanství Domažlice.

Source:Seznam míst v království Českém(1913)

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Chodov were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 35 (Pilsen) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 7 (Pilsen).

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.14.1] Švejk s novým mužem strávili noc příjemně vařením grogu. K ránu stál tlustý infanterista sotva na nohou a pobručoval si jen podivnou směs z různých národních písní, která se mu spletla dohromady:
Okolo Chodova teče vodička, šenkuje tam má milá pivečko červený. Horo, horo, vysoká jsi, šly panenky silnicí, na Bílé hoře sedláček oře.

Sources: Jaroslav Šerák

Also written:Meigelshof de

Literature
References
aOkolo Chodova - směs českých lidovýchJaroslav Šerák
Bílá Horann flag
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bilahora.jpg

Světozor, , 7.11.1913

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Sokolský zpěvník, 1909

bilahora.png

Ottův slovník naučný

Bílá Hora is mention in the song Feldkurat Katz's new putzfleck sings after consuming solid quantities of strong drink.

Background

Bílá Hora (White Mountain) is a hill on the western outskirts of Prague, between Smíchov, Břevnov and Ruzyně. Until 1922 it belonged to the village Řepy in hejtmanství and okres Smíchov, and in the ninteen-sixties it became part of the captial.

It is primarily known for the battle on 8 November 1620 that effectively ended Czech independence. Habsburg rule followed and lasted until 1918. The battle is regarded as one of the most important events of the Thirty Year War (1618-1648).

The text in the quote is picked from five different folk songs, also pointed out by the author himself. The line featured here is from the well known folk song "Na Bílé Hoře" (At White Mountain)[a]. See also Chodov.

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Bílá Hora were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 28 (Prag) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 8 (Prag).

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.14.1] Švejk s novým mužem strávili noc příjemně vařením grogu. K ránu stál tlustý infanterista sotva na nohou a pobručoval si jen podivnou směs z různých národních písní, která se mu spletla dohromady:
Okolo Chodova teče vodička, šenkuje tam má milá pivečko červený. Horo, horo, vysoká jsi, šly panenky silnicí, na Bílé hoře sedláček oře.
[II.3] My si sedneme naproti nim, jen jsme si überšvunky položili před sebe na stůl, a povídáme si: ,Vy pacholci, my vám dáme láňok,’ a nějakej Mejstřík, kerej měl ploutev jako Bílá hora, se hned nabíd, že si půjde zatančit a že nějakýmu syčákovi vezme holku z kola.

Sources: Jaroslav Šerák

Also written:White Mountain en Weiße Berg de

Literature
References
aOkolo Chodova - směs českých lidovýchJaroslav Šerák
Toledonn flag
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toledo.jpg

Toledo en las fotos de Thomas (1884, 1910)

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Světozor, , 13.1.1911

Toledo is mentioned as the Hertugen av Count Almavira is supposed to have eaten his servant Fernando during the siege of the city. In Budapest, Einjährigfreiwilliger Marek makes a similar reference, but the siege is now of Madrid and the Napoleonic wars are mentioned explicitly.

Background

Toledo is a historic city in Spain, 70 km south of Madrid. In 1986 the city was entered as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The city prospered in medieval times, and was for a while capital of Castilla. Today the city is capital of the Castilla-La Mancha region and a major tourist attraction.

The historical event in question could be from 930 to 932 when the city was encircled by the Moors during a Christian uprising. After a two year siege it surrendered due to hunger.

Jesús Carrobles Santos, "Historia de Toledo", 1997

Durante dos años se mantuvo el asedio a Toledo. Sus habitantes, como ya habían hecho en otras ocasiones, volvieron a solicitar ayuda militar cristiana, esta vez a Ramiro II. Pero el ejército que éste envió fue derrotado por las tropas omeyas. Aislados del exterior y acosados por el hambre, los toledanos tuvieron que rendirse. De esta manera, el 2 de agosto del 932, Abd al-Rahmán III entró a caballo en la ciudad donde estableció una numerosa guarnición, aunque no adoptó represalias ni medidas de castigo.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.14.2] Našli bychom tam, že vévoda z Almaviru snědl svého vojenského sluhu při obležení Toleda z hladu bez soli..
Literature
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Leitfaden zur Manipulation bei den Unter-Abtheilungen der k.k. Landarmee, 1876

Swabia is indirectly mentioned by the author in the chapter about officer's servants. He mentions an old Swabian book about the art of warfare where it is described which personal traits an officer's servant is required to posses. It is not a small deal, he has to be a model human being.

Background

Swabia is a historical region in southern Germany that spans the borders of the current states Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. The principal cities in the area are Stuttgart, Ulm and Augsburg.

Type fonts

The author refers to an old Swabian book on the art of warfare, but it is not known what book he refers to. In Czech the expression švabach (Swabian writing) is often (imprecisely) used as a term for the old German type fonts (Frakturschrift) so the book is not necessarily of Swabian origin at all. At the author's time nearly all German-language newspaper and books used "Fraktur" fonts so he could in principle have referred to any old book in German about the art of waging war. The English translator of The Good Soldier Švejk, Cecil Parrott, evidently assumes this when he translates the phrase to "an old German book".

Jaroslav Hašek visited Swabia in 1904 and eventually wrote a few humorous stories from his travels here. Sjå Bavaria.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.14.2] Ve staré švábské knize o umění vojenském nalézáme též pokyny pro vojenské sluhy. Pucflek staré doby měl býti zbožný, ctnostný, pravdomluvný, skromný, statečný, odvážný, poctivý, pracovitý. Zkrátka měl to být vzor člověka.

Also written:Švábsko cz

Literature
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Graz. Hauptplatz. Um 1910.

© IMAGNO/Austrian Archives

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Arbeiterwille, 10.6.1912

Graz is mentioned by the author in the chapter about officer's servants. Here he recounts a trial in Graz in 1912 against a captain who had kicked his servant to death and had escaped without punishment "because it was only the second time he did it".

Graz is mentioned late in the novel in connection with Ratskeller.

Background

Graz is the second largest city on Austria and the capital of Styria. The city has appx. 250,000 inhabitants (2006). In 1910 the population counted almost 200,000.

Garrison city

Graz hosted the headquarters of 3. Armeekorps that recruited from Styria, all of current Slovenia and from smaller areas that is currently on Italian and Croat territory (Trieste og Istria). The recruitment districts with correspondingly numbered infantry regiments, were: 27 (Graz), 7 (Klagenfurt), 47 (Maribor), 17 (Ljubljana), 87 (Celje) and 97 (Trieste).

Officer's servants

It has not been possible to find a direct parallel to the case from 1912 about the captain who allegedly kicked his servant to death and was acquitted. Most probably the story is a product of the author's imagination and his tendency to grotesque exaggerations. That said the newspaper that year wrote about several other incidents where officer's servants were involved. There are reports about servants who stole from their officers, servants who committed suicide, and one servant who failed in an attempt to kill his superior and thereafter failed in killing himself.

An article in the Graz newspaper Arbeiterwille from 1912 deals with a case where an officer's servant commits suicide after being harassed over time and finally unjustly accused of having stolen five tins of conserves. The article also puts the tragedy in a greater perspective. It deals in more general terms with the hopeless situation of the army servant. He was obliged to serve not only his superior officer but also the family. If the situation became unbearable he couldn't simply quit his post as his civilian colleague could. The article advocates scrapping the whole institution of officer's servants, and moreover has certain parallels to the author's own description of the status of the officer's servant.

Concentration camp

During World War I Thalerhof by Graz was the site of the only concentration camp in the Austrian part of the Dual Empire (there were two in Hungary). See Steinhof.

Demography

According to the 1910 census Graz had 151 781 inhabitants.

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Graz were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 27 (Graz) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 3 (Graz).

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.14.2] Roku 1912 byl ve Štyrském Hradci proces, při kterém vynikající úlohu hrál jeden hejtman, který ukopal svého pucfleka.
[IV.1] Všechny lidi, který potkával na ulici, viděl buď na nádraží v Miláně, nebo s nimi seděl ve Štýrským Hradci v radničním sklepě při víně.

Also written:Štýrský Hradec cz

Literature
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Das interessante Blatt,13.4.1916

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Le journal de Geneve,12.6.1916

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Haugesunds avis,13.6.1916

Dubno is mentioned when the author describes an officer's servant who was captured by the Russians. He dragged enormous amounts of luggage Dubno to Darnytsia and on to Tashkent where he pegged out from typhus on the top of the heap.

In the same section Hašek mentions "storming" Dubno which presumably refers to the events on 8 September 1915.

Background

Dubno (ukr. Дубно, rus. Дубно) is a city in the Volhynia province of Ukraine, until 1917 part of the Russian Volhynia governate. The city is located 15 km south of Chorupan where Jaroslav Hašek was captured on 24 September 1915. The area by Dubno had at the time a considerable number of Czech immigrants. See Zdolbunov.

Dubno was strategically important due to its fortress and the railway connections to the north and south. Austro-Hungarian forces entered the city on 8 September 1915 after an unexpected Russian withdrawal[a]. The latter re-conquered Dubno on 10 June 1916 during the Brusilov offensive[b].

Dubious claim

The city's web page claims that Jaroslav Hašek visited in 1915[c]. This seems improbable as Dubno was on Austrian hands at the time when the author was in the area. It is much more likely that he visited in 1916 and 1917 when the city was back in Russian hands and the author travelled in the aera, both as a reporter and from May 1917 as an ordinary soldier.

Österreich-Ungarns letzter Krieg, Band III

Schon am Vormittag 8.9.1915 langte beim 4. Armeekmdo. die überraschende Nachricht ein, daß Dubno vom Feinde preisgegeben sei und die Ikwabrücken bei der Stadt in Flammen stünden.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.14.2] Viděl jsem jednoho zajatého důstojnického sluhu, který od Dubna šel s druhými pěšky až do Dárnice za Kyjevem.
[I.14.2] Dnes jsou důstojničtí sluhové roztroušení po celé naší republice a vypravují o svých hrdinných skutcích. Oni šturmovali Sokal, Dubno, Niš, Piavu.

Sources: Österreich-Ungarns letzter Krieg

Also written:Дубно ru Дубно ua

Literature
References
aDie Festung Dubno genommenWiener allgemeine Zeitung9.9.1915
bFrån östra krigsskådeplatsenTammerfors Nyheter13.6.1916
cІсторія містаДубенська міська рада
Darnytsiann flag
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Za svobodu,1925

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Nový velký ilustrovaný slovník naučný,1930

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Elsa Brändström

Volksblatt für Stadt und Land,31.7.1932

Darnytsia is mentioned in connection with the officers servant who dragged his luggage from Dubno to Tashkent and in the end perished from typhus on top of the entire heap.

Background

Darnytsia (ukr. Дарниця) is today a district of Kiev, east of the river Dniepr. Nowadays Darnytsia is a huge suburb, dominated by high-rise apartment blocks. There is a street named after Jaroslav Hašek here.

Darnytsia was a well-known transit camp that existed from 1915. In the beginning the camp was very primitive and lacked the most basic facilities. Diseases raged and mortality rates were scaringly high. The camp was also pivotal in supplying the Czech anti-Austrian volunteer forces, who from 1916 were allowed to recruit in Russian prisoner of war camps. See České legie.

Hašek and Darnica

According to Jaroslav Kejla the author was interned in the transit camp here for three days in the autumn of 1915, probably in early October[a]. From here he was sent onwards to Totskoye in southern Ural. His prisoner card has him registered in Penza on 6 Oktober 1915. Kejla reports that the prisoners walked the 300 km from the Dubno-region to Darnytsia on foot on foot from 24 September, but this fits badly with Penza and 6 October. An explanation may be that the date is according the old Russian calendar, in which case the registration in Penza happened on 19 October.

There is also little doubt that Hašek revisited Darnytsia as a recruiter and agitator after he joined České legie in Kiev in July 1916.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.14.2] Viděl jsem jednoho zajatého důstojnického sluhu, který od Dubna šel s druhými pěšky až do Dárnice za Kyjevem.

Sources: Jaroslav Kejla, Elsa Brändström

Also written:Dárnice cz Darnitsja nn Дарница ru Дарниця ua

Literature
References
aJak to bylo v bitvě u Chorupan kde se dal Jaroslav Hašek zajmoutJaroslav Kejla1972
Kievnn flag
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Saint Sophia square

Za svobodu,1925

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Čechoslovan,31.10.1917

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Horrors of the civil war - abandoned corpses after the fighting in Kiev (1918)

Za svobodu,1926

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Legionářská stráž,23.3.1928

Kiev is mentioned 9 times in The Good Soldier Švejk.

Kiev is first mentioned when the author describes an officer's servant who was captured by the Russians. He dragged enormous amounts of luggage from Dubno to Darnytsia beyond Kiev and on to Tashkent where he pegged out from typhus on the top of the heap.

Soon after the city reappears when Švejk reads in a newspaper that "the commander of Przemyśl, general General Kusmanek, has arrived in Kiev".

During Švejk's stay in Przemyśl and his interrogation there, Kiev is mentioned no less than 7 times. Most of this occurs when a Polish informer-provoker is sent into Švejk's cell and tries to construct an incriminating story: that the two had met in Kiev.

Background

Kiev (ukr. Київ, rus. Киев) is the capital and largest city of Ukraine. It straddles both banks of the river Dnieper and has nearly 3 million inhabitants, making it the 7th largest city in Europe. The administrative centre and historic districts are located on the hills on the west bank.

Kiev was in 1914 capital of the Russian Kiev military district and "gubernia" of the same name. It had been under Russian control from the 17th century, although with a noticeable Polish footprint. The city also counted a large number of Jews.

The city and the province had a sizeable Czech immigrant community and a Czech weekly Čechoslovan was published in Kiev until February 1918. During World War I the city was, together with Paris and Petrograd, the main centre of the Czechoslovak independence movement.

Turbulent times

Until the Russian October Revolution Kiev was relatively unaffected by the war apart from the general shortages and the fact that the city was the centre of the military assembly area and an important military-administrative centre. Kiev was also the headquarters of the Russian branch of the Czechoslovak National Council (see České legie). The leader of the Czechoslovak independence movement, professor Professor Masaryk, stayed here for long periods between May 1917 and February 1918. It was in Kiev that he on 7 February 1918 signed the treaty of the transfer of the Legions from the Russian to the French army.

The Bolshevik coup in Petrograd on 7 November 1917 had far-reaching consequences for Kiev. Early in 1918 the Bolsheviks initiated military operations to gain control of Ukrainian territory, which at the time was partly controlled by the Tsentralna Rada (Central Council) of the Ukrainian National Republic. Red Guards led by Vladimir Antonov-Ovseyenko invaded the areas east of Dnieper, on 28 January they reached Kiev, and on 8 February 1918 the battle for the city was over.

The forces that entered Kiev were commanded by Mikhail A. Muravyov, a former officer in the Russian imperial army who was pivotal in defeating the forces of Kerensky who attempted to regain control of Petrograd during the October Revolution. He now acted as chief of staff for Antonov-Ovseyenko. He was a capable but brutal and megalomaniac officer. His deputy commander was Václav Fridrich, a former Czech legionnaire who had been expelled from the Legions for disciplinary reasons, and now as was imprisoned in Darnytsia, but set free by Muravyov's advancing troops. During the 10 day long siege of Kiev and ensuing occupation, a wave of terror, looting and killing followed. Muravyov later said that poison gas was used. Officers, members of the bourgeois and random inhabitants were slaughtered in their thousands. Muravyov and the atrocities of his troops became a liability for the Bolsheviks and he was transferred to the front against Romania on 28 February.

At the same time (9 February) Ukraine signed a peace treaty with the Central Powers. Professor Professor Masaryk who was staying in Kiev during this period, experienced the terror, but personally he got on well with Muravyov. With representatives for the Entente present, Masaryk and Muravyov reached an agreement that permitted the Legions to leave Ukraina unhindered and also to keep their weapons. According to Masaryk the deal was signed on 16 February.

The red reign of terror in Kiev didn't last long. On 18 February 1918 the Central Powers invaded Ukraine and already on 1 March German troops reached Kiev. The Red Guards and the Legions fled the city, and amongst those who escaped was Jaroslav Hašek.

Hašek in Kiev
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Hotel Praha hosted the editorial offices of Čechoslovan

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Revoluce,23.4.1917

Thus Jaroslav Hašek witnessed those dramatic events in Kiev in February 1918. He had stayed for long periods in the city from 28 June 1916 [a] to May 1917 and again from 15 November until the end of February 1918. He was co-editor of Čechoslovan and also had duties involving recruitment and propaganda in prisoners camps. It was in Česchoslovan he wrote Povídka o obrázu císaře Františka Josefa I (The story of the picture of Emperor FJI) who led to a process "in absentia" of high treason back in Austria. Early in 1917 he published the second version of the "Soldier Švejk", Dobrý voják Švejk v zajetí.

His time in Kiev was ridden with controversies: he was involved in a row with a Russian officer who he insulted and as a result ended up in prison. Soon after (early 1917) he was "deported" to the front and as a goodbye he published Klub českých Pickwiků (The Czech Pickwick Club) where he ridiculed some of the leaders of the Czechoslovak independence movement in Russia. From his "exile" at the front he was eventually forced to apologise in writing.

Hašek was recalled to Kiev on 15 November 1917 in order to testify against the alleged Austrian spy Alexander O. Mašek who he had earlier helped uncover. It was also in Kiev, during the first two months of 1918, that Jaroslav Hašek changed from being openly critical towards the Bolsheviks to openly sympathise with the new rulers in Petrograd. The reason for this turnaround are probably mixed but there is reason to believe that the young Communist Břetislav Hůla during this period had considerable influence on Hašek's political views. The two were both editors at Čechoslovan and travelled together to Moscow after their escape from Kiev. According to Václav Menger they were at the time very close (Menger used the expression "inseparable").

Important in understanding this shift is also that Hašek was firmly against transferring the Legions to France, and that they pulled out of Ukraine rather than fighting the Germans who were approaching Kiev. In a public meeting on 24 February he voiced his objections. He stated his point of view in detail in an article in Průkopník in Moscow on 27 March 1918.

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From Znal jsem Haška, Josef Pospíšil

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Proclamation from Václav Fridrich, Muravyov's chief of staff.

Československý deník,12.2.1918.

Josef Pospíšil relates that Hašek met the leadership of the Bolshevik occupiers of Kiev in February. He was on friendly terms with them and recognised them as very capable people. That this positive personal impression may also have contributed to the author's radicalisation. Who these leaders were is not mentioned but it must be assumed that he met Fridrich (who he surely knew) and probably also Muravyov.

The occupants also took measures that Hašek probably approved of: price control (bread became cheaper), limit on bank transactions, nationalisation of the finance sector and a one time tax on rich citizens (contribution). Ironically enough the Bolsheviks also abolished capital punishment. In general the Czechoslovaks were on good terms with the revolutionary authorities. This was during February 1918 repeatedly stated by Československý deník, the official paper of the Czechoslovak National Council in Russia.

On the wall of the former Hotel Praha, the building that hosted the editorial offices of the paper, a memorial plaque honouring the author still hangs (2010).

General Kusmanek in Kiev
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Národní listy,28.3.1915

Finally back to the quote by Švejk about general General Kusmanek in Kiev. It is authentic and copied word by word from the press. This brief quote appeared in Národní politika 4 April 1915 and was also printed elsewhere. Newspapers also provided more comprehensive information. Kusmanek arrived in Kiev on an express train, first class, on 25 March. This was only three days after the capitulation of Przemyśl. He was very well treated in Kiev and even stayed as a guest of the governor. Furthermore his stay in Kiev was of a temporary nature, he was to be sent to the inner parts of Russia for permanent internment.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.14.2] Viděl jsem jednoho zajatého důstojnického sluhu, který od Dubna šel s druhými pěšky až do Dárnice za Kyjevem.
[I.14.4] Švejk posadil se na lavici ve vratech a vykládal, že v bitevní frontě karpatské se útoky vojska ztroskotaly, na druhé straně však že velitel Přemyšlu, generál Kusmanek, přijel do Kyjeva a že za námi zůstalo v Srbsku jedenáct opěrných bodů a že Srbové dlouho nevydrží utíkat za našimi vojáky.
[IV.1] Major Wolf v té době ještě neměl zdání o tom, co vlastně všechno chystají Rakousku přeběhlíci, kteří později, setkávajíce se v Kyjevě a jinde, na otázku: „Co tady děláš?“ odpovídali vesele: „Zradil jsem císaře pána.“
[IV.1] Přihlásím se Rusům, že půjdu na forpatrolu ... Sloužil jsem u 6. kyjevské divise.
[IV.1] Já jsem v Kyjevě znal mnoho Čechů, kteří šli s námi na frontu, když jsme přešli do ruského vojska, nemůžu si teď ale vzpomenout na jejich jména a odkuď byli, snad ty si vzpomeneš na někoho, s kým si se tam tak stýkal, rád bych věděl, kdo tam je od našeho 28. regimentu?“
[IV.1] Zůstal tam zcela klidně a blábolil dále cosi o Kyjevu, a že Švejka tam rozhodně viděl, jak mašíroval mezi ruskými vojáky.
[IV.1] „Já znám vaše všechny známé z Kyjeva,“ neúnavně pokračoval zřízenec protišpionáže, „nebyl tam s vámi takový tlustý a jeden takový hubený? Teď nevím, jak se jmenovali a od kterého byli regimentu...“
[IV.1] Při odchodu řekla stvůra hlasitě k štábnímu šikovateli, ukazujíc na Švejka: „Je to můj starý kamarád z Kyjeva.“
[IV.1] Je zde přece úplné doznání obžalovaného, že se oblékl do ruské uniformy, potom jedno důležité svědectví, kde se přiznal obžalovaný, že byl v Kyjevě.

Sources: Viktor A. Savčenko, Josef Pospíšil, Pavel Gan, Radko Pytlík, Jaroslav Křížek, Tomáš Masaryk

Also written:Kyjev cz Kiew de Киев ru Київ ua

Literature
References
aUpomínky na můj vojenský životKarel Prášil2020
Ukrainenn flag
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ukraina2.jpg

The Cossack Hetmanate, 1654

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Ottův slovník naučný,1888-

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Illustreret norsk konversationsleksikon, 1907-1913

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Linzer Volksblatt, 20.8.1914

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Zlatá Praha, 12.12.1884

Ukraine is first mentioned when the author describes an officer's servant who was captured by the Russians. He dragged enormous amounts of luggage from Dubno to Darnytsia and on to Tashkent where he pegged out from typhus on the top of the heap.

At the very end of The Good Soldier Švejk the author touches on the relationship between Poles and Ukrainians, a conflict that had terrible consequences during World War II.

Background

Ukraine (ukr. Україна, rus. Украина) is a large and populous state in south west Europe with Kyiv (Kiev) as capital. The main language is Ukrainian but Russian is widely used, mainly in the east and in the south. Before World War I the name Ukraine had however a rather different meaning. According to Ottův slovník naučný (1888) it was a term that refers to "the south western part of Russia along the banks of the rivers Bug and Dnieper but which extent is not precisely defined". According to the encyclopaedia the name origins from the 17th century and means "borderland".

Meyers Konverzations-Lexikon uses approximately the same definition as Otto's Encyclopaedia but doesn't mention the river Bug; it rather states that Ukraine consists of the areas on both banks of the Dnieper. Nordic and English encyclopaedia from the time before World War I use more or less the same definition as Meyers.

The Hetmanate

The closest there was to an early Ukrainian nation state was the Hetmanate of the 17th century. It was founded through the rebellion of Bohdan Khmelnytsky against Polish supremacy, but he was dependent on help from abroad and ended up as a vassal of Moscow. The Hetmanate was historically important not only as a source of Ukrainian national identity, but it also started a process that gradually brought the Ukrainian lands under Russian control, at the expense of Poland.

The areas were thus mainly under Polish control until the 17th century, but at the peace treaty in Moscow in 1686 Poland was forced to cede the areas east of Dnieper and a smaller area around Kiev. Most of the west bank of the river only became Russian during Poland's second partition in 1793, and the rest during Poland's third partition in 1795. Galicia was ceded to Austria during Poland's first partition in 1772.

Little Russia

At the outbreak of war in 1914 Ukraine was a rather loosely defined geographical entity: it denoted the south-western part of the Tsarist empire. At the time the term Little Russia was far more commonly used, as witnessed by the entries in various encyclopaedia (amongst them Czech, Norwegian, Swedish, English and German).

That said, a Ukrainian language and national consciousness already existed but manifestations of nationalism were strongly suppressed by the Russian authorities. From 1804 Ukrainian was banned as a subject and as a language of teaching, a state of affairs that continued relatively unchanged until 1917. Literature and other publications written in Ukrainian were mostly published in Galicia, a region under Austrian rule. One of the victims of the Russian opression was the famous author Taras Shevchenko.

In The Good Soldier Švejk Jaroslav Hašek no doubt refers to Ukraine in accordance with the widely accepted definition of his time: as "the south-western regions of Russia".

Ruthenia

Ukrainians were recognised as a nation in Austria-Hungary and was commonly referred to as Ruthenians. In the Habsburg Empire their language and culture enjoyed far greater acceptance than in Russia. Ukrainian was one of twelve official languages and in 1918 there were 28 Ukrainian members of the lower chamber of the Austrian Reichsrat. This reflected their status as the fourth largest ethnic group in Cisleithanien, behind Germans, Czechs and Poles. The Ukrainian territories of the Dual Empire extended across large parts of Galicia, eastern Slovakia, Carpathian Ruthenia and Bukovina.

The First World War

Already from the outbreak of hostilities in 1914 the war was conducted on Ukrainian soil, albeit on the territory of Austria-Hungary. From August 1915 the war was carried over to Russian-Ukrainian land, and the front stretched here and in the Austrian-Ukrainian areas respectively until the summer of 1917 when the Russian army was forced out of Austro-Hungarian territory once and for all.

In 1914 a considerable number of Czech immigrants lived in Ukraine, mostly in Kiev and Volhynia. It was in these circles that the seeds of what was to become České legie took root, and until March 1918 the Legions operated from Ukrainian territory.

Distrusted on both sides
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Directive on taking hostages in Galicia

© ÖStA

Ukrainians were often distrusted by both parts in the conflict and not without reason. In Galicia and other Ukrainian areas of the Dual Monarchy there was widespread sympathy for Russia, a theme Hašek also mentions in the novel. Ukrainians together with Czechs were regarded the least trustworthy nation in Austria-Hungary, and already in 1914 there were built concentration camps for civilians where "Ruthenians" made up a large part of the inmates. This was particularly the case in Thalerhof by Graz (see Steinhof). Many were summarily executed as "spies" and "collaborators" in the areas near the front.

It is documented that k.u.k. Heer took prominent "Russophile" citizens hostage when Galicia was reconquered in 1915, and threatened them with execution if sabotage took place in their area. In documents related to the 2nd Army this is clearly revealed, and on regimental level even our acquaintance Čeněk Sagner recommended in writing that suspect civilians be shown no mercy.

The conditions for Ukrainians in Russia during the war was probably not much different, but the information available is not that comprehensive. The pressure on Ukrainian language and culture had been somewhat eased from 1905, but was now intensified again. The well known nurse Elsa Brändström (aka. "the Siberian angel") wrote that "millions of Poles and Ukrainians were deported" and added that Jews were particularly targeted. At the time Ukraine had a large Jewish population.

Revolution
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The Chechoslovak army corps (Legions) pulling out of Ukraine in March 1918

In the aftermath of the October Revolution, Ukraine declared independence and took part in the peace negotiations in Brest-Litovsk. On 9 February 1918 the treaty with the Central Powers was signed, but Kiev had already the previous day been occupied by Communist Red Guards commanded by Mikhail Muravyov. These were events Jaroslav Hašek that personally witnessed.

On 18 February German forces invaded the now largely Bolshevik occupied Ukraine to force the revolutionary government in Russia to accept the peace terms. By the end of March all of Ukraine had been occupied, but the state formally continued to exists but now as a German puppet.

As a result of the post-World War I settlements the Ukrainian lands were split between the Soviet Union (where it was recognised as a political entity in the form of the Ukrainian Socialist Soviet Republic), Poland, Czechoslovakia and Romania.

Hašek in Ukraine
hasek_berezno.jpg

The only known photo of Jaroslav Hašek from the Russian part of Ukraine. Here with Jan Šípek and Václav Menger. Berezne, 29 September 1917 (12 October).

From July to September 1915 Jaroslav Hašek stayed on the territory of current Ukraine, as an Austrian soldier in Galicia and Volhynia. It was by Chorupan in Volhynia that the author was captured on 24 September 1915. From here the prisoners had to walk to the transit camp at Darnytsia (appx. 300 km) before they were transported onwards to camps in other parts of the Russian empire.

After having been released from the prisoner's camp in Totskoye in southern Ural, Hašek stayed in Ukraine from 28 June 1916 [a] until March 1918. During this time he worked for Czech organisations who were opposed to Austria-Hungary, units that were later to become known as Czechoslovak Legions (see České legie). He was predominately based in Kiev where he worked as an editor of Čechoslovan, but also travelled extensively between Kiev and the front. On 2 July 1917 he took part in the battle of Zborów where Czechs units for the first time fought against k.u.k. Heer.

Encyclopædia Britannica, 1911

UKRAINE (“frontier”), the name formerly given to a district of European Russia, now comprising the governments of Kharkov, Kiev, Podolia and Poltava. The portion east of the Dnieper became Russian in 1686 and the portion west of that river in 1793.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.14.2] Nikdy nezapomenu toho člověka, který se tak mořil s tím přes celou Ukrajinu. Byl to živý špeditérský vůz a nemohu si vysvětlit, jak to mohl unést a táhnout kolik set kilometrů a potom jeti s tím až do Taškentu, opatrovat to a umřít na svých zavazadlech na skvrnitý tyf v zajateckém táboře.

Also written:Ukrajina cz Ukraine de Украина ru Україна ua

Literature
References
aUpomínky na můj vojenský životKarel Prášil2020
Tashkentnn flag
Wikipedia czdeennoruuz MapSearch
tasjkent.jpg

Světozor, , 14.3.1917

troitzky.png

From a Red Cross report, 1916.

tasjkent.png

Elsa Brändström: "Amongst prisonsers of war in Russia and Siberia" (1921)

Tashkent is mentioned in the story the author tells about the officer's servant dragged a huge amount of luggage with him from Dubno, but who pegged out on top of his luggage in a prisoner's camp in Tashkent. He died from spotted typhus, a disease Jaroslav Hašek himself contracted in Russian captivity (but was somewhat luckier).

The city is mentioned amongst a number of places that don't at the time play a part in the plot, but that might have appeared again if Jaroslav Hašek had managed to complete the novel. See Sokal.

Background

Tashkent (rus. Ташкент) was in 1915 capital of the Russian general governorate Turkestan. It is now the capital of Uzbekistan after having been part of the Soviet Union until 1991. Today the city has more than 2 million inhabitants.

During the war there was a prisoner's camp in the city, and another one at Troytsky 30 kilometres from the centre. In both camps the inmates were mainly prisoners from the Slav nations of Austria-Hungary. Because many Czech were interned here Jaroslav Hašek surely knew a few people who had stories to tell from Tashkent.

Typhus

Typhus was a big problem in all the camps in Turkestan and in 1915 and 1916 epidemics raged. Health workers were inoculated but the prisoners rarely had this privilege. The casualties reached tens of thousands. Because many Czech were interned here Jaroslav Hašek surely knew a few people who had stories to tell from Tashkent.

In 1915 the Troytsky camp was ravaged by a severe epidemic, one of the worst that hit any of the Russian prisoners camps during the war. During three month 9,000 out of 17,000 prisoners perished. Otherwise the camp in the city was regarded as a good one, and the inmates enjoyed a large degree of freedom. Officers were allowed to leave the camp without an escort.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.14] Nikdy nezapomenu toho člověka, který se tak mořil s tím přes celou Ukrajinu<. Byl to živý špeditérský vůz a nemohu si vysvětlit, jak to mohl unést a táhnout kolik set kilometrů a potom jeti s tím až do Taškentu, opatrovat to a umřít na svých zavazadlech na skvrnitý tyf v zajateckém táboře.

Sources: Elsa Brändström, F. Thormeyer, F. Ferrière

Also written:Taškent cz Taschkent de Ташкент ru Toshkent uz

Literature
Sokalnn flag
Wikipedia deenplruuk MapSearch Švejkův slovník
sokal.jpg

View of the city from Sokal hora, 2010.

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Sokal and Poturzyca on a k.u.k. military survey map.

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Finljandskaja Gazeta,13.8.1914

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Die Neue Zeitung,20.8.1914

Sokal is mentioned 12 times in The Good Soldier Švejk.

Sokal (ukr. Сока́ль) is first mentioned by the author in a passage where he ironically describes how the officer servants ("Putzflecks") brag about their endeavours in various battles during the world war.

Sokal is one of a few places that appears in the chapter headers, here in [II.5]. In the content of the chapter Sokal is further mentioned by Oberst Schröder as he is about to show his fellow officers where the town is located on the map. In the end he sticks his finger in a turd that a tom-cat has been audacious enough to leave behind on the staff map.

In the next chapter [III.1] Sokal is mentioned again when Hauptmann Ságner receives an order by telegram at the station in Győr, "about quickly getting ready and set off for Sokal". The dispatcher is General Ritter von Herbert who has turned insane. At the station in Budapest [III.2] the battalion receives yet another nonsensical telegram from Herbert.

From Sanok [III.4] and until the end of the novel Sokal appears regularly, last in a conversation between Švejk and Einjährigfreiwilliger Marek where it transpires that "we are going Sokal". Marek tells Švejk that he is not going to get paid until after Sokal. Marek emphasised that it would be a useless undertaking to pay salaries to soldiers who are going to die anyway.

Beyond dispute is the fact that the author intended to place the plot at Sokal in the Part Four, a part that he never completed due to his premature death.

Background

Sokal is a regional capital in the Lviv oblast in western Ukraine. It is situated 80 km north of Lviv on the eastern bank of the Buh (Bug) and at present (2018) it has approximately 25,000 inhabitants.

From 1772 to 1918 the town belonged to Austria, in the inter-war period to Poland, after the Second World War to the Soviet Union and from 1991 to Ukraine. In 1881 the population was around 8,000 with a near equal distributions between Jews, Poles and Ukrainians. The town was situated approx. 10 km from the border with Russia.

Russian occupation

Sokal was soon after the outbreak of war attacked by Russian forces. Already 13 August 1914 the Russian general staff reported that the town had been captured, two bridges across the Bug blown up, provisions destroyed and the railway station torched. This news was however refuted by Austrian sources a few days later. These claim that the attack was a plundering mission and that the enemy had been repelled. Both Russian and Austrian reports confirm that the attack took place on 11 August, but the occupation was short-lived.

The Russians were however soon back. On 21 august the Austrians repelled another attack, but on 31 August Finnish newspapers reported that Sokal and several other towns and cities in Galicia had been captured.

In the aftermaths of the first Russian attack on Sokal, reports of treason against Austria-Hungary appeared in the newspapers. Some of the Emperor's Ruthenian (Ukrainian) subjects, 28 of them, were judged guilty as they allegedly had guided the Russians towards Sokal by signalling from church towers. They were from Skomorochy (ukr. Скоморохи) north of Sokal, and were sentenced to death on 20 August, and hanged in their home village the next day.

The Central Powers returning
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The situation south of Sokal on 27 July 1915. The blue arrow indicates the position of IR. 91, 11th field company.

© ÖStA

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Pester Lloyd,29.7.1915

Sokal was reconquered by the Central Powers on 18 July 1915. For the remainder of the war the town was in Austrian hands and after the battle south of town during the next two weeks, Sokal disappears entirely from the news headlines.

The decisive battle over the control of Sokal took place from 15 to 31 July 1915. It started with an attack by k.u.k. 1. Armee, eventually supported by the German 103rd Infantry Division. They crossed the Bug and after fierce fighting they captured Sokal on the 18th. Thus k.u.k. Heer had established a bridgehead east of the river.

That same day there was however issued an order that had widespread consequences. The German commander-in-chief Mackesen ordered that 103rd Infantry Division and other German troops were to be pulled out to help general Linsingen further north. This put k.u.k. 1. Armee in a difficult situation, as the Russians, commanded by the competent general Brusilov, recaptured the hills south of Sokal on the 20th. From here they could shell the town and threaten to force the enemy back across the river.

Already the same day Paul Puhallo, commander of 1st Army, realised how serious the situation was. He asked for assistance and the request was granted. k.u.k. 2. Armee released the entire 9. Infanteriedivision (that Infanterieregiment Nr. 91 belonged to). According to the original plans they were to attack across the Bug by Kamionka Strumiłowa on 21 July, but in the night between the 20th and 21st they instead had to start marching northwards to relieve the threatened bridgehead at Sokal.

The order to move the division to this section of the front was thus the direct reason why Jaroslav Hašek got to Sokal at all, and hence leading to the town being mentioned in The Good Soldier Švejk.

Infanterieregiment Nr. 91 by Sokal
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Oberleutnant Sagner reporting on the critical situation of his battalion finds itself in. The losses are reaching at least 50 per cent.

© ÖStA

The regiment reached Opulsko west of Sokal on the 22nd and the next day they were in position by Poturzyca (ukr. Поториця), a few kilometres south of the town. At 4 PM on 25 July 1915 the signal for attack on the Russian positions on the hills by Poturzyca (Kote 254, 237, 234) was given. It was a brutal battle with frightening losses on both sides. It is estimated that 9. Infanteriedivision lost around half their men; killed, wounded and missing. On both sides a large number of prisoners were taken.

In the end k.u.k. Heer had to give up the attack and pull back to positions between Sokal and Poturzyca. They were actually saved by an unexpected Russian withdrawal that was caused by a German break-through further north. Thus the Russian forces by Sokal were in danger of getting trapped and were ordered to pull back.

sokal_gymnas.jpg

The gymnasium where parts of IR. 91 rested from 1 to 2 August 1915

© Daniel Abraham

../docs/svejk/obrazy/sokal.jpg

Bojiště u Sokalu

Večerní České slovo,25.9.1924

On 1 August the 9. Infanteriedivision was relieved. Parts of IR. 91 were lodged in the gymnasium in Sokal (Jan Vaněk mentions it in his diary), a fact that may have found its way into the novel but "relocated" to Sanok. In the evening of 2 August they started the march to the reserve positions by Żdżary, 15 kilometres north of Sokal. On 3 August, at 4 in the morning, the replacement had been completed. Żdżary was in an area that was infested by cholera, but it is not known whether anyone from the regiment were infected. 9. Infanteriedivision stayed in the area until 27 August when an offensive into Russia in the direction of Dubno started.

The original units from 1. Armee also took part in the battle. Amongst these were Infanterieregiment Nr. 4 (Hoch- und Deutschmeister from Vienna), Feldjägerbataillon Nr. 10 (Kopaljäger from Jihlava), Feldjägerbataillon Nr. 25 from Brno. These units had also taken part in the original conquest of Sokal, where particularly the Deutschmeister regiment distinguished itself.

Jaroslav Hašek and Sokal
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Dekorierung at IR. 91/11. field company, Żdżary, on 18.8.1915. Colonel Rudolf Kießwetter handed out medals to the soldiers. On the photo, we can apart from Kießwetter himself, identify (a.o.) Vaněk, Hašek, Lukas and Sagner. From Bestand Rudolf Kießwetter.

© ÖStA

Jaroslav Hašek served as messenger in the III. Feldbataillon, 11. Feldkompanie. The battalion held one of the most exposed positions and suffered terrible losses. Still Čeněk Sagner led his unit commendably and in battle reports he was mentioned in very favourable terms. Oberleutnant Rudolf Lukas led F11. Kompanie, one of the four companies in Sagner's battalion.

Hašek was after the battle of Sokal promoted to Gefreiter and on 18 August 1915 he was decorated with a silver medal (2nd class) for bravery demonstrated during the fighting around Poturzyca on 25 July.

Several of the "models" for characters in The Good Soldier Švejk took part in the battle for Sokal: Rudolf Lukas, Čeněk Sagner, Hans Bigler, Jan Vaněk, František Strašlipka, Jan Eybl and Franz Wenzel.

Apart from the author, Kadett Bigler and Oberleutnant Sagner were promoted after the battle. Oberleutnant Wenzel was investigated due to cowardly conduct. He allegedly left the command of his 2. battalion to Oberleutnant Peregrin Baudisch and for some mysterious reason spent time with the 4th battalion (who were reserves).

These were decorated after the battle: Jaroslav Hašek, Hans Bigler, Jan Vaněk, František Strašlipka and Čeněk Sagner. The latter was one of only three in the whole regiment who were given the highest recognition: the German "Eiserne Kreuz" (Iron Cross).

A well documented battle
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From Jan Vaněk's diary. 31 July 1915.

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From Gefechtsbericht, 9 August 1915. This report contains stinging criticism of how the main commanders of IR. 91 conducted the battle. Regimental commander Oberst Steinsberg and the commander of the 2nd battalion, Oberleutnant Wenzel, are singled out for particularly harsh criticism.

© ÖStA

Important testimonies of the battle are the diaries of Jan Vaněk and Jan Eybl, the notes of Bohumil Vlček, all from IR. 91. Moreover there is the diary of Eugen Hoeflich (better known as Moscheh Ya’akov Ben-Gavriêl) from Feldjägerbataillon Nr. 25, Brno.

Apart from these personal accounts, detailed descriptions of the battle can be found in the regimental chronicles of IR. 91, IR73 and IR102, probably also by Die Deutschmeister, Infanterieregiment Nr. 11 and others. Österreich-Ungarns letzter Krieg describes the battle thoroughly and gives insight into the decisions and considerations further up the command chain. In the war archives in Vienna and Prague there is more material that can be found; diaries, battle reports, orders, maps, photos and more. Material on IR. 91 and Sokal can be found in both archives.

Newspaper reports that mention Sokal were numerous, but on both sides the news stream was obviously filtered and censored. The respective setbacks were "wrapped in" or not mentioned at all, and own successes exaggerated. Much more informative are newspaper items from after the war, where individuals wrote about their experiences around Sokal.

The author of this web page has not found any eye-witness accounts from the Russian side, but official reports are available in Finnish newspapers (at the time Finland was a Russian Grand Duchy) and newspapers from neutral states like Norway, Sweden, Netherlands and Switzerland.

Hašek and the 300 prisoners
sokal6.png

Důjstonické listy,24.2.1938

A sixteen-part series in Večerní České slovo from 1924, based partly on interviews with Rudolf Lukas, is also an important source. It has been much relied upon by post-World War II Haškologists. This despite a suspicion that the author of the series, Jan Morávek, "spiced up" his account to a considerable degree. One such case is the claim that Jaroslav Hašek was decorated because he convinced 300 Russians to give themselves up, and then led them to regiment HQ without disarming them, thus causing confusion and panic behind the lines.

This episode is not mention at all in the application for his decoration (Belohnungsantrag), but the story has many similarities with information from one of Rudolf Lukas's obituaries (Důjstonické listy, 24 February 1938). Here it transpires that Hašek actually was trusted by Lukas to lead a group of prisoners to positions behind the lines. Contrary to instructions he let them keep their weapons and this led to panic as they entered regiment HQ where the officers believed that the Russians had broken through. The episode put Lukas in a bad light but we don't know if it had any consequences for him.

Demography

According to the 1910 census Sokal had 11 610 inhabitants. The judicial district was Gerichtsbezirk Sokal, administratively it reported to Bezirkshauptmannschaft Sokal.

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Sokal were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 30 (Lemberg) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 19 (Lemberg).

Jan Vaněk

26.7.1915: Včera odpol přišel rozkaz „Ku předu“ na ruské zákopy. Nejdříve bombardovalo naše dělostřelectvo a pak jsme šli. Ale bylo to hrozné. Sotva naši lidé vyskočili na náspy, již se jich mnoho a mnoho válelo na zemi dílem mrtvých a raněných. Hrozná to byla hodinka. Postoupili jsme o 100 kroků do předu a dále to nešlo. Byli jsme seslabeni. K tomu ke všemu pršelo jen se lilo. Bláto zamazalo pušky, takže nebylo možno střílet. Trnuli jsme strachy a kdyby rusové udělali protiútok, že to nezadržíme. Ale nestalo se tak—do rána jsme se urželi a pak jsme pokračovali. Zajali jsme spousty Rusů.

Das Infanterieregiment Nr. 91 auf Vormarsch in Galizien

28. juli 1915, 11 Uhr Nachts: Gleich darauf meldte Oberleutnant Sagner: Linker Flügel des III. Bataillons hat, da das Infanterieregiment Nr. 11 zurückgeging, jeden Anschluss verloren. Gegner durchgebrochen - Pionerabteilung des Regimentsreserven eingesetzt. Bitte um 2 Kompagnien an meinen linken Flügel da dieser in äusserst kritischer Situation ist.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.14.2] Dnes jsou důstojničtí sluhové roztroušení po celé naší republice a vypravují o svých hrdinných skutcích. Oni šturmovali Sokal, Dubno, Niš, Piavu. Každý z nich je Napoleonem: „Povídal jsem našemu obrstovi, aby telefonoval do štábu, že už to může začít.“
[II.5] "Odtud, pánové, k Sokalu na Bug," řekl plukovník Schröder věštecky a posunul ukazováček po paměti ke Karpatům, přičemž zabořil jej do jedné z těch hromádek, jak se kocour staral udělat mapu bojiště plastickou.
[III.1] Telegram zněl prosté, nešifrován: "Rasch abkochen, dann Vormarsch nach Sokal." Hejtman Ságner povážlivé zakroutil hlavou. "Poslušné hlásím," řekl Matušič, "velitel stanice dá vás prosit k rozmluvě. Je tam ještě jeden telegram." Potom byla mezi velitelem nádraží a hejtmanem Ságnerem rozmluva velice důvěrného rázu. První telegram musel být odevzdán, třebas měl obsah velice překvapující, když je batalión na stanici v Rábu: "Rychle uvařit a pak pochodem na Sokal." Adresován byl nešifrovaně na pochodový batalión 91. pluku s kopií na pochodový batalión 75. pluku, který byl ještě vzadu. Podpis byl správný: Velitel brigády Ritter von Herbert.
[III.2] Matušič přinesl na vojenském nádraží v Budapešti hejtmanovi Ságnerovi z velitelství telegram, který poslal nešťastný velitel brigády dopravený do sanatoria. Byl téhož obsahu, nešifrován, jako na poslední stanici: "Rychle uvařit menáž a pochodem na Sokal." K tomu bylo připojeno: "Vozatajstvo začíslit u východní skupiny. Výzvědná služba se zrušuje. 13. pochodový prapor staví most přes řeku Bug. Bližší v novinách."
[III.4] Ačkoliv odtud bylo spojení železniční neporušeno pod Lvov i severně na Veliké Mosty, bylo vlastně záhadou, proč štáb východního úseku udělal tyto dispozice, aby železná brigáda se svým štábem soustřeďovala pochodové prapory sto padesát kilometrů v týlu, když šla v té době fronta od Brodů na Bug a podél řeky severně k Sokalu.
[III.4] Tato nešťastná kráva, možno-li vůbec nazvati onen přírodní zjev kravou, utkvěla všem účastníkům v živé paměti, a je téměř jisto, že kdyby později před bitvou u Sokalu byli velitelé připomněli mužstvu krávu z Liskowiec, že by se byla jedenáctá kumpanie za hrozného řevu vzteku vrhla s bajonetem na nepřítele.
[IV.1] Neznalo ještě nic určitého o revolučních organizacích v cizině a teprve v srpnu na linii Sokal Milijatin - Bubnovo obdrželi velitelé bataliónů důvěrné rezerváty, že bývalý rakouský profesor Masaryk utekl za hranice, kde vede proti Rakousku propagandu. Nějaký pitomeček od divize doplnil rezervát ještě tímto rozkazem: "V případě zachycení předvésti neprodlené k štábu divize!" Toto tedy připomínám panu presidentovi, aby věděl, jaké nástrahy a léčky byly na něho kladeny mezi Sokalem- Milijatinem a Bubnovou.
[IV.3] Major otevřel si stůl, vytáhl mapu a zamyslel se nad tím, že Felštýn je 40 kilometrů jihovýchodně od Přemyšlu, takže jevila se zde hrozná záhada, jak přišel pěšák Švejk k ruské uniformě v místech vzdálených přes sto padesát kilometrů od fronty, když pozice táhnou se v linii Sokal - Turze Kozlów.
[IV.3] "U nás ho teď nedostaneš, poněvadž my jdeme na Sokal a lénunk se bude vyplácet až po bitvě, musíme šetřit. Jestli počítám, že se to tam strhne za čtrnáct dní, tak se ušetří na každým padlým vojákovi i s culágama 24 K 72 hal."

Sources: VÚA, ÖStA, Milan Hodík, Bohumil Vlček, Jan Vaněk, Jan Ev. Eybl, Eugen Hoeflich

Also written:Сокаль ru Сокаль ua

Literature
Nišnn flag
Wikipedia czdeennnnosr MapSearch
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Serbian funeral in Niš

© ÖStA

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Linzer Volksblatt,7.11.1915

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IR. 91 by Niš on 8 October 1918.

Österreich-Ungarns letzter Krieg (VII. Beilagen),1938

Niš is mentioned when the author riducules the officers' servants who "stormed" Niš, Sokal and Piave (and others).

Background

Niš (ser. Ниш) is a city in Serbia by the river Nišava. Counting more than 250,000 inhabitants it is the biggest city in southern Serbia and the third in the country behind Belgrade and Novi Sad.

During the war

The city was war-time capital of Serbia due to the exposed position of Belgrade at the border with Hungary. During the Central Power's offensive in the autumn of 1915 Niš was conquered by Bulgarian troops on 5 November 1915 after the Serbs had abandoned the city. It remained under Bulgarian occupation until 12 Oktober 1918 when it was liberated by Serbian forces.

That Austrian soldiers would have been participating in the storming of Niš (as the author suggests) is unlikely as the operations against the city in 1915 were undertaken by the Bulgarian army.

IR. 91 by Niš

In late September 1918 Bulgaria pulled out of the war and left their allies on the Balkans dangerously exposed. 9. Infanteriedivision (including IR. 91) was therefore hastily transferred from the front by Piave to southern Serbia. The transport went by train via Udine, Ljubljana, Belgrade to Vranje on the Macedonian border. The division was seriously decimated and suffered from shortages and diseases. Some reserves didn't even have shoes. South of Vranje they immediately faced the advancing Serbian 1st Army and already on 3 October they had to withdraw northwards. The 17th Brigade (Infanterieregiment Nr. 91 and IR102) had a particularly arduous retreat across the mountains. On 8 October they had reached the vicinity of Niš and by 16 October had reached Vitkovač. The retreat continued northwards for the remaining few weeks of the war.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.14.2] Oni šturmovali Sokal, Dubno, Niš, Piavu.

Sources: Jan Ciglbauer, Milan Hodík

Also written:Nisch de Ниш sr

Literature
Piavenn flag
Wikipedia czdeenitno MapSearch
piave.jpg

K.u.k. Heer crossing Piave by Grave di Papadopoli

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Svět, 12.9.1918

Piave is mentioned by the narrator when he ridicules the officers' servants who bragged about their exploits during the war.

Background

Piave is a river in northern Italy. It flows from the Alps and after 220 km ends in the Adriatic Sea near Venice.

During the war

After the Central Powers broke through by Caporetto 24 Oktober 1917, Italian forces pulled back to the Piave where the front was stabilised in November after the enemy's attempt to cross the river failed. In June 1918 a second battle by the Piave took place. This was the last large-scale Austro-Hungarian operation in the war. The offensive failed and k.u.k. Wehrmacht suffered nearly 120,000 casualties. On 24 Oktober 1918 the Allies attacked across the river and the Austro-Hungarian front collapsed.

By Piave a division of Czech legionnaires were fighting on the Italian side. Those who were captured were publicly executed. On one single day, 22 July 1918, no less than 160 legionnaires suffered this grim fate.

IR. 91 by Piave

During the offensive by Caporetto, IR. 91 followed k.u.k. Wehrmacht westwards from Isonzo to Piave where they arrived on 13 November 1917. For the first month they were stationed at Ponte di Piave, then moved on to Valdobbiadene further up the river.

During the failed Austrian offensive in the summer of 1918 they stayed in the reserve (15 to 23 June), were then moved down the river again to Grave di Papadopoli, a large island in Piave. Finally they were moved to the Serbian front, a transfer that began on 30 September. Amongst the models for characters in the novel only Hans Bigler served by Piave.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.14.2] Oni šturmovali Sokal, Dubno, Niš, Piavu.

Sources: Jan Ciglbauer, Milan Hodík

Also written:Piava cz

Literature
South Bohemiann flag
Wikipedia czdeenno MapSearch
jcechy1.jpg

Čechy. Díl IX. Západní Čechy. J. Otto, 1897

jcechy.jpg

Čechy. Díl VI. V jihovýchodních Čechách. J. Otto, 1890

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Ergänzungsbezirke Nr. 11, 91, 75

Schematismus für das k.u.k. Heer und für die k.u.k. Kriegsmarine, 1911

South Bohemia is first mentioned when Hašek informs that Oberleutnant Lukáš hails from this region, in the author's own words "the Czech south".

I [I.15] is mentioned again when it is revealed that Oberst Kraus and his regiment got lost during manoeuvres here before the war.

South Bohemia is important in this novel since the plot of slightly more than two of the chapters is set here. Best known is Švejk's anabasis that provides a plethora of geographical references. The rest of the novel also contains details of places and people from the region. Švejk's IR. 91 was recruited from the area so the good soldier came across many people from the Czech south.

It even appears that the good soldier himself hails from the area (see Dražov), and it is directly stated that he did his compulsory military service in Budějovice and also took part in manoeuvres in the region. Amongst important literary figures from the Czech south we find Oberleutnant Lukáš and Offiziersdiener Baloun. Already in the first chapter of the novel South Bohemia is pulled in, see Břetislav Ludvík.

Background

South Bohemia is a vaguely defined geographical area that refers to the area that today roughly makes up Jihočeský kraj (the South Bohemian Region). Capital is České Budějovice, by far the largest city in the region. Amongst other noteable towns are Tábor, Písek, Strakonice, Krumlov, Třeboň, and Jindřichův Hradec. As an administrative entity it was created in 1949 as Budějovický kraj, and from 1960 it has the current name.

Military

Militarily the region reported to 8. Korpskommando and the following recruitment districts were fully or partially contained in this area: 11 (Písek, mostly), 75 (Jindřichův Hradec, mostly), 91 (Budějovice, fully) and 102 (Benešov, a small part).

Hašek and South Bohemia

That South Bohemia has such a prominent place in the novel is closely related to the author's own background. Even though Hašek was from Prague both parents were from the south, and already as a teenager he visited the region with his mother. An important impetus is also his grandfather Jareš, the pond warden from Krč, who told young Jaroslav many stories from the area.

In the end his father's birthplace strongly influenced what setting the author used for the novel from Part Two onwards. Because his father, Josef Hašek, was born in Mydlovary, his son also had Heimatrecht here. As Mydlovary was located in the recruitment district of IR. 91, Jaroslav Hašek was in 1915 called up to serve with this regiment, a fact that decidely influenced the direction of the plot, at least in a geographical sense.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.14.3] To bylo to, co zachoval z povahy sedláka na českém jihu, kde se narodil ve vesnici mezi černými lesy a rybníky.
[I.15] Nikdy nedorazil nikam včas, vodil pluk v kolonách proti strojním puškám a kdysi před lety stalo se při císařských manévrech na českém jihu, že se úplně s plukem ztratil, dostal se s ním až na Moravu, kde se s ním potloukal ještě několik dní po tom, když už bylo po manévrech a vojáci leželi v kasárnách.

Also written:Jižní Čechy cz Südböhmen de Sør-Böhmen nn

Harznn flag
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Der Floh,9.2.1913

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Národní politika,5.1.1908

Harz is here used as an adjective in reference to a breed of canary birds; the Harzer Roller. The mentioned bird belonged to Oberleutnant Lukáš but suffered a grim fate as Švejk let the bird and the senior lieutenant's cat together "so they could get used to each other".

Background

Harz is a mountain range in Germany. It is the northernmost range in the country and straddles the borders of Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia.

Harzer Roller is a breed of canary birds that was bred in the Harz mountains and was very popular in the 19th century. It is best known as a singing bird but is also used in mines to warn against poisonous gases. It is particularly sensitive to carbon monoxide. The centre for breeding of this race is Sankt Andreasberg.

The breed regularly show up in newspaper adverts from before World War I, for instance in Národní politika. Jaroslav Hašek, who in 1909 and 1910 was editor of the animal magazine Svět zvířat, was very knowledgeable on animals, including birds.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.14.3] Neobyčejně rád měl zvířata. Měl harckého kanárka, angorskou kočku a stájového pinče.
Literature
Canary Islandsnn flag
Wikipedia czdeenesno MapSearch
kanari.jpg

Canary Islands is here used as an adjective in reference to a breed of birds that is named after these islands. Oberleutnant Lukáš was fond of animals and owned a Canary bird, a cat and a dog. The bird ended its life miserably as Švejk tried to let the bird and the cat get used to each other. The result is a foregone conclusion.

Background

Canary Islands is a group of islands in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Africa that belong to Spain.

The Canary bird is named after the Canary Islands where it lives in the wild. It is also present on the Azores and Madeira. It was imported to Europe as a domesticated animal, and in Central Europe it became particularly popular. During the 19th century the Harz region became the main centre of canary breeding.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.14.3] Neobyčejně rád měl zvířata. Měl harckého kanárka, angorskou kočku a stájového pinče.
[I.14.3] „Poslušně hlásím, pane obrlajtnant, že je vše v nejlepším pořádku, jedině kočka dělala neplechu a sežrala vašeho kanára.“

Also written:Kanárské ostrovy cz Kanarischen Inseln de Islas Canarias es

Pelhřimovnn flag
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pelhrimov.jpg

© Pelhřimovský magazín

Pelhřimov is mentioned in a monologue where Švejk tells Oberleutnant Lukáš about a teacher teacher Marek from a village nearby who runs after the daughter of the game-keeper gamekeeper Špera.

The town is mentioned again when Švejk at a railway station in Vienna rejoins his obrlajtnant and immediately tells him about a certain Vaníček from Pelhřimov.

Background

Pelhřimov is a town in Vysočina with around 17,000 inhabitants (2010). It has a well preserved historic centre, and also a certain industrial tradition, for instance in brewing.

Demography

According to the 1910 census Pelhřimov had 5,738 inhabitants of which 5,729 (99 per cent) reported that they used Czech in their daily speech. The judicial district was okres Pelhřimov, administratively it reported to hejtmanství Pelhřimov.

Source:Seznam míst v království Českém(1913)

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Pelhřimov were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 75 (Neuhaus) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 29 (Budweis).

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.14.3] V jedný vesnici za Pelhřimovem byl nějaký učitel Marek a ten chodil za dcerou hajnýho Špery, a ten mu dal vzkázat, že jestli se bude s holkou scházet v lese, že mu, když ho potká, postí do zadnice z ručnice štětiny se solí.
[II.3] „Vostudu,“ pokračoval Švejk, „jsem vám jistě nikdy neudělal, jestli se něco stalo, to byla náhoda, pouhý řízení boží, jako říkal starej Vaníček z Pelhřimova, když si vodbejval šestatřicátej trest. Nikdy jsem nic neudělal naschvál, pane obrlajtnant, vždycky jsem chtěl udělat něco vobratnýho, dobrýho, a já za to nemůžu, jestli jsme voba z toho neměli žádnej profit a jenom samý pouhý trápení a mučení.“

Also written:Pilgram de

Literature
Košířenn flag
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kosire.jpg

The Hlaváček tramway by Klamovka in June 1897

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Čech,17.11.1910

Košíře is mentioned in the dialogue between Oberleutnant Lukáš and Švejk after the cat has eaten the canary. This conversation touches on dog trade and falsification of pedigrees, and Švejk uses a mongrel from Košíře as an example.

In [I.15] the place is mentioned again in the anecdote about some Božetěch who made an income by stealing dogs and then claim rewards.

Background

Košíře is a district in Prague and is located in the western part of the capital, between Smíchov and Motol. Košíře was a separate town from 1895 until it joined greater Praha in 1922. As a curiosity should be mentioned the privatly owned tramway that connect the town with Smíchov centre.

Hašek in Košíře

Jaroslav Hašek officially lived in Košíře no. 908 from 4 February 1909. This was the address the editorial offices of the bi-weekly animal magazine Svět zvířat. This is the magazine where he for a while functioned as an editor. It was here that he published stories about fictional animals, an undertaking that forced owner Václav Fuchs to dismiss his innovative editor(see Einjährigfreiwilliger Marek). The villa was situated above the Klamovka garden but was demolished some time between 2011 and 2015.

From 28 July 1910 shows him registered further down in the town towards Smíchov, in Košíře no. 1125. Here he lived with his wife Jarmila who he had married 23 May 1910. He stayed here (at least officially) until 28 Desember 1911 when he is recorded with residence Vršovice. It was from no. 1125 that he for a short period, at the end of 1910 and beginning of 1911, ran his unsuccessful "Kynological Institute", buying and selling dogs and other animals.

The birth of Švejk

It was probably during his time in Košíře that the author first through up The Good Soldier Švejk, although in a very different format than the later world famous novel. The first story about Švejk was published 22 May 1911.

Demography

According to the 1910 census Košíře had 12,293 inhabitants of which 12,233 (99 per cent) reported that they used Czech in their daily speech. The judicial district was okres Smíchov, administratively it reported to hejtmanství Smíchov.The town consisted of the districts Cibulka, Košíře, Kotlářka, Poštovka and Podhájí. It was served by a post-office and a Roman-Catholic parish.

Source:Seznam míst v království Českém(1913)

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Košíře were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 28 (Prag) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 8 (Prag).

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.14.3] A každej hned chtěl rodokmen, tak jsem si musel dát rodokmeny natisknout a dělat z nějakýho košířskýho voříška, kerej se narodil v cihelně, nejčistokrevnějšího šlechtice z bavorskýho psince Armin von Barnheim.
[I.15] Nějakej Božetěch z Košíř, ten se jen tak živil. Ukrad vždycky psa, pak hledal v inzerátech, kdo se zaběh, a hned tam šel.

Sources: Jaroslav Šerák

Also written: Koschirsch Reiner Koschiř de

Literature
Bavariann flag
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Das deutsche Kaiserreich, 1871-1918

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Ottův slovník naučný, 1909

Bavaria is mentioned by Švejk in the first conversation with Oberleutnant Lukáš about dogs. In the Bavarian kennel of Armin von Barheim pure breed pinschers are bred.

In [IV.3] Bavaria is mentioned again as soldiers from Infanterieregiment Nr. 91 had been brawling with Bavarians at the square in Żółtańce.

Background

Bavaria is the largest of the German federal states, with Munich as the capital and one of the country's major cities.

The Kingdom of Bavaria existed from 1805 to 1918 and in 1871 it became part of the new united Germany. The geographical extent was somewhat different to that of the modern state as the geographically separate Palatinate belonged to Bavaria.

The kingdom kept a degree of autonomy after the unification: the Wittelsbach dynasty continued its reign, and Bavaria provided its own army, postal and railway services. Bavaria had traditionally been an ally of Austria in conflicts with Prussia, as late as in the German War of 1866 it was at war with Prussia.

In The Good Soldier Švejk there are few references to Bavarian people and places. The most famous Bavarian mentioned is obviously Sisi, then of course the writer Ludwig Ganghofer. References to Bavarian geography are limited to Nuremberg and Nördlingen.

Hašek in Bavaria
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Besedy lidu,9.5.1914

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Jogelli Klopter and Jaroslav Hašek.

© Josef Lada

Jaroslav Hašek knew parts of Bavaria from his wanderings during the summer of 1904, a journey that inspired him to write a some stories set there. His experiences appear as fragments in many more. According to his won story Velký den (The Big Day) he travelled by foot all the way from Switzerland through Bavaria to Domažlice where he was hosted by his friend Hájek. The journey took place from July and probably until September (the story was printed on 9 October). Hašek's travel in Bavaria is documented only by his own stories, which means that some details must be taken with a pinch of salt. Still we can assume that the greater contours of the journey are factual and that many other details are.

A number places in the former kingdom feature in the various stories. The plot itself takes place in the towns of Dillingen, Höchstädt, Ingolstadt, and Neuburg. All of them are located on the Danube on the stretch between Ingolstadt and the border with Württemberg. In addition Hašek mentions the Bavarian regions Upper Palatinate, Upper Franconia and Swabia. The cities of Passau and Regensburg are mentioned and so are a number of minor places which names are often mystified or misspelt.

Three of the stories are set in Neuburg, and the best known of these describe a meeting with the fat tourist guide Jogelli Klopter. The story has been translated to several foreign languages, amongst them English. Another well known story is titled Justice in Bavaria and is set in Ingolstadt. Here the author is arrested as a vagrant but is quite satisfied with the conditions in the prisons and the terms of his sentence in general.

A story about hop-picking is set in the area between Nuremberg and Spalt. Here he describes his meeting with other seasonal workers, amongst them a man from Schleswig.

In 1917 Jaroslav Hašek published the story Na Valhallu in Čechoslovan in Kiev [a]. The story which is more propaganda than entertainment, does however mention a number og places along the river Regen and indicates a journey back to Bohemia through the Bavarian Forest in 1904. Mentioned are the Walhalla monument by Donaustauf, Furth im Wald and Eschlkam. He also indicates where he crossed the border.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.14.3] A každej hned chtěl rodokmen, tak jsem si musel dát rodokmeny natisknout a dělat z nějakýho košířskýho voříška, kerej se narodil v cihelně, nejčistokrevnějšího šlechtice z bavorskýho psince Armin von Barheim.

Sources: Jan Berwid-Buquoy, Radko Pytlík

Also written:Bavorsko cz

Literature
References
aNa ValhalluČechoslovanDr. Vladimír Stanko9.4.1917
Vojtěšská ulicenn flag
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vojteska.jpg

Vojtěšská ulice, Nové město, Praha. © AHMP

Vojtěšská ulice is mentioned by Švejk in connection with Oberleutnant Lukáš' troubles when Katy Wendler appears. In his anecdote it was also talk of a visiting lady who didn't know her allotted time. The incident with the lady allegedly took place "two years ago", in other words in 1912.

Background

Vojtěšská ulice is a street in Nové město, running parallel to Vltava north of Myslíkova ulice. The street is named after St Adalbert. The main attraction in the street is probably church Kostel sv. Vojtěcha většího. There is also an identically named street in Břevnov but it is unlikely that Švejk had this street in mind.

It has not been possible to link the mentioned episode to any news items from the period in question.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.14.4] „Poslušně hlásím, pane obrlajtnant, že je to těžký případ. Ve Vojtěšský ulici před dvěma léty nastěhovala se k jednomu čalouníkovi nějaká slečna a von ji nemoh vypudit z bytu a musel votrávit ji i sebe svítiplynem a bylo po legraci. S ženskejma je vobtíž. Já do nich vidím.“

Also written:Adalbertgasse de

Literature
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Světozor, 18.10.1912

Třeboň was the town Mrs. Micková came from. Oberleutnant Lukáš expected a visit from here just at the moment Katy Wendler inconveniently arrived.

Background

Třeboň is a town in South Bohemia with around 8,700 inhabitants (2010). It was one of the main centres of the Schwarzenberg estates, has a fine historic old town and is surrounded by rybníky, artificial lakes used for fish-breeding. It is also classified as a spa town. Třeboň had in 1914 direct railway connection with Prague and Vienna.

Demography

According to the 1910 census Třeboň had 5,278 inhabitants of which 5,098 (96 per cent) reported that they used Czech in their daily speech. The judicial district was okres Třeboň, administratively it reported to hejtmanství Třeboň.

Source:Seznam míst v království Českém(1913)

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Třeboň were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 75 (Neuhaus) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 29 (Budweis). There was also a military presence in town - of the 341 employed by the armed forces most were Czechs. In 1912 the 1st battalion of Infanterieregiment Nr. 88 were garrisoned in Třeboň, but by 1913 they had been transferred to Jindřichův Hradec. At the moment we don't know who used the barrack in Třeboň by the outbreak of or during the war.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.14.4] Milý Jindřich byl určitě v ošklivé situaci. Manželka pronásledovaná manželem přijede k němu na několik dní na návštěvu, právě když má přijeti paní Micková z Třeboně, aby po tři dny opakovala to, co mu pravidelně poskytuje každého čtvrt roku, když jede do Prahy dělat nákupy.

Also written:Wittingau de

Literature
Memphisnn flag
Wikipedia deen MapSearch Švejkův slovník
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Salzburger Chronik, 3.3.1897

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Znaimer Tagblatt, 26.2.1909

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Kopřivy, 16.5.1918

Memphis is here used as an adjective in the expression "a packet of Memphis cigarettes", in Czech "krabice memfisek". Švejk was ordered by Oberleutnant Lukáš to buy wine and cigarettes for Katy Wendler. The cigarettes are mentioned three times in this chapter.

Background

Memphis is here mentioned through the cigarette brand Memphis that was manufactured by the tobacco-monopoly Kaiserlich königliche Tabak-regie. The cigarettes were made in Hainburg and a number of other places. In 1882 there we 28 tobacco factories in Cisleithanien, i.e. the Austrian half of the Dual Monarchy, but details on which factory made what brand are not available.

The brand was launched in 1897 and was in 1913 the third most sold brand in the Austrian part of the Dual Monarchy. The name refers to Memphis in ancient Egypt, not to the US metropolis. Many of the Austrian cigarette brand names had an Oriental association (Nil, Stambul, Sultan, Memphis etc.).

Memphis cigarettes continued to be produced in post-war Czechoslovakia and Austria, by the successor states' respective tobacco monopolies. In Austria the monopoly was abolished as late as 1996 and the Memphis cigarette exists even today (2019), although it is no longer made in the country. The last domestic tobacco factory (Hainburg) closed down in 2011.

The good soldier Švejk in captivity

The cigarettes are mentioned also in Dobrý voják Švejk v zajetí where they figure durings Švejk's stay at c.k. policejní ředitelství.[1]

Pak zavolali místodržitelského radu k výslechu a za půl hodiny přišel strážník a doručil do separace od místodržitelského rady Švejkovi krabičku se sto memfiskami. Na krabičce bylo napsáno: "Auf freien Fuss gesetzt." (Propuštěn na svobodu.) Memfisky dodaly Švejkovi opět ducha. Rozdělil se o ně se zatčenými, jen mladík s černou vázankou nepřijal ani jedné cigarety.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.14.4] Pak zavolali místodržitelského radu k výslechu a za půl hodiny přišel strážník a doručil do separace od místodržitelského rady Švejkovi krabičku se sto memfiskami. Na krabičce bylo napsáno: "Auf freien Fuss gesetzt." (Propuštěn na svobodu.) Memfisky dodaly Švejkovi opět ducha. Rozdělil se o ně se zatčenými, jen mladík s černou vázankou nepřijal ani jedné cigarety.
[I.14.4] Pak koupíte tři láhve vína, krabičku memfisek, tak.
[I.14.4] Dostal jsem na to vod pana obrlajtnanta sto korun, ale z toho musím koupit tři lahve vína a krabičku memfisek.“
[I.14.4] Při obědě vypila láhev vína, vykouřila mnoho memfisek a lehla si do postele, zatímco Švejk v kuchyni pochutnával si na komisárku, který namáčel do sklenice s nějakou sladkou kořalkou.
Literature
References
1Dobrý voják Švejk v zajetíJaroslav Hašek1917
Dunajecnn flag
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Das interessante Blatt,25.2.1915

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Österreich-Ungarns letzter Krieg (Band 1)

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Světová válka slovem i obrazem (s. 510),1915

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Berliner Tageblatt,8.5.1915

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Světová válka slovem i obrazem (s. 508),1915

Dunajec was mentioned by the author when he describes the war situation and the "war council" Oberleutnant Lukáš and Švejk held to get rid of Katy Wendler. He notes that this was at the time when the masses of the armies stood in a rain of shells in the forests by Dunajec and Raba and that heavy artillery tore apart entire companies and dispersed them in the Carpathians.

Soon after, when hop trader Wendler has arrived to pick up his wife, Oberleutnant Lukáš mentions the river for his guest when he explains the positive outlook for the war.

Background

Dunajec is a river that flows through northern Slovakia and southern Poland. It is one of the tributaries of Vistula which it joins by Opatowiec, north of Tarnów.

From 15 November 1914 the 3rd Russian Army led by Radko Dimitrov crossed the river and advanced across Raba towards Kraków. On 8 December they were forced back (battle of Limanowa) and by the end of the year the front had stabilised by Dunajec.

Until May 1915 part of the front stretched along Dunajec and fierce fighting took place through the winter. The situation changed to the advantage of the Central Powers after the breakthrough by Gorlice and Tarnów on 2 May 1915 and the area was thereafter spared from further destruction.

The novel's timing

The author mentions fighting by Raba and Dunajec in the same sentence so time-wise so the author surely has the period from 15 November 1914 until the turn of the year in mind. It was precisely in this period that the Russian army operated beyond Dunajec, and nearly reached Kraków. This corresponds with one of the very few dates mentioned in the novel: on 20 Desember 1914 Oberleutnant Lukáš dictated a letter for Švejk to send Katy Wendler as thanks for the 400 crowns she left on the washbasin as thanks for his services.

Quote from the World War Chronicle

The quote from the conversation between Oberleutnant Lukáš and hop trader Wendler is copied directly from page 508 of Kronika světové války. It refers to events that took place as late as 2 May 1915.

Even the author's introduction to the sub-chapter can be traced to the Chronicle but here Hašek replaced the river Biała with Raba, preseumably to align the plot with the situation at the front in December 1914. This quote also refers to events that took place in early May, more precisely the re-conquest of Tarnów by the Central Powers. It was originally reported in Berliner Tageblatt on 8 May 1915 and reproduced in several German and Austrian newspapers during the upcoming days.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.14.5] Zatímco masy vojsk připnuté na lesích u Dunajce i Rábu stály pod deštěm granátů a velkokalibrová děla roztrhávala celé setniny a zasypávala je v Karpatech a obzory na všech bojištích hořely od požárů vesnic i měst, prožíval nadporučík Lukáš se Švejk nepříjemnou idylu s dámou, která utekla svému muži a dělala nyní domácí paní.
[I.14.5] Jakmile však prolomíme ruskou frontu mezi karpatským hřbetem a středním Dunajcem, není nijaké pochybnosti, že bude to znamenat konec války.

Also written:Dunajetz de

Literature
Všenorynn flag
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vsenory1.jpg

Brda a Podbrdí, Josef Kafka, 1925

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Právo lidu, 10.10.1912

Všenory is mentioned in a story Švejk tells to illustrate for Oberleutnant Lukáš the problems of getting Katy Wendler out of the house.

Background

Všenory is a village around 20 km south west of Prague, by the river Berounka. In 2018 it had 1,640 inhabitants.

Demography

According to the 1910 census Všenory had 289 inhabitants of which 289 (100 per cent) reported that they used Czech in their daily speech. The judicial district was okres Zbraslav, administratively it reported to hejtmanství Smíchov.The Catholic parish was Mokropsy Horní a Trnová, the post office was located in Dobřichovice.

Source:Seznam míst v království Českém(1913)

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Všenory were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 28 (Prag) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 8 (Prag).

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.14.5] Ve Všenorech byl minulej rok takovej případ v jedný vile. Ale tenkrát si ten telegram poslala sama ta ženská svýmu muži a ten si pro ni přijel a nafackoval voboum. Voba byli civilisti, ale v tomto případě si na oficíra nebude troufat.

Also written:Wšenor de

Literature
Parisnn flag
Wikipedia czdeenfrnnno MapSearch
paris.jpg

Světová válka 1914-1915 slovem i obrazem

paris1.jpg

L'entrée des Allemands à Paris (Septembre 1914)

Paris will according to Oberleutnant Lukáš soon be in German hands. This claim is part of his lecture to hop trader hop trader Wendler about the military situation.

The hop trader later in the conversation asks the officer why the Germans had withdrawn to the border when they already had been close to Paris.

Background

Paris is the capital and the largest city in France. The city core has a population of around 2.1 million, whereas the metropolitan area, which is the fourth largest Europe, has around 12 million.

The French capital was for a while in August and September 1914 seriously threatened by the initial German advance, but the enemy was halted in the battle of Marne.

Paris is also mentioned in some of Jaroslav Hašek's short stories, see links below.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.14.5] Stejně Francouzům hrozí v nejkratší době ztráta celé východní Francie a vtržení německého vojska do Paříže.
[I.14.5] Nemyslete si, že nesleduji události,“ pokračoval, dívaje se zuřivě na nadporučíka, který klidně vypouštěl z úst kolečka cigaretového dýmu, která stíhala jedno za druhým a rozbíjela je, což sledovala paní Katy s velkým zájmem, „proč Němci odešli zpět ku hranicím, když byli již u Paříže?

Also written:Paříž cz

Literature
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Prager Tagblatt,11.5.1915

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Světová válka 1914-1915 slovem i obrazem

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IR. 91, Kistopolya, 23.4.1915. Bestand Rudolf Kießwetter

© ÖStA

Východní Beskydy is part of the lecture about the war situation that Oberleutnant Lukáš treats hop trader hop trader Wendler to. From [II.3] onwards, events from here are often mentioned through stories from veterans who have served with Infanterieregiment Nr. 91 in the Carpathians. By Medzilaborce and Palota the plot takes place here without the mountains being mentioned explicitly.

Background

Východní Beskydy is a mountain region straddling the border between Poland, Slovakia and Ukraine, in Polish called Bieszczady. From the autumn of 1914 until May 1915 the front went along the mountains which saw heavy fighting during the winter battle of the Carpathians.

The novel apparently refers to battles that took place at the beginning of April 1915 east of Medzilaborce. Many of the official bulletins from this period mentions the fighting in Ostbeskiden. This assumption is supported by the fact that the author picked most of the information he used in the conversation between Oberleutnant Lukáš and hop trader Wendler from these very announcements.

The news entry in Kronika světové války from 2 April 1915 mentions Východní Beskydy as well as Klosterhoek, Niederaspach and Mühlhausen. All these places feature in the conversation between hop trader Wendler and Oberleutnant Lukáš. Also note that the spelling "Bezkydy" was often used, for instance in the mentioned news item.

IR. 91 in the Eastern Beskids

Until the first week of May 1915 three battalions of IR. 91 were stationed at this section of the front. They had been transferred from the Balkans front in early February. Their stay here has surely provided material for many of the conversation in Part Three.

Several of the models for characters in the novel served here: Rudolf Lukas, Jan Vaněk, Jan Eybl, Josef Adamička and also the more peripheral Oberleutnant Wurm. The activities of the regimentet in these mountains are very well documented through the diaries of Eybl.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.14.5] Nadporučík Lukáš vzal obchodníka s chmelem jemně za rameno a odvedl k mapě bojiště, visící na stěně, a ukazuje mu jednotlivé body, vykládal: „Východní Beskydy jsou naším znamenitým opěrným bodem.

Also written:Eastern Beskids en Ostbeskiden de Aust-Beskidane no Східні_Бескиди uk

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Světozor, 27.9.1912

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Ottův slovník naučný, 1901

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Průkopník, 27.3.1918

Moscow is one of the many places that are part of Oberleutnant Lukáš' lecture for hop trader Wendler about the war situation. He assures the hop trader that "we are not going to stop until we reach Moscow".

In [II.1] it is mentioned again when Švejk marched from Tábor in the winter landscape, as a soldier in Napoléon's army during the retreat from Moscow.

Background

Moscow [Москва] was in 1914 the biggest city in Russia whereas Petrograd was the capital. Moscow was from 1922 capital of the Soviet Union and was also the centre of the Bolshevik administration from 12 March 1918. It is the capital and biggest city of the modern republic of Russia, with more than 10 millions inhabitants. The city is situated on the river Moscow, 142 metres above sea level.

In 1897 the city had 988,614 inhabitants and the vast majority were Russians. The largest minority were Germans and Jews but none of these groups counted for more than 3 per cent of the population. There were also a number of Czechs and several Czech firms had offices in Moscow. During the last decennials before the world war the city was growing rapidly, had a diverse industrial base and was also the hub of the Russian railway network, connection 10 lines.

Hašek in Moscow

Jaroslav Hašek arrived in the city in mid March 1918 together Břetislav Hůla. It was here he joined the Czech section of the Communist Party and started to campaign for České legie to remain in Russia. On 27 March 1918 he published an article in Průkopník titled "To the Czech Army: why is one going to France?". He argued against the Legion's transfer to the Western front and though they should remain in Russia to defend the revolution.

His stay in the city was short-lived as he left for Samara in early April. In November 1920 he appeared in Moscow again, now on the way back to his homeland after working for two years as a Red Army commissar in the Ural region and Siberia.

The good soldier Švejk in captivity

In Dobrý voják Švejk v zajetí Moscow is mentioned during Švejk's stay at a psychiatric clinic in Vienna. One of the inmates claims to be Erzherzog Friedrich and that "we will be in Moscow in a month".[1]

Tam v rohu chodby seděl například člověk, kaprál, který křičel, že je arcivévoda Bedřich a že za měsíc bude v Moskvě. Toho zavřeli na pozorování, ale nesmíme zapomenouti že skutečný arcivévoda Bedřich se jednou sám tak vyjádřil a nestalo se mu nic, jen utrpěl trochu blamáže.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.14.5] Tam v rohu chodby seděl například člověk, kaprál, který křičel, že je arcivévoda Bedřich a že za měsíc bude v Moskvě. Toho zavřeli na pozorování, ale nesmíme zapomenouti že skutečný arcivévoda Bedřich se jednou sám tak vyjádřil a nestalo se mu nic, jen utrpěl trochu blamáže.
[I.14.5] V karpatských úsecích, jak vidíte, máme velkou oporu. Mocný úder na tuto linii - a nezastavíme se až v Moskvě. Válka skončí dřív, než se nadějeme.“
[II.1] Šel sněhy silnice, ve mraze, zahalen v svůj vojenský plášť, jako poslední z gardy Napoleonovy vracející se z výpravy na Moskvu, s tím toliko rozdílem,...

Also written:Moskva cz Moskau de Москва ru

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References
1Dobrý voják Švejk v zajetíJaroslav Hašek1917
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Národní politika,4.4.1915

Dardanelles is part of summary Oberleutnant Lukáš provides hop trader Wendler with about the situation at the various fronts. The officer informs his gueast that Marschall Liman von Sanders has been named head commander of the Dardanell army.

Background

Dardanelles is a narrow strait in north western Turkey that connects the Aegean Sea and the Marmara Sea. In March 1915 allied forces attempted to force their way through the straits but were repelled. The defeat ultimately led to the forced resignation of the British minister of Naval Affairs, Winston Churchill. The first major battle was fought on 18 March 1915 and the allied invasion fleet was repelled. The defenders were led by Cevat Paşa, later known as hero of 18 March.

Marschall Liman von Sanders was named commander-in-chief of the Dardanelle army on 24 March 1915, and the news about his new role was pasted directly in to the novel. It was cut from a summary of the latest events that was printed in Národní politika on Easter Sunday 1915 (4 April).

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.14.5] Vrchním velitelem turecké armády dardanelské jmenován maršálek Liman šl. Sanders.

Also written:Dardanely cz Dardanellen de Çanakkale Boğazı tr

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Český svět, 15.5.1915

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Světová válka 1914-1915 slovem i obrazem, s. 506

Constantinople is included in Oberleutnant Lukáš's elaborations for hop trader Wendler on the war situation. Here he informs his guest that Goltz Paşa has arrived in Berlin from Constantinople.

Later in the conversation the hop trader informs that he had delivered hops even to all the way to Constantinople before the war but that this trade now has stopped.

In the novel the obrlajtnant uses the term "Cařihrad" (Emperor's City), but this is rarely used in modern Czech. In Slovenian (Carigrad) and Bulgarian this form still exist, but in the other Slav languages it is now obsolete.

Background

Constantinople was in 1914 capital and the largest city of the Ottoman empire, and was capital of the new republic of Turkey until 1923. From 1930 the city has been known as İstanbul.

Goltz Paşa's journey from Constantinople to Berlin that Oberleutnant Lukáš refers to actually took place, but his arrival was on 29 March 1915, not in December 1914 as the novel indicates. The sentence that refers to Constantinople is one of many direct quotes from Kronika světové války. The quote also appeared in Národní politika 4 April 1915.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.14.5] Goltz paša přijel z Cařihradu do Berlína a naším císařem byli vyznamenáni Enver paša, viceadmirál Usedon paša a generál Dževad paša.
[I.14.5] Náš chmel šel až do Cařihradu. Dnes jsme napolo zničeni.

Also written:Cařihrad Hašek Konstantinopol cz Konstantinyé tr

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Brandenburger Tor in 1914

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Národní politika,4.4.1915

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Národní listy,24.1.1928

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Die Bühne,1928

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The end of Longen's fanciful story about Hašek and the former police man "Španda" in Berlin

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Hašek's wife does not record any stay in Berlin

Berlin is mentioned 5 times in The Good Soldier Švejk.

Berlin is also part of Oberleutnant Lukáš' lecture for hop trader Wendler about the military situation. The senior lieutenant informs his guest that Goltz Paşa has arrived in the city from Constantinople.

Berlin is later touched on when Blahník and Švejk invent the pedigree of Max (Fox) (see Berliner Stallpinscherausstellung ) and also in (2,4) in connection with Krauss and his publishing of graffiti from some railway station toilets there. In [II.3] Einjährigfreiwilliger Marek mentions a poultry exhibition in Berlin (see Wyandotte).

Background

Berlin is the capital of Germany and its largest city, counting around 3.6 million inhabitants (2017). It is located by the river Spree and is situated appx. 35 metres above sea level.

The city was from 1871 capital of Germany and already before that capital of the kingdom of Prussia and until 1881 the province of Brandenburg. Some of the political decisions that led to the outbreak of war were taken here. In 1900 the population count was around 2 millions and was growing rapidly. The city had at the time a very different appearance because it was largely left in rubble during the Second World War.

Oberleutnant Lukáš' statement refers to the arrival of Goltz Paşa in Berlin on 29 March 1915. Also note that the relevant phrase in the novel is word-by-word to identical to the newspaper clip to the right. See Kronika světové války for more on press quotes used in the novel.

Berlin and Švejk

Berlin, in its own right, merits a place in the story of how Švejk became famous outside his home country. Erwin Piscator's theatre play on Piscator-Bühne at Nollendrofplatz contributed a lot to the fame of the good soldier. The play was enthusiastically received by the public as well as critics, and the success was noted also abroad. Max Pallenberg played Švejk and the script was written by Hans Reimann and Max Brod. The play was first performed 23 January 1928.

Another Berliner who pushed Švejk into the limelight was Kurt Tucholsky who in 1926 wrote a raving review of the two first volumes of the novel (i.e. the translation).

Hašek in Berlin?

Jaroslav Hašek and his wife Alexandra Lvova (Šura) must have passed through the city around 9 Desember 1920. They were on the way to Czechoslovakia from Russia and they had arrived in Swinemünde (now Świnoujście) by boat the previous evening. Emil Artur Longen claims that they spend some days in Berlin after bumping into Vincenc Španda at Unter den Linden.

Španda was allegedly a former policeman from Prague who knew the author already in 1911 in connection Strana mírného pokroku v mezích zákona. Jaroslav Hašek and Španda are supposed to have partied in Berlin for three days and the author excused himself to his wife by claiming he had got lost!

Still there is every reason to be sceptical of Longen's version. First and foremost because Lvova doesn't mention Berlin or her husbands alleged three day "disappearance" in her account of their journey. On the contrary she recalls that they left Stettin (now Szczecin) in the evening of 9 December with an evening train and arrived in Pardubice "at night" (probably the night from 10 to 11 December).

Nor is there any trace of any policeman Španda in the address books of pre-war Prague or in the 1920 Berlin equivalent (perhaps Španda was not his real name). Amongst Hašek-experts Longen is moreover regarded an unreliable source. Radko Pytlík still doesn't rule out the possibility of a short stay in Berlin. He also writes that some Antonín Rypl was on the same journey as Hašek, but we know from official documents that Rypl arrived in Pardubice already on 10 Desember 1920. This fits well with Lvova's version, so any claim that Jaroslav Hašek stayed in Berlin for several days is probably based on hearsay..

Kurt Tucholsky

Zu diesem Buch ist mir in der gesamten Literatur kein Gegenstück bekannt.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.14.5] Goltz paša přijel z Cařihradu do Berlína a naším císařem byli vyznamenáni Enver paša, viceadmirál Usedom paša a generál Dževad paša.
[I.14.6] Otec obdržel první cenu na berlínský výstavě stájových pinčů v roce 1912.
[II.3] Opět mne přerušil a řekl, že mu to úplné stačí, a jestli jen polovičku toho podaří se mně splnit, že mně daruje párek trpasličích wyandotek z poslední berlínské výstavy drůbeže, které obdržely první cenu a majitel zlatou medaili za výborné spáření.

Sources: Radko Pytlík, Emil Artur Longen, Alexandra Lvova-Haškova, Jan Berwid-Buquoy

Also written:Berlín cz

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Illustrirte Zeitung,19.8.1915

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Světová válka slovem i obrazem (s. 509), 1915

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Teplitz-Schönauer Anzeiger,9.5.1915

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Světová válka slovem i obrazem (s. 510), 1915

Vistula is also pulled in by Oberleutnant Lukáš in his long discourse for hop trader Wendler on the strategic situation. This is the last item before the unavoidable theme is introduced: Katy Wendler.

Background

Vistula is with its 1,047 km the longest river in Poland. It flows through cities like Kraków, Warsaw, Torun and Gdańsk. The catchment area covers half of Polen.

Throughout the autumn of 1914 and until late summer 1915 the war zone engulfed part of river basin. Here it is no doubt the upper stretch that is the theme, as it was on Austrian territory.

Quotes from the War Chronicle

As with many other fragments from the conversation between Oberleutnant Lukáš and hop trader Wendler it seems that the author has borrowed some phrases from Kronika světové války. In this case they are however not copied word by word, and some details are removed or thrown about. The fragment refers to the Central Powers breakthrough by Dunajec in early May 1915 and is based on a report published in Berliner Tageblatt on 8 May 1915 and reproduced by Teplitz-Schönauer Anzeiger the next day[a].

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.14.5] Nadporučík Lukáš, vida, že spád rozmluvy zabočuje do nepříjemností, odvedl opět inteligentního obchodníka s chmelem k mapě bojiště, a ukazuje na podtržená místa, řekl: „Zapomněl jsem vás upozornit na jednu velice zajímavou okolnost. Na tento veliký, k jihozápadu obrácený oblouk, kde tvoří tato skupina hor veliké předmostí. Sem obrácena jest ofensiva spojenců. Uzavřením této dráhy, která předmostí spojuje s hlavní obrannou linií nepřítele, musí být přerušeno spojení mezi pravým křídlem a severní armádou na Visle. Je vám to nyní jasné?“

Also written:Visla cz Weichsel de

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La Stampa, 10.12.1912

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Tages-Post, 25.5.1915

Italy is in The Good Soldier Švejk first mentioned by hop trader Wendler in his complaint to Oberleutnant Lukáš about the effect of the war on the hop trade. He states that exports to Italy still carry on but that he is worried about the intentions of the Italians. He complains that Italy is still neutral despite renewing the Triple Alliance as late as in 1912.

From [III.2] owrads Italy features increasingly in the novel due to her declaration of war on Austria-Hungary. Many places in Italy are mentioned, mostly mid 19th century battlefields in the north during the three wars with Austria. These include Solferino, Custoza, Caldiero, Santa Lucia and Piave. Italian cities are also drawn in, amongst them Milan, Venice, Verona, and Novara. Amongst political entities we find Sardinia, Piedmont and the Republikken Venezia.

Many distinguished Italians have their names mentioned in The Good Soldier Švejk. First introduced is Columbus, followed by Lombroso, Boccaccio, Dante, Giordano Bruno, Galileo, marchese di San Giuliano, and Carlo King Alberto.

Background

Italy was in 1914 a kingdom that had been united since 1861. The capital was Rome and the population in 1914 was 37 million. On the eve of World War I the area was the same as today with the exception of Trentino, Alto Agide (South Tyrol) and Trieste. The latter territories belonged to Austria until 1918 and were handed over to Italy as part of the peace settlement. Italy was also a colonial power, possessing Libya (from 1912) and also parts of eastern Africa.

Austria-Hungary had a sizable Italian minority, predominantly on the Istria peninsula and in Trentino. Italian sepakers made up 1.5 per cent of the empire's population, or about 750,000. Italian was one of 10 official languages and Italians were represented in the Austrian Reichsrat. Almost the entire Italian population lived in Cisleithanien. The Italian minority of Austria was a source of permanent conflict, as Italy made claims to the areas in where they lived. These territorial demands were in the end the main reason for Italy entering the war on the side of the Entente.

Three wars against Austria
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National hero Giuseppe Garibaldi took part in all three Italian wars of independence against Austria

Between 1848 and 1866 three wars were fought between Austria and various Italian states. These are usually referred to as the first, second and third Italian war of liberation. It is in connection with these wars that most of the battlefields are mentioned later in the novel.

In the first war of liberation (1848-49) the kingdom of Sardinia faced Austria on its own and were defeated by Custoza and Santa Lucia, in battles where the Austrian army was commanded by the 82 year old Marschall Radetzky. Austria's victory did however not result in territorial gains, but Sardinia had to pay war reparations.

Leading up to the second war of liberation (1859) the kingdom of Sardinia had realised that they were incapable of winning a war against Austria alone, and allied themselves with France. After having provoked the war they won a decisive battle at Solferino. The result was that Austria was forced to cede Lombardy.

In the third war of liberation (1866) the now united Italy was allied with Prussia. Despite not winning any victory on the battlefield they were awarded the province of Veneto as Austria's position was untenable after her defeat against Prussia by Hradec Králové (Königgrätz).

The Triple Alliance
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Čech, 8.12.1912

The mentioned Triple Alliance (de. Dreibund, it. Triplice alleanza) was a loose defensive alliance between Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy. It was first signed in 1879 between the former two states, and in 1882 Italy joined. Their strategic reason was to have back cover for their colonial ambitions in Africa where they competed with France and England. This despite their long-standing conflict with Austria over Italian-speaking areas in Trentino, South Tyrol and on the Istria peninsula.

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Mussolini's newspaper with news on the renouncement of the Triple Alliance.

Il popolo d'Italia, 7.5.1915

The obligations of the treaty were limited to supporting the partners in the event of one of them being attacked by two or more non-treaty states. The treaty also contained an extra clause, stating that Italy would not be obliged to enter a war against England.

The treaty was renewed five times, the latest signed on 5 Desember 1912 by Foreign Secretary marchese di San Giuliano in Vienna. The only change from the 4th treaty (1902) was that Austria-Hungary and Germany recognized Italy's rule in Libya, an area she had conquered from Turkey during the war earlier that year.

The road to war
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Italian children in pro-war demonstration.

Tromsø Stiftstidende, 31.5.1915

In august 1914 Italy declared neutrality. The country was not obliged to participate in the war against Serbia, as the latter was clearly not the aggressor. Then they undertook negotiations with the warring parties, seeking to exploit the situation to achieve its territorial and political goals. The Entente obviously had more to offer and Italy pulled out of the Triple Alliance on 4 May 1915 after having entered as secret agreement to go to war against the Central Powers (the London agreement 26 April 1915).

In parallel negotiations Austria-Hungary was willing to concede major areas to keep Italy neutral, but in the London treaty the Entente had promised them even more.

One of the most vocal proponents of war was the young socialist politician and journalist Benito Mussolini. In November 1914 he founded his own newspaper Il popolo d'Italia (The Italian People), a publication that already from the start was noted for its virulent pro-war rhetoric, often penned by Mussolini himself. The first issue appeared in Milan 15 November 1914 and the final word in the editorial was: Guerra! (war).

Stalemate by Isonzo and in the Alps
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Lago di Doberdò durante un bombardamento

In an atmosphere of patriotic euphoria Italy declared war on the Dual Monarchy on 23 May 1915. Hostilities commenced almost immediately, and on 23 June Italy launched the first offensive by the river Isonzo. The war was primarily conducted in the north east along this river, and in the mountains of Tyrol. Italy enjoyed numerical superiority, and they repeatedly tried to break through the front by Isonzo. Although they carried the war onto Austrian territory, the gain was minimal and at a high cost. Gorizia fell in August 1916 but no decisive victory was ever achieved. A total of 11 battles were fought by Isonzo between June 1915 and October 1917.

In Tyrol the Austrians launched an offensive in May 1916 and enjoyed some progress in the beginning, but after a few weeks they had to give up, not least because of the critical situation in the east during the initial stage of the Brusilov offensive, launched 4 June 1916, threatened Austria-Hungary with a collapse.

The war at sea in Mediterranean Sea has not been given much attention, but here Italy faced the fleet of Austria-Hungary, and after the declaration of war against Germany on 28 August 1915, also German submarines. Italy was also formally at war with Turkey from 21 August 1915 and Bulgaria from 19 Oktober 1915.

Disaster at Caporetto
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New York Tribune, 6.1.1918

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The Great war, volume 11

Major changes to the war situation only occurred during the 12th Isonzo battle in October 1917. K.u.k. Heer had now been able to transfer troops from the eastern front after Russia's collapse, and had also been reinforced with German units. The Central Powers launched a surprise attack by Caporetto (sl. Kobarid) on 24 Oktober 1917 and the Italian front broke down already the same day.

The Italian army lost two thirds of its artillery during the chaotic retreat and the 2nd Army was destroyed. Still by mid November the Italians had managed to regroup and stabilize the front by Piave. The losses were frightening: an estimated 300,000 men, the vast majority of these taken prisoner.

The military leadership was subsequently replaced: the ruthless and unpopular commander in chief Luigi Cadorna was succeeded by Armando Diaz and army reforms followed. Discipline in the Italian army during Cadorna's reign was extremely harsh. Approximately every seventeenth soldier was subjected to disciplinary trials, most of tehm were convicted, and around 750 were executed. These numbers are much higher than those of the other armies at war.

In addition Cadorna's inflexible tactics, with frontal assaults, was often blamed for the enormous casualties the Italian army suffered. He also had serious problems co-operating with his fellow generals.

Allied support
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Czechoslovak legionnaires in 1918

From 1917 Italy received considerable support from their allies, both with supplies and manpower. The largest foreign force was British, followed by the French. American troops also took part, but to a minor degree.

Like in Russia and France military units of Czech and Slovak volunteers were formed also in Italy. Here the legions were however formed much later (1918) than in the two other countries, although Czechs fought in the Italian army even before that. Their numbers eventually reached 15,000 and in June 1918 they were used at the Piave front.

End of the war

15 June 1918 k.u.k. Wehrmacht launched another offensive by Piave, now without German help. The attack was unsuccessful and from now on the Italian army enjoyed the upper hand. The decisive offensive however started as late as 24 Oktober 1918, but within days it caused the total collapse of the Austro-Hungarian army. The armistice was signed 3 November 1918 in Villa Giusti, at a time when the Dual Monarchy for all practical purpose had ceased to exist.

The Versailles Treaty

As part of the peace settlement Italy was handed former Austrian territory in Tyrol and on the Istria peninsula (the latter was ceded to Yugoslavia after the Second World War).

This was less than what was promised in the Treaty of London, as the newly established Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (from 1929 Yugoslavia) were handed areas that originally had been promised Italy. The areas in question were primarily those along the coast of Dalmatia.

In Italy the reaction to the peace treaty was negative. Close to half a million Italians had perished during the war, and the gain was only slightly more than Austria-Hungary in 1915 had offered in exchange for neutrality.

IR. 91 in Italy
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The journey from Russia to Italy, extract from the diary of Rudolf Kießwetter , 17 November 1915. That day the 91st regiment stopped in Kraków, Oderberg (Bohumín) and Přerov.

© ÖStA

In mid November 1915 Jaroslav Hašek's Infanterieregiment Nr. 91 was transferred from the Volhynia province in Russia (now Ukraine) to the front in Italy. The timing of the author's capture on 24 September 1915 is therefore very important in the light of what direction his fate (and therefore The Good Soldier Švejk) could have taken...

The 2nd, 3rd and 4th battalion of regiment[1] reached the front by Isonzo on 19 November 1915. They ended their train journey at Prosecco by Trieste, and from there they marched north to the front section by Monfalcone. Here their position was on the so-called Karst Plateau on the current border between Italy and Slovenia. They were involved in the fighting already during the 4th Isonzo battle that now was ongoing. Places that often occur in connection with IR. 91 are Doberdò og Jamino, now slightly inside Italian territory, then on Austrian soil.

1. The detached first battalion didn't fight with the rest of the regiment until October 1916, but had arrived at the Isonzo front already before the other three battalions.

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Funeral by Prosecco, 1917. Fond Jan Ev. Eybl.

© SOkA Beroun.

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Map that roughly shows the movement of IR. 91 on the Italian front from 19 November 1915 until 30 September 1918. Based on "Jednadevadesátníci" (Jan Ciglbauer, 2018).

In May 1916 Austria-Hungary launched an offensive in Tyrol and in this context IR. 91 was on 24 May 1916 transported to that front section. They were deployed in the mountains south-east of Trento, but were not involved in any fighting. When the offensive was called off in June, the regiment was transferred back to their original position.

Thus the regiment from 1 July 1916 were again in position east of Monfalcone. They suffered grave losses during the six offensives that Italy launched during the next 15 months, but k.u.k. Wehrmacht held the line despite facing an enemy that was superior in manpower, equipment and ammunition. The regiment now included an elite unit of assault troops that caused a lot of damage in the enemy lines. These were commanded by captain Peregrin Baudisch, an officer that had distinguished himself already during the battle by Sokal in 1915. The 10th Isonzo-battle was particularly fierce and on 26 May 1917 all four battalions of IR. 91 distinguished themselves during the battle. The regiment had by now established a reputation as a formidable fighting force, and the enemy referred to them as the "green devils".

18 September 1917 they were transferred north to the front section by Gorizia where they took part in the 11th Isonzo battle by Monte San Gabriele (sl. Škabrijel).

After the break-through of the Central Powers by Caporetto 24 Oktober 1917, IR. 91 joined the advance on the Piave. Three days later they crossed the Isonzo for the first time, and 30 Oktober 1917 they found themselves on Italian soil. The civilian population had already fled, and the regiment came across huge amounts of provisions and equipment that the Italians had left behind during the retreat. Piave was reached 13 November 1917 and the area by the river would be their area of operation for the next 11 months.

From around Christmas 1917 until June 1918 the regiment held a sector of the front by Valdobbiadene, an area where Piave flows down from the mountains and onto the low plain. Here they for the first time faced French and British units, and also came in contact with Czech legionnaires.

ir91d.jpg

By Piave, 15 June 1918. Bestand Rudolf Kießwetter.

© ÖStA

In this period the casualties caused by direct enemy fire were negligible, but another enemy caused serious decimation of the ranks: hunger and disease. Austria-Hungary now had 300 000 extra Italian prisoners to feed, and the effects of the Allied blockade was felt more and more. In the so far reliable IR. 91 there were now signs of open discontent, and the will to fight spiralled downwards. The Italian supplies that were captured in the wake of Caporetto were already exhausted.

On 15 June 1918 k.u.k Heer launched a failed offensive by Piave, now with IR. 91 in the reserve. Through the summer the regiment guarded the front section by Grave di Papadopli, a large island in Piave, some distance south of Valdobbiadene. After the Bulgarian capitulation the entire 9. Infanteriedivision was transferred to the front in southern Serbia (see Niš). The departure from Piave took place on 30 September 1918.

Švejk and Italy
italia2.jpg

Dobrý voják Švejk a jiné podivné historky, 1912.

The first version of The Good Soldier Švejk, five short stories from 1911 has much more focus on Italy than the novel has. The first story, printed in Karikatury 22 May 1911 is even titled Švejk stands against Italy. Here the good soldier strays across the border near Trento and captures a mule and an Italian machine gun.

In these stories Švejk was posted at the garrison in Trento, at the time a huge fortress complex that guarded Austria's southern border against Italy. Still the plot almost exclusively takes place on the Austrian side of the border, the exception being the aforementioned episode with the mule and the machine gun.

Another Austrian border fortress features in the play Pevnost, co-written by Hašek, and was performed around the time the first stories about Švejk appeared. This play is set in Monfalcone near the mouth of the river Isonzo. Ironically this was the area where Jaroslav Hašek's own IR. 91 (now without the author) were to fight and suffer from the end of 1915 until the autumn of 1917.

Some of the prototypes of characters in The Good Soldier Švejk also took part in the campaign against Italy: Jan Vaněk, Rudolf Lukas, Čeněk Sagner, Jan Eybl, Franz Wenzel, and Hans Bigler. The latter is the only one that appears to have stayed at the front until the capitulation. A more peripheral name is Oberleutnant Wurm, from 1 July 1915 captain. In his diary Václav Čertík remembers that Wurm shot down an Italian plane on 8 January 1916.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.14.5] Ještě posíláme chmel do Italie, ale obávám se, že se Italie také do toho zamíchá.
[I.14.5] "Itálie zachovává přísnou neutralitu," těšil ho nadporučík, "to je..."

Sources: Rudolf Kießwetter, Jan Ev. Eybl, Jan Ciglbauer

Also written:Itálie cz Italien de Italia it

Literature
Meusenn flag
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Meuse along the map to the left

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Národní politika,3.4.1915

Meuse is mentioned by hop trader Wendler when the laments the state of the hop trade. Han wonders why there is still artillery fights between Maas and Mosel now when the war allegedly is going so well.

Background

Meuse is a river that flows from France, through Belgium and the Netherlands before emtying into the North Sea. The total length is 925 km. From 1914 to 1918 the battlefront was close to Meuse in the area around Verdun. The fighting mentioned by hop trader Wendler took place in early April 1915 and was reported in official announcements from Berlin on 2 April. The author employs these in the novel almost excactly as they were printed in Czech newspapers.

Changed spelling

Sergey Soloukh points at that in current issues of the novel the spelling is Maasa and not Mosa that the author used. Why the correct spelling was changed later is baffling. Mosa was the official Czech name in 1921 and was also the term found in the press snippets that the author obviously used (see Kronika světové války). Moreover Mosa is perfectlyy valid also today (2019).

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.14.5] Proč zas se vedou mezi Maasou a Moselou prudké dělostřelecké boje?

Sources: Sergey Soloukh

Also written:Máza/Mosa cz Maas nl

Literature
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Národní politika,4.4.1915

Woëvre is one of the many places mentioned in hop trader Wendler's frustrated tirade regarding the hop-trade. Three breweries in the area is said to have burnt down.

Background

Woëvre is a region in Lorraine in nort eastern France. It is located near Metz and the famous battlefield by Verdun. The front passed through here for almost the full length of the war and the events hop trader Wendler somewhat imprecisely refers seem to be taken from a news release issued by the German HQ on 28 March 1915. These news bulletins appeared on the front page of newspapers in Austria-Hungary throughout the war.

In Národní politika from 4 April Woëvre is mentioned again in a summary of events from the previous week. Now it is in a wording very close to what appears in the novel, but in all the press reports there is talk of the Woëvre plain, so hop trader Wendler is slightly imprecise.

Großes Hauptquartier, 28. März. Westlicher Kriegsschauplatz

Südöstlich von Verdun wurden französische Angriffe auf den Maashöhen bei Combres und in der Woevre-Ebene bei Marcheville nach hartnäckigen Kämpfen zu unseren Gunsten entschieden.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.14.5] Víte, že v Combres a Woewru u Marche shořely tři pivovary, kam jsem posílal ročně přes pět set žoků chmele?

Also written:Woevre Hašek Waberland de

Literature
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Národní politika,4.4.1915

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Mapire.eu (1836)

Combres is mentioned in hop trader Wendler tale of woe about the hop-trade. Three breweries in the area is said to have burnt down.

Background

Combres (officially Combres-sous-les-Côtes) is a municipality in the Meuse-department in Lorraine in France. It is located east of Verdun and was on or near the front almost the entire war.

In late March and early April 1915 fierce battles took place here, and it looks very much as if the author has used a news bulletin from 28 March in this sequence, repeated in Národní politika in a news summary on 4 April 1915 and not the least Kronika světové války.

Großes Hauptquartier, 28. März. Westlicher Kriegsschauplatz

Südöstlich von Verdun wurden französische Angriffe auf den Maashöhen bei Combres und in der Woevre-Ebene bei Marcheville nach hartnäckigen Kämpfen zu unseren Gunsten entschieden.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.14.5] Proč zas se vedou mezi Maasou a Moselou prudké dělostřelecké boje? Víte, že v Combres a Woewru u Marche shořely tři pivovary, kam jsem posílal ročně přes pět set žoků chmele? A shořel i ve Vogesách Hartmansweilerský pivovar, je srovnán se zemí ohromný pivovar v Niederspachu u Mylhúz.
Literature
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Neue Freie Presse,29.3.1915

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Světová válka 1914-1915 slovem i obrazem, s. 506

Marche is one of the many places hop trader Wendler mentions in his lament on the declining hop-trade. He simply calls it Marche, but the news bulletins reveal that he means Marchéville. There were three breweries in the area that were burnt down. Before the war Wendler had supplied them with hops, but now the trade was in tatters.

Background

Marche no doubt refers to Marchéville (officially Marchéville-en-Woëvre), a village in Lorraine in France. It is located not far from Verdun and in 2015 it counted a mere 76 citizens.

The fighting referred to was reported by German HQ on 28 March 1915, and their bulletin is partly (and imprecisely) reproduced by hop trader Wendler.

Cut, paste and add breweries

Marchéville is one of a number of place names on the Western Front that find its way into world literature through hop trader Wendler's long monologue of misery in front of Oberleutnant Lukáš. The names are all copied from Kronika světové války, and this publication is beyond doubt the source the author used when he composed the conversation between the hop trader and the officer.

That all these places hosted a brewery can by near certainty ruled out. Some of them were small villages, and in one case only a farm (Klosterhoek). That the small area east of Verdun had three breweries is almost inconceivable.

Similar information was however available from a number of newspapers, but Kronika světové války is the only known case where the wording (including spelling mistakes) corresponds literally to the words of hop trader Wendler and Oberleutnant Lukáš. This is particularly striking in the words of Lukáš (see Cevat Paşa, Halil Bey etc.).

Sergey Soloukh points out that the hyphen of Marchéville, as it is printed in Kronika světové války, may be the reason why the author called the place only Marche and his hypothesis is entirely plausible.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.14.5] Víte, že v Combres a Woewru u Marche shořely tři pivovary, kam jsem posílal ročně přes pět set žoků chmele?

Sources: Sergey Soloukh

Literature
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Das interessante Blatt,23.12.1915

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Národní politika,4.4.1915

Vosges was yet another place where hop trader Wendler's lost his market for hops. The brewery in Hartmannsweiler burnt down and the giant one in Niederaspach was razed to the ground.

Background

Vosges is a mountain range in north eastern France that between 1871 and 1918 straddled the French-German border. During World War I the front stretched along the mountains and in late March and early April 1915 there was heavy fighting here, events that the author transforms into destruction of breweries. Whether these breweries were destroyed (or even existed) has yet to be confirmed.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.14.5] A shořel i ve Vogesách Hartmansweilerský pivovar, je srovnán se zemí ohromný pivovar v Niederaspachu u Mylhúz.

Also written:Vogézy cz Vogesen de Les Vosges fr

Literature
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Národní politika,4.4.1915

Hartmannsweiler also had a brewery that hop trader Wendler traded with back in the good days. This was before it was burnt down during the fighting.

Background

Hartmannsweiler is the German name of Hartmannswiller, a small place in Alsace on the eastern slopes of the Vosges, nort west of the regional capital Muhouse. Like the rest of the region it was part of Germany from 1871 to 1918.

It was the scene of fierce fighting during World War I, particulalry in 1915. The battles mainly concerned Hartmannsweilerkopf, a summit of 956 metres west of the village. Today there is a large war cemetry and a French national monument. The village itself was destroyed by artillery bombardments.

As with the other Belgian and French breweries mentioned by hop trader Wendler in the conversation with Oberleutnant Lukáš the brewery here is presumably. It may of course have existed, but even in this is the case it is unlikely that the author had any knwoledge of it.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.14.5] A shořel i ve Vogesách Hartmansweilerský pivovar, je srovnán se zemí ohromný pivovar v Niederspachu u Mylhúz.

Also written:Hartmansweiler Hašek Hartmannswiller fr

Literature
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Světová válka 1914-1915 slovem a obrazem, s. 507

Niederaspach was another place with a destroyed brewery. This enormous brewery had, according to hop trader hop trader Wendler, been razed to the ground

Background

Niederaspach is the German name of Aspach-le-Bas, a municipality in the Haut-Rhin departmentet in Alsace, from 1871 to 1918 part of Germany. It is located west of the regional capital Mulhouse.

It has not been possible to verify the existence of any brewery here, and certainly not a gigantic one (as hop trader Wendler claims).

The front stretched through the area through most of the war. In November 1914 it was frequently mentioned in German Kriegsberichte and it also appeared in April 1915.

The World war Chronicle

Niederaspach appears in war bulletins in early April 1915, and not the least in Kronika světové války, a publication that Hašek no doubt made use of when he composed the conversation between Oberleutnant Lukáš og hop trader Wendler.

Großes Hauptquartier, 3. April.

Ein französischer Angriff auf die Höhen bei und südlich von Nieder-Aspach westlich von Mülhausen wurde zurückgeschlagen.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.14.5] A shořel i ve Vogesách Hartmansweilerský pivovar, je srovnán se zemí ohromný pivovar v Niederaspachu u Mylhúz.

Also written:Aspach-le-Bas fr

Literature
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Národní politika,11.4.1915

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Dobrý voják Švejk (Rukopis) (s. 156)

© LA-PNP

Mühlhausen is named in the tirade from hop trader Wendler about the failing demand for hops. He mentions a brewery in Niederaspach by Mylhúzy, the Czech name of the city.

Background

Mühlhausen is the German name of Mulhouse, a city in the province of Alsace (ge. Elsass) near the border of Switzerland and Germany. As the rest of Alsace it was part of Germany from 1871 to 1918.

Changed spelling

Current issues of the novel write Mylhúz and not Milhúz as the author used and the press reports used at the time. That change was introduced as part of a language "clean-up" of the novel that took place soon after 1950.

Kámen mudrců

One of Jaroslav Hašek's pre-war stories is set in Mulhouse[a].

Großes Hauptquartier, 3. April.

Ein Versuch der Belgier, das ihnen am 31. März entrissene Klosterhoek-Gehöft wieder zu nehmen, scheiterte. Im Priesterwalde mißlang ein französischer Vorstoß. Ein französischer Angriff auf die Höhen bei und südlich von Nieder-Aspach westlich von Mülhausen wurde zurückgeschlagen.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.14.5] A shořel i ve Vogesách Hartmansweilerský pivovar, je srovnán se zemí ohromný pivovar v Niederspachu u Mylhúz.

Also written:Mylhúzy cz Mulhouse fr

Literature
References
aKámen mudrcůČeské slovoJaroslav Hašek18.6.1911
Klosterhoeknn flag
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© Herman Declerck

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Paasche's Spezialkarten der Westfront, 1917

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Kronika světové války, 2.4.1915

Světová válka 1914-1915 slovem a obrazem, s. 507

klosterhoek1.jpg

© Herman Declerck

Klosterhoek had according to hop trader Wendler hosted a brewery which had been fought over six times between German and Belgian forces. Because of this he had an annual loss of 350 sacks of hops. The conversation took place on 20 Desember 1914.

Background

Klosterhoek (also Kloosterhoek) was a farm east of Pervijze in Flanders, by Stuivekenskerke slightly west of the river Ijzer (Yser). Heavy fighting took place here in October 1914 and in March/April 1915 and it is also mentioned in news items from 1916 and 1917.

In the front line

German forces reached the river Ijzer (Yser) late in October 1914 where they crossed the river and occupied Klosterhoek a.o. Some days later the Belgians opened the ditches causing the area to be flooded and the Germans withdrew. The next news came from German official bullrtins that reported that they on 31 March 1915 had occupied the farm. On 2 April the Belgians failed in an attempt to recapture it and the stalemate by Yser lasted until the end of the war. The area was bombarded to the ground, and towns like Pervijze, Diksmuide and Veurne were ravaged. Klosterhoek itself was never rebuilt and today the site of the previous farm is a field.

The World War Chronicle

An analysis of the historical events that hop trader Wendler refers to during the conversation indicate that the fighting in question took place early in April 1915, despite the author having the conversation between him and Oberleutnant Lukáš taking place 20 Desember 1914!

Klosterhoek appears in war bulletins in early April 1915, and not the least in Kronika světové války (The World War Chronice), a publication that Hašek no doubt made use of when he composed the conversation between Oberleutnant Lukáš and hop trader Wendler. It seems safe to assume that Hašek picked the geographical names from these bulletins but allowed himself to add the breweries (see Marchéville).

No brewery

Local historian Herman Declerck reveals that before World War I there were six breweries in Pervijze, but none of them were located by Klosterhoek, this was simply the name of the farm.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.14.5] Proč zas se vedou mezi Maasou a Moselou prudké dělostřelecké boje? Víte, že v Combres a Woewru u Marche shořely tři pivovary, kam jsem posílal ročně přes pět set žoků chmele? A shořel i ve Vogesách Hartmansweilerský pivovar, je srovnán se zemí ohromný pivovar v Niederspachu u Mylhúz. To máte ztráty 1200 žoků chmele pro mou firmu ročně. Šestkrát bojovali Němci s Belgičany o pivovar Klosterhoek, to máte ztrátu 350 žoků chmele ročně.“

Sources: Herman Declerck, Jaroslav Šerák

Literature
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Zpor_Por. Jelacic-Platz in Agram, Österreich-Ungarn (heute: Zagreb, Kroatien) (1909).

zagreb1.jpg

Zagreb was another place to which hop trader Wendler had to go to look for his wayward spouse. This trip he used well as he struck a deal with the municipal brewery, selling them 600 sacks of hops. This market was unfortunately lost by the end of 1914.

hop trader Wendler's trip to Zagreb must have taken place in 1913 as he states the this was "last year" and the author informs that the plot in these seqience of the novel takes place in December 1914.

Background

Zagreb was in 1914 capital of the Hungarian ruled autonomous Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia. At the time it was also known through it's German name Agram, a term that is rarely used anymore. Zagreb is now the capital of the republic of Croatia.

Breweries

The city presumably hosted several brwereies, but it is not known whether any of them were owned by the council. The largest of them was not doubt Aktienbrauerei und Malzfabrik in Agram, locally simply called Pivovara, that in 1910 was the 6th largest brewery in the entire Austria-Hungary. Beer production this year totalled 26,226 hectolitres.

This large brewery was founded as a joint limited company in 1893 through a merger of several smaller breweries who were unable to expand on their original sites. It still exists in 2019 and is known as Zagrebačka pivovara. The current owner is Molson Coors Brewing Company.

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Zagreb were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 53 (Agram) or Honvédinfanterieregiment Nr. 25 (Agram).

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.14.5] A když odešla se obléknout, tiše řekl k nadporučíkovi: „Nevyvádí to ponejprv. Loni ujela s jedním suplentem a našel jsem je až v Záhřebu. Udělal jsem při té příležitosti v městském pivovaře v Záhřebě uzávěrku na žoků chmele.

Also written:Záhřeb cz Agram de Zágráb hu

Literature
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Světozor,16.10.1914

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The brewery around 1900

© Warsaw on postcards

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Der Böhmische Bierbrauer,1.10.1891

Warsaw is mentioned 4 times in The Good Soldier Švejk.

Warsaw and was another hop market that was lost for hop trader Wendler and he adds that the Augustian Brewery was the largest in the city. The representative for the brewery visited Wendler each year.

Background

Warsaw is since 1918 capital of Poland and the biggest city in the country. It is located by the river Vistula.

The city was in 1914 capital of the Kingdom of Poland (or Congress Poland), until 1915 a Russian satelltite state. During the autumn of 1914 the Germans made several failed attempts to conquer the city. Warsaw finally fell on 4 August 1915 and remained on German hands for the rest of the war.

Breweries

It has not been possible to identify any Augustian brewery in the city. The largest brewery in Warsaw at the end of the 19th century was Haberbusch i Schiele (ru. Габербуш и Шиле), a position it held also in 1914. The company also operated their own bottling plant in Kiev. The company retained its leading position in the inter-war independent Poland, but was destroyed during the Warsaw uprising in 1944. Other breweries in the city were Machlejd and Livonia. Warsaw was also an important centre for hop trading in the Russian Empire, and in this context it was often mentioned in specialist publications in Austria.

Other possibilities

There is also a possibility that hop trader Wendler exported hops to an overseas brewery. Their one of the several towns named Warsaw in United States, there was a brewery in for instance Warsaw, Illinois. This brewery was however not called "Augustinian", and the idea that Wendler has anywhere but the Polish city in mind appears remote.

The brewery name is rather a mix-up with the famous Augustiner-Bräu in Munich or one of the other Augustiner breweries that existed at the time (Salzburg, Wittenberg ...), although not even in Munich this was the largest brewery.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.14.5] A zapaluje si nabídnutou cigaretu, řekl zoufale: „Jedině Varšava odebírala 2370 žoků chmele. Největší pivovar je tam augustiánský. Zástupce býval u mně na návštěvě každoročně. To je k zoufání. Ještě dobře, že nemám děti.“
[I.14.5] Tento logický závěr každoroční návštěvy zástupce augustiánského pivovaru z Varšavy způsobil, že se nadporučík jemně usmál, což obchodník s chmelem postřehl, a proto vykládal dál: ....

Also written:Varšava cz Warschau de

Literature
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Gambrinus,1.4.1900

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Magyar Gambrinus,5.1.1907

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The brewery in Sopron

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Magyar Sörlexikon

Sopron and its brewery troubled hop trader Wendler with poor demand after the outbreak of war. The brewery had until then exported its beer all the way to Alexandria.

When the plot later moves to Királyhida the city is mentioned in several contexts, and also indirectly through Sopronyi utcza and the newspaper Sopronyi Napló. Sopron was also the birthplace of Etelka Kakonyi.

Background

Sopron is a city in Hungary near the Austrian border, regarded as the country's oldest city. It is located 5 km south-west of Neusiedler See.

In 1910 the population count was 33,932 and amongst these the Germans were just about the largest ethnic group. The city was (and is) connect by rail to, amongst others, Győr and Wiener Neustadt. Sopron was after the peace treaty of Trianon in 1920 to join Austria, but a referendum overturned the decision so it remained in Hungary. Today Sopron has more than 60,000 inhabitants.

The brewery

The brewery was established as a limited company on 30 March 1895 by factory owner Julius Lenck and a beer consortium from Brno. At the start the capacity was 25,000 hectolitres per year. The official names was Első Soproni Serfőzde és Malátagyár Részvénytársaság, in German Erste Oedenburger Bierbrauerei- und Malzfabrik-Aktiengesellschaft. The brewery existed under this name until 1917 when it was bought by a larger Hungarian enterprise. The brewery is still operating (2019) and is owned by Heineken.

Hašek in Sopron

Jaroslav Hašek visited Sopron in 1905 together with Jaroslav Kubín and František Wágner. This was part of a longer trip later described in some detail in Strana mírného pokroku v mezích zákona, and also well covered by Václav Menger. According to Menger they stayed with the brewmaster, a Czech.

Demography

According to the 1910 census Sopron had 33 932 inhabitants. The judicial district was Sopron, administratively it reported to vármegye Sopron.

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Sopron were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 76 (Sopron) or Honvédinfanterieregiment Nr. 18 (Sopron).

Nagykanidžská idyla

Velice důležitým poznatkem na naší cestě ze Šoproně do Velké Kanidže, kde se nejdéle udržel pašalík turecký, bylo, že nejspokojenější lidé jsou právě ti, kterým násilím nebyla vnucena vzdělanost.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.14.5] „Uherské pivovary v Šoproni a ve Velké Kaniži odbíraly pro svá exportní piva, která vyvážely až do Alexandrie, u mé firmy ročně průměrem 1000 žoků chmele.
[II.3] Od opuštěného pavilónku, kde dřív za času míru fotografoval nějaký fotograf vojáky trávící zde mládí na vojenské střelnici, bylo vidět dole v údolí u Litavy červené elektrické světlo v bordelu „U kukuřičného klasu“, který poctil svou návštěvou arcivévoda Štěpán při velkých manévrech u Šoproně v roce 1908 a kde se scházela denně důstojnická společnost.
[II.3] „A bydlí s paní Etelkou v prvním patře,“ řekla garderobiérka s podrobností staré kuplířky, „ona je Němkyně ze Šoproně a on je Maďar; zde je to všechno pomíchané.“

Sources: Václav Menger, Radko Pytlík, Csaba Catona

Also written:Šoproň cz Ödenburg de

Literature
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Nagykanizsa, 20.8.1911

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Gambrinus,15.10.1892

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Kataliszt blogja

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Gambrinus,15.5.1905

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Magyar Sörlexikon

Nagykanizsa and the city's brewery provided hop trader Wendler with good demand for hops until war turned the trade upside-down. The brewery bought an annual average of 100 sacks of hops from him and exported their beer all the way to Alexandria.

Background

Nagykanizsa is a city in the Zala county in Hungary, located appx. 40 km south-west of Lake Balaton and 15 km from the border with Croatia.

Hašek visiting

Jaroslav Hašek visited the city in 1905 and later wrote a couple of stories set there, and many more that mentions the city. In Strana mírného pokroku v mezích zákona he recalls being welcomed by the Czech brew-master there, a certain Mr. Znojemský.

The brewery

The brewery was established in 1892 and operated until 1999. It was in the years before World War I a medium-size brewery with an output of 47,000 hectolitres in 1912. The company's official name was Nagy-Kanizsai Serfőzde és Malátagyár Részvénytársaság, in German Nagy-Kanizsaer Bierbrauerei- und Malzfabrik-Aktiengesellschaft.

In 1902 Jan Znojemský became brewmaster at the plant. This is without doubt the person Hašek refers to in his story as Znojemský was still there in 1905. In 1909 he assumed the same role at the brewery F.F. Bote in Jekaterinoslav in Russia (now Dnipro, Ukraine), but resigned shortly after the outbreak of war.

Spelling

An added curiosity is that a number of translations struggle with the spelling of Nagykanizsa. Amongst them are the first German, the Norwegian, the latest Swedish and all three English. The latest Dutch, Finnish and German translations however spell the name correctly. The error is however difficult to spot: the letters "s" and "z" are swapped.

It should be noted that this error appeared quite frequently in the newspapers of the period, and even in official publications. Previously the name was written with a hyphen as Nagy-Kanizsa, similar to, say, Király-Hida.

Demography

According to the 1910 census Nagykanizsa had 26 524 inhabitants. The judicial district was Nagykanizsa, administratively it reported to vármegye Zala.

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Nagykanizsa were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 48 (Nagykanizsa) or Honvédinfanterieregiment Nr. 20 (Nagykanizsa).

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.14.5] „Uherské pivovary v Šoproni a ve Velké Kaniži odbíraly pro svá exportní piva, která vyvážely až do Alexandrie, u mé firmy ročně průměrem 1000 žoků chmele.

Sources: Václav Menger, Radko Pytlík

Also written:Velká Kaniža cz Großkirchen/Groß-Kanizsa de

Literature
Alexandriann flag
Wikipedia czdeenno MapSearch
alexandria.jpg

Alexandria 1875

alexandria.png

Der Böhmische Bierbrauer,27.6.1911

Alexandria was a city that enjoyed beer imported from Hungary, brewed with hops delivered by hop trader Wendler.

Background

Alexandria (arab. الإسكندرية) is a city in Egypt, named after Alexander the Great, the city's founder. In ancient times it was known for its library and its light-house, both classed amongst the seven wonders of the world.

In 1914 Egypt was formally still part of Turkey but had been occupied by the British since 1882. At the outbreak of war in 1914 the country was made a British protectorate, which no doubt ended any beer import from Austria-Hungary that ever was.

Reports from 1903 reveal that beer products were exported to Alexandria and other harbours in the Mediterranean Sea via Trieste.

Alternatives?

There are a number of places named Alexandria around the world so one can't be one hundred per cent certain that hop trader Wendler actually had the Egyptian city in mind. Beer was already exported overseas and the numerous Alexandrias in North America are possible candidates.

Closer to home there is a remote possibility that hop trader Wendler was talking about Nowa Alexandria in Russian Poland, sometimes referred to as simply Alexandria. The town is now called Puławy but was from 1846 to 1918 named after tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna (1798-1860).

The Romanian town of Alexandria can likewise not be entirely ruled out, being situated close to the Hungarian border.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.14.5] „Uherské pivovary v Šoproni a ve Velké Kaniži odbíraly pro svá exportní piva, která vyvážely až do Alexandrie, u mé firmy ročně průměrem 1000 žoků chmele.

Also written:Alexandrie cz

Literature
Zámecké schodynn flag
Wikipedia cz MapSearch Švejkova cesta Švejkův slovník
schody.jpg

Královský hrad pražský, 1894

Zámecké schody are mentioned as Švejk and Blahník are sitting in a small pub at the lower end of the steps as they plan the infamous dog-theft.

Background

Zámecké schody are steps that lead from Prague Castle at Hradčany down Malá Strana. The current appearance has been roughly unchanged since the mid 17th century.

It ends down in Thunovkská ulice and this is where the mentioned small pub must have existed. See Malý výčep piva.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.14.6] Na Malé Straně u Zámeckých schodů je malý výčep piva. Jednoho dne tam seděli v šeru vzadu dva muži. Jeden voják a druhý civilista. Nakloněni k sobě šeptali si tajemně. Vyhlíželi jako spiklenci z dob Benátské republiky.

Also written:Castle Steps en Slottstrappa no

Venetian Republicnn flag
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rvenezia.jpg
venezia1.png

Břetislav Hůla

© LA-PNP

Venetian Republic is mentioned when the two dog thieves, Švejk and Blahník, are compared to conspirators from the time of the Venetian Republic.

Background

Venetian Republic may refer to the city state of Venice that existed for around 1000 years until 1797.

An alternative is Repubblica di San Marco, a short-lived republic that in 1848-49 rose up against Austrian rule. It was centred on Venice and consisted more or less of the current region of Veneto.

The Venetian Republic is also the theme in the story Turista Aratáš[a]. In this case there is however is no doubt that he refers to the classical city state.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.14.6] Na Malé Straně u Zámeckých schodů je malý výčep piva. Jednoho dne tam seděli v šeru vzadu dva muži. Jeden voják a druhý civilista. Nakloněni k sobě šeptali si tajemně. Vyhlíželi jako spiklenci z dob Benátské republiky.

Also written:Benátská republika cz Repubblica di San Marco it

References
aTurista AratášVenkovJaroslav Hašek30.4.1911
Klamovkann flag
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klamovka.jpg

Former "Víla Svět zvířat", 16 May 2011

Klamovka is mentioned by Blahník when he and Švejk are planning the dog-theft in the little pub by Zámecké schody. The place in question is a kennel above Klamovka.

Background

Klamovka is a park area in Košíře and Smíchov, named after the Bohemian noble family Clam-Gallas. The main attraction of the park was (and is) the restaurant with a terrace that at the time often put on concerts with military orchestras. Egon Erwin Kisch has vividly described the ambience at Klamovka in his story Der Clamsche Garten from the collection Aus Prager Gassen und Nächten (1912).

Hašek and Klamovka

Jaroslav Hašek was in 1909 and 1910 editor of the zoological journal Svět zvířat which editorial offices were in a villa just above the park. The kennel referred to in the novel was located in the garden in front of the villa (see Psinec nad Klamovkou). In 2011 the villa was in disrepair and by 2015 it had been demolished.

Jaroslav Hašek was dismissed in the autumn of 1910 after readers started to complain about improbable stories. After the dismissal set up his own short-lived Cynological Institute below Klamovka where he also lived with his wife.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.14.6] Voják s civilistou si ťukli a civilista dále šeptal: „Jednou ode mne jeden černej špic, kterýho jsem potřeboval pro psinec nad Klamovkou, nechtěl taky vzít buřt

Sources: Jaroslav Šerák, Radko Pytlík, Ladislav Hájek

Literature
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MapSearch Švejkova cesta Švejkův slovník
senovazne.jpg

Havlíčkovo náměstí, around 1910

slavia1.png

Český Lloyd, 13.9.1902

Havlíčkovo náměstí (now Senovážné náměstí) was where the unhappy stable pinscher Fox was stolen by Blahník. The theft started right here and the dog was put on a lead in Jindřišská ulice, just a few minutes away. Švejk had earlier been here to verify the eating habits of Fox. He did so by befriending the maid of Oberst Kraus.

Background

Havlíčkovo náměstí is the former name of the square Senovážné náměstí in Nové město. The name that appears in the novel was in use from 1896 to 1940 and it has also been named after František Soukup and Maxim Gorky. The square is located north of the main railway station.

Jaroslav Hašek worked for Banka Slavia here for a short while in 1902 and 1903 until he was dismissed after two absences without leave.

Name changes

This square should not be confused with the current Havlíčkovo náměstí in Žižkov, a square that in 1914 was called Basilejské náměstí (Basel Square).

The good soldier Švejk in captivity

In Dobrý voják Švejk v zajetí the square is also mentioned but the context is different. The author expresses disgust with the fact that the German consulate is located on a square named after the Czech national hero Karel Havlíček.[1]

Mladý úředník od berního ředitelství hlasitě se smál. Byl zatčen předvčírem u německého konzulátu na Havlíčkovi náměstí, že se smál. Není-liž to také k smíchu a nestojí-li to za poznámku před celým davem, srovnat manifesty před německým konzulátem, uspořádanou německý studenty, židovskými příručími a několika babami z 'lehrerinnenvereinu' na náměstí, které nese hrdě jméno Karla Havlíčka? Německý konzulát! Ta nejsprostší urážka Havlíčkově památce!

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.14.6] Mladý úředník od berního ředitelství hlasitě se smál. Byl zatčen předvčírem u německého konzulátu na Havlíčkovi náměstí, že se smál. Není-liž to také k smíchu a nestojí-li to za poznámku před celým davem, srovnat manifesty před německým konzulátem, uspořádanou německý studenty, židovskými příručími a několika babami z 'lehrerinnenvereinu' na náměstí, které nese hrdě jméno Karla Havlíčka? Německý konzulát! Ta nejsprostší urážka Havlíčkově památce!
[I.14.6] „Každej den ve vosum hodin,“ šeptal civilista vojákovi, „chodí s ním služka na roh Havlíčkovýho náměstí k parku. Ale von je potvora, kouše o všechno pryč. Nedá se pohladit.“
[I.14.6] V osm hodin ráno druhého dne bylo vidět dobrého vojáka Švejka chodit na rohu Havlíčkova náměstí u parku.
[I.14.6] „Nemluv vo tom, Švejku,“ řekl měkce Blahník, „pro starýho kamaráda všechno udělám, zejména když slouží na vojně. Sbohem, hochu, a nevoď ho nikdy přes Havlíčkovo náměstí, aby se nestalo nějaký neštěstí. Kdybys potřeboval ještě nějakého psa, tak znáš, kde bydlím.“

Also written:Havlíček square en Havlíčkový náměstí Švejk

References
1Dobrý voják Švejk v zajetíJaroslav Hašek1917
Protivín náměstínn flag
Wikipedia czdeen MapSearch
protivinnam.jpg

Pohled na náměstí směrem k zámku, 1908

Protivín náměstí is mentioned in the conversation between Švejk and the housemaid of Oberst Kraus in chapter [I.14]. It is revealed that she is the sister of butcher Pejchar on the town square.

Background

Protivín náměstí is the town square in Protivín, now called Masarykovo náměstí. It has a long shape and appears more like a broad avenue than a market square.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.14.6] „Tak znáte v Protivíně na náměstí řezníka Pejchara?“ „Jakpak bych ho neznal.“ „To je můj bratr.“
Krčnn flag
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Krč no. 32, the birthplace of Kateřina Jarešová

Krč is mentioned in the same dialogue as Protivín. A certain Jareš was from Krč by Protivín according to Švejk.

Background

Krč is a village in the Písek district in South Bohemia, 3 km east of the centre of Protivín. In 1847 Kateřina Jarešová, the mother of Jaroslav Hašek, was born here. Her father, Antonín Jareš, was a pond warden nearby. These are circumstances that no doubt inspired the author.

Demography

According to the 1910 census Krč had 952 inhabitants of which 951 (99 per cent) reported that they used Czech in their daily speech. The judicial district was okres Vodňany, administratively it reported to hejtmanství Písek.The village had its own Catholic parish, the nearest post office was located Protivín.

Source:Seznam míst v království Českém(1913)

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Krč were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 11 (Pisek) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 28 (Pisek).

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.14.6] „A kterýho Jareše, toho z Krče u Protivína, nebo z Ražic?“ „Z Ražic.“ „Ještě rozváží pivo?“ „Pořád.“
Literature
Sady Vrchlickéhonn flag
Wikipedia cz MapSearch Švejkova cesta
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Městský sad, 26.10.1907

sady.png

Čas,11.3.1913

Sady Vrchlického is mentioned indirectly through the term "by the park". The circumstance arises when Blahník tricks Fox to follow him from Havlíčkovo náměstí, up along the park before turning down into Bredovská ulice. Already before this happened Švejk had turned up at the corner of the park and Havlíčkovo náměstí, subtly extracting information from the maid of Oberst Kraus about the dog's eating habits.

Background

Sady Vrchlického (eller Vrchlického sady) is a park in front of the Prague railway station (in 1914 Nádraží císaře Františka Josefa), originally named Městský sad (City Garden). The park was laid out in connection with the construction of the railway station after 1870 and was at the time much larger than today. It even contained a fish pond, and a waterfall.

Between 1972 and 1977 a major redevelopment of the area took place: the new entrance hall for the railway station, a new transit road, and parking spaces. This reduced the area of the park considerably.

Renamed

On 10 March 1913 the Council of Aldermen in Prague decided to rename the park in honour of the recently deceased poet Vrchlický (1853-1912). The original proposal was aired in a meeting on 26 November 1912. Thus Sady Vrchlického was the official name of the park when Blahník and Švejk were sneaking around in the area.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.14.6] „Každej den ve vosum hodin,“ šeptal civilista vojákovi, „chodí s ním služka na roh Havlíčkovýho náměstí k parku. Ale von je potvora, kouše o všechno pryč. Nedá se pohladit.“
[I.14.6] V osm hodin ráno druhého dne bylo vidět dobrého vojáka Švejka chodit na rohu Havlíčkova náměstí u parku. Čekal na služku se stájovým pinčem.
[I.14.6] „Šel jsem schválně kolem něho, drže zabalená vařená játra v papíru. Počal čenichat a vyskakovat na mne. Nedal jsem mu nic a šel dál. Pes za mnou. U parku jsem se otočil do Bredovské ulice a tam jsem mu dal první kousek.

Also written:Vrchlický Garden en Vrchlický-Garten de Vrchlický-hagen no

Literature
Bredovská ulicenn flag
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bredskova.jpg

Bredovská ulice (now Ulice Politických vězňů) was a street were Fox followed Blahník just before he was put on a lead.

Background

Bredovská ulice is a street in Nové město. The current name Ulice Politických vězňů literally means "The Political Prisoners street".

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.14.6] „Šel jsem schválně kolem něho, drže zabalená vařená játra v papíru. Počal čenichat a vyskakovat na mne. Nedal jsem mu nic a šel dál. Pes za mnou. U parku jsem se otočil do Bredovské ulice a tam jsem mu dal první kousek
Jindřišská ulicenn flag
MapSearch Švejkova cesta
jindriska.jpg

Jindřišská ulice is the street where Fox finally was put on a lead and thus had his fate sealed.

Background

Jindřišská ulice is a street in Nové město. It is perpendicular to Václavské náměstí and many tram lines pass through it.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.14.6] Zabočil jsem do Jindřišské, kde jsem mu dal novou porci. Pak jsem ho, když se nažral, uvázal na řetízek a táh jsem ho přes Václavské náměstí na Vinohrady, až do Vršovic.
Leipzignn flag
Wikipedia czdeennnno MapSearch
leipzig.jpg

Hauptbahnhof

Leipzig is mentioned when the new family-tree of Fox is invented. According to this, Fox hailed from Hundezwinger von Bülow in Leipzig.

The Battle of Nations by Leipzig in 1813 is mentioned several times in [III.1], and it appears on Kadett Biegler's impressive list of battlefields. See also Liebertwolkwitz, Wachau and Lindenau.

Background

Leipzig is the second largest city in the state of Saxony, and was in 1914 part of the German Empire. The city is known for it's trade fair, university and as an important transport hub. The name is of Slav origin.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.14.6] „To musí bejt tvou rukou napsaný. Napiš, že pochází z Lipska, z psince von Bülow. Otec Arnheim von Kahlsberg, matka Emma von Trautensdorf, po otci Siegfried von Busenthal.
[III.1] „Znáte dějiny bitvy národů u Lipska?“ otázal se, „když polní maršálek kníže Schwarzenberg šel na Liebertkovice 14. října roku 1813 a když 16. října byl zápas o Lindenau, boje generála Merweldta, a když rakouská vojska byla ve Wachavě a když 19. října padlo Lipsko?“

Also written:Lipsko cz

Literature
Nurembergnn flag
Wikipedia czdeennnno MapSearch
nurnberg.jpg

Světozor, , 17.10.1941

Nuremberg was the city where, according to Max's (former Fox) new pedigree, his mother (see Emma von Trautensdorf) was awarded a gold medal by the society of breeders of pure-bred dogs. See also Nürnberger Verein zur Zucht edler Hunde.

Background

Nuremberg is the second largest city of Bavaria and the largest in Franconia, in 1914 part of Germany. To judge by some short stories he wrote, Hašek visited the Nuremberg region in 1904.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.14.6] Otec obdržel první cenu na berlínský výstavě stájových pinčů v roce 1912. Matka vyznamenána zlatou medalií norimberskýho spolku pro chov ušlechtilých psů. Jak myslíš, že je starej?“

Also written:Norimberk cz

Index Back Forward I. In the rear Hovudpersonen

15. Catastrophe

Zillergutnn flag
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Zillergut appears in connection with the author's description of Oberst Kraus. His predecessors had appropriated the noble title Zillergut, after some village in Herzogtum Salzburg that they had fleeced in the 18th century.

Background

Zillergut is an unknown geographical entity, most probably an invention by the author. There is no village Zillergut in Salzburg or anywhere else, and a search in historical newspapers show no results apart from the common name "Zillergut" (unknown etymology). The author may have had Zillertal in mind, but this is a valley in Tyrol, not a village in Herzogtum Salzburg.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.15] Plukovník Bedřich Kraus, mající též přídomek von Zillergut, po nějaké vesničce v Solnohradech, kterou jeho předkové prožrali již ve století osmnáctém, byl úctyhodným pitomcem.
Herzogtum Salzburgnn flag
Wikipedia czdeensv MapSearch
salzburg.jpg

Blikk von der Humboldt-Terrasse, nach 1910

© Stadtarchiv Salzburg

salcpursko.png

Ottúv slovník naučný, 22. Rozkošný-Schloppe, 1904

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Salzburg third in the literacy league.

Rozkvět, 10.12.1913

eb59.png

Ergänzungsbezirk Nr. 59

Schematismus für das k.u.k. Heer und für die k.u.k. Kriegsmarine 1911

Herzogtum Salzburg appears in connection with the author's description of Oberst Kraus. His predecessors had appropriated the noble title Zillergut, after some village in the area that they had fleeced in the 18th century. The theme here is therefore the duchy of Salzburg, not the city itself.

Background

Herzogtum Salzburg (Duchy of Salzburg) was one of 15 crown lands of Cisleithanien. It was included in Austria in 1816 as a result of the Napoleonic wars, and thus became part of Austria-Hungary in 1867. From 1 January 1850 onwards the duchy enjoyed the status as a crown land, with it's own government, headed by the Landeshauptmann.

The area of the duchy was the same as the current Land Salzburg, one of the nine states in current Austria. It bordered Bavaria, Tyrol, Carinthia, Styria og Österreich ob der Enns (no Oberösterreich). At the start of the 20th century the population number was slightly below 200,000, distributed across six districts (Salzburg Stadt, Salzburg Umgebung, Hallein, Zell am See, St. Johann and Tamsweg).

Czech terminology

The author uses the plural term Solnohrady (The Salt Castles), as opposed to the singular Solnohrad that refers to the city of Salzburg. Solnohrady and Salcpursko were during the author's lifetime used interchangeably, but both refers to the duchy of Salzburg. In Czech the city was previously also called Salcpurk, but in our times (2011) Salcburg is more common.

Military

Militarily the city of Salzburg and the crown land belonged to Korpskommando Nr. 14 that was located in Innsbruck. The city was also the seat of recruitment district No. 59 with the "house regiment" Infanterieregiment Nr. 59. I 1914 only one battalion from the house regiment were garrisoned here. Salzburg was also the seat of Feldkanonenregiment Nr. 41, a military court and also Platzkommando.

Czech soldiers

It could be added that staff and three battalions of Infanterieregiment Nr. 75 were garrisoned in Salzburg from 1912 to 1914 so at the outbreak of war the city hosted a sizeable contingent of Czech soldiers.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.15] Plukovník Bedřich Kraus, mající též přídomek von Zillergut, po nějaké vesničce v Solnohradech, kterou jeho předkové prožrali již ve století osmnáctém, byl úctyhodným pitomcem.

Also written:Duchy of Salzburg en Solnohrady Hašek Salcburské vévodství cz Hertugdømet Salzburg no

Literature
Na Příkopěnn flag
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prikop.jpg

Na Příkopě / Am Graben, 1908

prikopy.png

Police report. Hašek arrested after causing trouble on Příkopy 1 January 1905. Translated by Břetislav Hůla.

© LA-PNP

Na Příkopě is mentioned as Oberleutnant Lukáš was on the way to the corner of this street and Panská ulice to meet a lady when the fatal encounter with Oberst Kraus took place.

Background

Na Příkopě is a well-known street in Prague, often simply called Příkopy, one of the more up-market shopping streets. During Austria this area was dominated by Germans and was one of the most exclusive streets in the city.

In German the street was known as Am Graben, a parallel to the similarly exclusive and like-named street in Vienna. The name is literally translated On the Moat.

Drunk and disorderly

"German" Příkopy would not have been the street Hašek most frequently visited, but one incident is recorded. At 3 in the morning 1 January 1905 Hašek caused disorder on this street. Totally drunk he waved his arms around and also insulted German students. One of the witnesses to the incident was the "German philosopher" Paul Kisch, brother of the eventually famous Egon Erwin Kisch. The perpetrator admitted to being very drunk and said he couldn't remember much of it. A record of the incident is stored in the police archives, translated into Czech by Břetislav Hůla.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.15] Vyšli na ulici a nadporučík Lukáš zaměřil se psem na Příkopy. Měl se setkat s jednou dámou na rohu Panské ulice. Byl zabrán v úřední myšlénky. O čem má zítra přednášet jednoročním dobrovolníkům ve škole?

Also written:Příkopy Hašek Am Graben de

Literature
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MapSearch Švejkova cesta
panska.jpg

Corner of Příkopy and Panská, October 2010.

© Jomar Hønsi

Panská ulice is mentioned as Oberleutnant Lukáš was on the way to the corner of Na Příkopě and this street to meet a lady when the fatal encounter with Oberst Kraus took place.

Background

Panská ulice is a relatively short side street to Na Příkopě, extending south towards the main railway station. It reaches towards Jindřišská ulice. Panská ul. (Herrengasse) was the home of, amongst others, Prager Tagblatt and the Piarists (see U Piaristů).

The good soldier Švejk in captivity

In Dobrý voják Švejk v zajetí the street is also mentioned but the context is that the editorial offices of Prager Tagblatt were located here.[1]

Velmi zamyšleně se tvářil pán v prostředních letech, velmi slušně oděný, který se včera dostal do chumlu před Prager Tagblattem v Panské ulici.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.15] Velmi zamyšleně se tvářil pán v prostředních letech, velmi slušně oděný, který se včera dostal do chumlu před Prager Tagblattem v Panské ulici.
[I.15] Vyšli na ulici a nadporučík Lukáš zaměřil se psem na Příkopy. Měl se setkat s jednou dámou na rohu Panské ulice. Byl zabrán v úřední myšlénky. O čem má zítra přednášet jednoročním dobrovolníkům ve škole?
[I.15] Z těchto myšlének byl vyrušen přísným „halt“, právě když se přiblížil k Panské ulici.
Literature
References
1Dobrý voják Švejk v zajetíJaroslav Hašek1917
Náchodnn flag
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nachod.jpg
nachod.png

Lidové noviny,14.10.1936

Náchod is mentioned as Švejk had heard from a soldier in the barracks that artillery fire from the front could be heard all the way here and that the Russian tsar would soon be in Kraków.

Background

Náchod is a town in eastern Bohemia, only a few kilometres from the border with Poland. The distance to the front at in the autumn of 1914 was about 300 km (Raba), so the claim about the sound of artillery was dubious and probably a popular saying.

Hašek in Náchod

Jaroslav Hašek visited the Náchod district in August 1914, a stay that finds its way into the novel via Josefov and Jasenná.

In 1936 Eduard Bass wrote about an episode that also could be linked to this stay and not the least to this fragment of the novel. At the start of the war the author visited the wine bar U Petříku where he caused consternation by talking loudly in Russian, and when requested to quieten down he replied: "Why should I? Yesterday I was by Náchod and already now they talk like that over there"[a].

Demography

According to the 1910 census Náchod had 11,804 inhabitants of which 11,632 (98 per cent) reported that they used Czech in their daily speech. The judicial district was okres Náchod, administratively it reported to hejtmanství Náchod.The district had 59,330 inhabitants of which a mere 320 reported German as their mother tongue.

Source:Seznam míst v království Českém(1913)

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Náchod were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 18 (Königgrätz) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 11 (Jičin).

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.15] Když oba potom ještě dále tlumočili názor českého člověka na válku, voják z kasáren opakoval, co dnes slyšel v Praze, že u Náchoda je slyšet děla a ruský car že bude co nejdřív v Krakově.

Sources: Radko Pytlík

References
aVinárník Petřík umřelLidové novinyEduard Bass14.10.1936
Prašná bránann flag
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prasna.jpg

From 1856, as it might have appeared as Crenneville marched through

prasna.png

Knappův průvodce po Praze a okolí, 1900

Prašná brána is mentioned in a song Švejk sings after the calamitous return of Oberleutnant Lukáš after he had been caught by Oberst Kraus with the stolen Fox. It is not stated in the plot, but the famous meeting between Lukáš and the colonel took place only a few steps from the gate.

In [III.4] the power is mentioned again in the long story about the unfortunate Oberst Fliedler and his visit to the dentist.

Background

Prašná brána is a gothic tower and former city gate in Staré město, erected at the end of the 15th century. Between 1878 and 1886 the tower was rebuilt in pseudo-gothic style, which makes it's current appearance different from that on the picture. The architect leading the reconstruction was the renowned Josef Mocker (1835-1899). The tower is located by Náměstí Republiky and is 65 metres tall.

The mentioned song has several variations, and without featuring Prašná brána. See Graf Crenneville for more information.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.15]
Mašíruje Grenevil 
Prašnou bránou na špacír, 
šavle se mu blejskají, 
hezký holky plakají
[III.4] Ale ten obrst Fliedler, to vám byl taková potvora mizerná, dej mu pámbu nebe, že chodil druhej den po Praze a hledal někoho, kdo se vodvážil z našeho regimentu vylézt z kasáren, a někde u Prašný brány potkal taky šťastně Železnýho a hned na něho spustil: ,Já ti tám, já ti náučím, já ti dfakrát oslatím!’

Also written:Powder Tower en Pulverturm de Kruttårnet no

Literature
Ohřenn flag
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ohre.jpg

Čechy, 1896

Ohře is mentioned by Oberst Kraus who mistakingly thinks the river flows into Vltava by Budějovice.

Background

Ohře is a river in north western Bohemia. The source is in the Fichtelbebirge in Bavaria. The river does actually flow into Vltava, but by Litoměřice and not by Budějovice as the colonel thinks. It's total length is 316 km and the catchment area is 5,588 sq. km.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.15] Víte, kde jsou Budějovice? Na Vltavě, ano, na Vltavě a vtéká tam Ohře nebo něco podobného.

Also written:Eger de

Nekázanka ulicenn flag
MapSearch Švejkův slovník
nekazanka.jpg

Nekázanka, 1907

nekazanka.png

Stehlíkův historický a orientační průvodce ulicemi hlavního města Prahy, 1929

Nekázanka ulice is mentioned because Oberleutnant Lukáš was to hold his farewell party somewhere in this street. This was the last time in the novel that Prague was part of the plot.

The street is mentioned later in connection with Nechleba and the pub V čubčím háji.

Background

Nekázanka ulice is a short street in Praha II., connecting Na Příkopě and Jindřišská ulice. It has existed since the 14th century, under various names. The most important building was the Country Bank and the street had several restaurants.

Why Oberleutnant Lukáš would hold a farewell party in this particular street is not easy to explain. Perhaps he lived in the area? That he walked the stolen dog Max at Na Příkopě points in this direction. Perhaps there was some officer's club in the street? He may also have celebrated in one of the restaurants or other establishments.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.15] Tím byl příjemný hovor ukončen a nadporučíkovi se velice ulehčilo, když vyšel z kanceláře a šel do školy jednoročních dobrovolníků, kde oznámil, že v nejbližších dnech jede na frontu, a uspořádá proto večírek na rozloučenou v Nekázance.
[II.1] Já mám takovou smůlu jako nějakej Nechleba z Nekázanky, který tam chodil do hospody ,V čubčím háji’.
Index Back Forward I. In the rear Hovudpersonen

Afterword to the first volume, "In the rear"

North Bohemiann flag
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usti.jpg

Čechy. Díl VII. Středohoří. J. Otto, 1892

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Ergänzungsbezirke Nr. 42, 92, 74, 94

Schematismus für das k.u.k. Heer und für die k.u.k. Kriegsmarine,1912

kalina.png

Hašek in Lom where he consumed the proceeds from selling Omladina's bicycle.

LA-PNP, Břetislav Hůla (Bedřich Kalina).

North Bohemia is mentioned in the epilogue to part Part One where the narrator informs that Feldkurat Katz no was a procurator at paint factory in North Bohemia. Places from the region rarely feature in The Good Soldier Švejk, amongst the few cases are Podmokly and Terezín.

Background

North Bohemia is a vaguely defined geographical area that refers to the area that today roughly makes up the counties Ústecký kraj, Liberecký kraj. Important towns in the area are Liberec, Děčín, Ústi nad Labem, Litoměřice, Teplice, Jablonec, Turnov, Most and Chomutov. The region is mountainous, industrialised and has extensive mining. Until 1945 the majority of the population reported German as their mother tongue.

Military

Militarily the region reported to 9. Korpskommando (Leitmeritz - Litoměřice) and the following recruitment districts fell fully or partially within this area: 42 (Terezín), 92 (Chomutov) and 94 (Turnov).

Hašek and North Bohemia

In The Good Soldier Švejk the area hardly figures at all and Hašek spent very little time in the area. In 1904 he however had an intermezzo i Lom where he wrote for the anarchist newspaper Omladina and took part in agitation among the miners. He also worked in a mine for a short period. The stay ended badly as Hašek and a friend went on a drinking binge, sold a bicycle that belonged to Omladina and consumed the profit from the sale[a]. Editor Bedřich Kalina later added that Hašek's mother had to pay for the bike[b]. To judge by the pieces he had published in Omladina his time in Lom lasted for only for a few weeks, starting in late June 1904.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I. Doslov] Otto Katz je též na živu. Je to skutečná figurka polního kuráta. Hodil to všechno po převratě na hřebík, vystoupil z církve, dělá dnes prokuristu v jedné továrně na bronz a barviva v severních Čechách. Psal mi dlouhý dopis, ve kterém vyhrožuje, že si to se mnou spořádá. Jeden německý list přinesl totiž překlad jedné kapitoly, kde je vylíčen, jak skutečně vypadal. Navštívil jsem ho tedy a dopadlo to s ním velice dobře. Ve dvě hodiny v noci nemohl stát na nohou, ale kázal a říkal: „Já jsem Otto Katz, polní kurát, vy gypsové hlavy.“

Also written:Severní Čechy cz Nordböhmen de Nordböhmen nn

References
aKdo byli Karel Vohryzek a Bedřich Kalina?Pavel Koukal
bDopis Zd. AnčíkoviBřtislav Hůla29.3.1949
Index Back Forward II. At the front Hovudpersonen

1. Švejk's mishaps on the train

Mediterranean Seann flag
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medit.png

"Grégrova příručka", Josef Kafka, 1912

medit.jpg
gambetta.png

Bohemia, 28.4.1915

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Arbeiterwille, 17.5.1915

Mediterranean Sea is just about mentioned as Oberleutnant Lukáš on the train to Budějovice reads in Bohemia about the success of the German submarine "E" and bombs thrown from aeroplanes that explode three times in a row.

Background

Mediterranean Sea is an ocean between Europe and Africa, with western Asia to the east and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. The following countries bordering the Mediterranean participated in World War I: Austria-Hungary, France, Italy, Greece, Montenegro og Turkey.

Austria-Hungary had access to Mediterranean Sea from Trieste and along the coast of Dalmatia down to Montenegro, k.u.k. Kriegsmarine possessed a sizeable fleet. Their main base was at Pola (now Pula, Croatia). During the war they were however limited to operations in the Adriatic See as the Entente blockaded the sea at the southern tip of Italy.

Submarines in the Mediterranean

At the time the episode is supposed to have taken place (late 1914 or early 1915) there were no German U-boats in the Mediterranean Sea, they only appeared later that year. Not could they have been called "E" as all German U-boats had names starting with "U" (Unterseeboot). The German air force did however use war planes classed "E" (Eindecker), so perhaps the author swapped U-boats with aeroplanes?

Austro-Hungarian U-boats were also designated by the letter "U". They had been active in the Adriatic See from the outbreak of war, and on 27 April 1915 the French cruiser Léon Gambetta was torpedoed by "U-5". In 1914 k.u.k. Kriegsmarine owned 5 U-boats, a number that rose to 26 by 1918. Almost all of them were built in Germany.

Hans-Peter Laqueur

In the train from Prague to Budweis (late December 1914) Lukasch reads in the „Bohemia“ about the successful actions of the German submarine „E“ in the Mediterranean Sea:

* There was no German submarine „E“. „E“ and a number was used by submarines of the Royal Navy.

* There were no German submarines in the Mediterranean before May 1915 (cf. Hans Werner Neulen, Adler und Halbmond. Das deutsch-türkische Bündnis 1914-1918. Frankfurt/Berlin 1994, p. 91 ff.).

Hašek probably refers to the actions of U 35 sinking 12 ships with a total 48813 GRT in October/November 1915 (cf. de.wikipedia: „Waldemar Kophamel“ and „SM U 35“) or of U 38 (14 ships, 47460 GRT), late 1915 as well (cf. de.wikipedia: „Max Valentiner“ and „SM U 38“).

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.1] Nadporučíkovi bezděčně zacvakaly zuby, vzdychl si, vytáhl z pláště „Bohemii“ a četl zprávy o velkých vítězstvích, o činnosti německé ponorky „E“ na Středozemním moři, ...

Sources: Hans-Peter Laqueur

Also written:Středozemní moře cz Mittelmeer de Mar Mediterraneo it Mare Mediterraneum la

Literature
Montenegronn flag
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montenegro.png

Hedemarkens Amtstidende, 17.1.1916

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The Great War, Volume 7

montenegro1.jpg

Southern Dalmatia towards Montenegro

Schematismus für das k.u.k. Heer ..., 1914

montenegro2.jpg

IR. 91, 1st Baon. by Cattaro.

Schematismus für das k.u.k. Heer ..., 1914

Montenegro is mentioned in the description of Generalmajor von Schwarzburg who punished breaches of service regulations by transferring the culprit to some drink-infested and dirty garrison in a desolate corner of Galicia or to the border with Montenegro.

Background

Montenegro (Црна Гора) was in 1914 an independent kingdom and had been a duchy (kingdom from 1910) since the liberation from Turkey in 1878. King at the time was Nikola I. and the capital was Cetinje.

Today Montenegro is again an independent state, after having been part of various south slav federations from 1918 until 2006 (except 1941-45). The language is Serbian, is written with the Cyrillic script and the religion is mainly orthodox.

In 1914 the kingdom of Dalmatia (as part of Austria) and Bosnia-Hercegovina both shared a short border with Montenegro and both k.u.k. Heer and k.u.k. Kriegsmarine had garrisons in the region. The navy had a heavy presence in Cattaro (Kotor), and it was one of empire's three naval bases. The border between Herzegovina and Montenegro was much longer and this region also had a significant military presence. In this context we will however need to look for army garrisons in southern Dalmatia.

Montenegro at war

In World War I the kingdom quickly aligned with Serbia and declared war on Austria-Hungary on 7 August 1914. Along the border there was fighting already from August 1914 but it remained a stalemate until k.u.k. Wehrmacht launched a full-scale invasion of Montenegro on 5 January 1916. The invasion was made possible by the recent defeat of Serbia, making large forces available for the attack, and it was now also possible to attack from Serbian territory. King Nikola I. sued for peace, but the terms were so harsh that he rejected them. Because he had fled the country, the king could not stop the politicians that remained from accepting the terms. On 19 January the treaty was signed and Montenegro remained occupied for the rest of the war.

The Austrian-Montenegrin border

Hašek mentions the regions bordering Montenegro, so let us try to identify the garrisons to where officers may have been sent by the fearsome army inspector, Generalmajor von Schwarzburg.

Dalmatia and k.u.k. Heer

Korpskommando Nr. 16 was located at Ragusa (Dubrovnik) which was the main garrison town in the border regions. Further there were army units stationed at Castelnuovo (Herceg-Novi), Trebinje, and Bileća. The latter two were in Hercegovina.

Of particular interest is Castelnuovo as it hosted the 47. Infanteriedivision. Assigned to this unit was also the 1st battalion of IR. 91 who had been garrisoned here since 1906 as part of 14. Gebirgsbrigade (14th Mountain Brigade). In 1907 and 1908 they were located in Budua (Budva), in 1909 and 1910 in Cattaro, in 1911 in Crkvice, in 1912 Perzagno (Prčanj), in 1913 and 1914 Teodo (Tivat)[1]. Individual units were at the outbreak of war scattered: Teodo, Kozmač, Sutomore, Castellastua (Petrovac). Staničičkaserne in Teodo was the main site of the battallion.

1. Years are according to from Schematismus and thus usually reflects the state of the previous year. When a unit is listed from 1907 it therefore means that they were moved here already in 1906.

Budva was actually the southernmost garrison in the entire empire. The former commander of IR. 91, 1. battalion, Franz Graf, later wrote that being sent there was like being exiled, having to "spend years away from women, beer and the domestic conviviality". Still, all who had been there agreed it was a beautiful place. The biggest problem was however the distance to home, and in the spring the soldiers from South Bohemia longed after some good beer. They could get hold of strong Dalmatian wine but it was often poisonous!

The battalion remained in the area also during the first month of the war but from 5 September 1914 they were transported by train to the front against Serbia further north. They joined the rest of the regiment as late as 1916, on the Italian front. At least one familiar name from The Good Soldier Švejk served in southern Dalmatia before the war: Josef Adamička. It is also possible that Jan Vaněk served here during the first month of the war. A more marginal figure from the novel, Oberleutnant Wurm, served here as commander of the battalion's machine gun unit.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.1] Měl manii přeložit vždy důstojníka na nejnepříjemnější místa. Stačilo to nejmenší, a důstojník se již loučil se svou posádkou a putoval na černohorské hranice nebo do nějakého opilého, zoufalého garnisonu v špinavém koutě Haliče.
[II.5] „Já z toho nemám moc velkou radost,“ důvěrně se ozval účetní šikovatel, „vypravoval stábsfeldvébl Hegner, že pan hejtman Ságner v Srbsku na počátku války chtěl někde u Černé Hory v horách se vyznamenat a hnal jednu kumpačku svého baťáčku za druhou na mašíngevéry do srbských štelungů, ačkoliv to byla úplně zbytečná věc a infanterie tam byla starýho kozla co platná, poněvadž Srby odtamtud s těch skal mohla dostat jen artilerie.

Also written:Černá Hora cz Црна Гора sb

Literature
Styriann flag
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steiermark.gif

Styria is mentioned in an anecdote by Švejk about tailor Hývl who had a slip of tongue on the train route Maribor - Leoben - Prague because he thought no-one else in the compartment spoke Czech.

Background

Styria was until 1918 one of 15 crown lands of Cisleithanien. The area was larger than the current Austrian state of Styria as it included parts of current Slovenia with Maribor (Marburg). The capital was (and is) Graz, and at the time a significant part of the population were Slovenes (nearly 30 per cent).

Hašek and Styria

The author's inspiration for the use of Styria (and the described train route) as a theme in the novel is probably a trip he undertook in the summer of 1905. His travel companions for parts of this apostolical journey were painter Jaroslav Kubín and the actor František Vágner. His travels that year is described by Václav Menger and is also featured in Strana mírného pokroku v mezích zákona. Hašek also touches on the journey in the stories Rozjímání o počátku cesty and O sportu.

Jaroslav Hašek: O sportu (1907)

Bylo to předloni, když z nedostatku peněz šel jsem pěšky z Terstu přes Alpy do Prahy. Vandroval jsem, což předpokládá, že jsem fechtoval. V Lubně ve Štýru zastavil jsem na silnici tři muže, kteří vyhlíželi jako turisti, a prostým způsobem: Ein armer Reisender žádal jsem je o podporu.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.1] To nám jednou před léty vypravoval krejčí Hývl, jak jel z místa, kde krejčoval ve Štyrsku, do Prahy přes Leoben a měl s sebou šunku, kterou si koupil v Mariboru.

Also written:Štýrsko cz Steiermark de sl

Literature
Leobennn flag
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leoben.jpg

Leoben around 1900

leoben.png

Ottův slovník naučný,1900

Leoben is mentioned in an anecdote by Švejk about tailor Hývl who had a slip of tongue on the train route Maribor - Leoben - Prague because he thought no one else in the compartment understood Czech.

Background

Leoben is the second-largest city in the Austrian state of Styria with around 25,000 inhabitants. It is situated on the river Mur, 541 metres above sea level, 46 kilometres north-west of Graz.

In 1914 it was also within Styria, it was a district capital and also housed the district court. The town had a mining academy and was primarily a mining community. The population was almost exclusively German.

Interestingly Švejk used the German name of the town, although the Czech variants Lubno and also Ljubina were often used, even officially in for instance Ottův slovník naučný.

In the story O sportu, printed on 27 January 1907, Hašek mentions Leoben, but here he used the Czech term Lubno. He notes that he visited two years ago, was penniless, and had to beg money to get back home.

Hašek and Styria

The author's inspiration for the use of Styria (and the described train route) as a theme in the novel is probably a trip he undertook in the summer of 1905. His travel companions for parts of this apostolical journey were painter Jaroslav Kubín and the actor František Vágner. His travels that year is described by Václav Menger and is also featured in Strana mírného pokroku v mezích zákona. Hašek also touches on the journey in the stories Rozjímání o počátku cesty and O sportu.

Demography

According to the 1910 census Leoben had 11 459 inhabitants. The judicial district was Gerichtsbezirk Leoben, administratively it reported to Bezirkshauptmannschaft Leoben.

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Leoben were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 27 (Graz) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 3 (Graz). K.u.k. Heer had no presence in the town but it housed a battalion from k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 3. It was also the seat of the Landsturmexpositur of the military district.

Jaroslav Hašek: O sportu (1907)

Bylo to předloni, když z nedostatku peněz šel jsem pěšky z Terstu přes Alpy do Prahy. Vandroval jsem, což předpokládá, že jsem fechtoval. V Lubně ve Štýru zastavil jsem na silnici tři muže, kteří vyhlíželi jako turisti, a prostým způsobem: Ein armer Reisender žádal jsem je o podporu.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.1] To nám jednou před léty vypravoval krejčí Hývl, jak jel z místa, kde krejčoval ve Štyrsku, do Prahy přes Leoben a měl s sebou šunku, kterou si koupil v Mariboru.
Literature
Maribornn flag
Wikipedia czdeennnnosl MapSearch
maribor.jpg
maribor.png

Schematismus für das k.u.k. Heer und für die k.u.k. Kriegsmarine 1914

Maribor is mentioned in an anecdote by Švejk about tailor Hývl who had a slip of tongue on the train route Maribor - Leoben - Prague because he thought no one else in the compartment spoke Czech. The tailor had bought a joint of ham here.

Background

Maribor is the second-largest city in Slovenia, located on the river Drava. The population number is now (2019) appx. 112,000.

Until 1918 it belonged to the Austrian crown-land of Styria and was at the time 80 per cent German-speaking. In 1890 it housed a bishop seat, and was the home several educational institutions as well as some industry.

One of the prototypes of characters from The Good Soldier Švejk, Rudolf Lukas, attended a preparatory course for cadet school here from 1903 until 1904. Another well-known prototype, Ludvík Lacina, also spent some time here, as Feldkurat in 1912.

Hašek and Styria

The author's inspiration for the use of Styria (and the described train route) as a theme in the novel is probably a trip he undertook in the summer of 1905. His travel companions for parts of this apostolical journey were painter Jaroslav Kubín and the actor František Vágner. His travels that year is described by Václav Menger and is also featured in Strana mírného pokroku v mezích zákona. Hašek also touches on the journey in the stories Rozjímání o počátku cesty and O sportu.

Demography

According to the 1910 census Maribor had 27 994 inhabitants.

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Maribor were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 47 (Marburg) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 26 (Marburg). The garrison also contained an infantry cadet school, a cavalry brigade, and a garrison court.

Jaroslav Hašek: O sportu (1907)

Bylo to předloni, když z nedostatku peněz šel jsem pěšky z Terstu přes Alpy do Prahy. Vandroval jsem, což předpokládá, že jsem fechtoval. V Lubně ve Štýru zastavil jsem na silnici tři muže, kteří vyhlíželi jako turisti, a prostým způsobem: Ein armer Reisender žádal jsem je o podporu.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.1] To nám jednou před léty vypravoval krejčí Hývl, jak jel z místa, kde krejčoval ve Štyrsku, do Prahy přes Leoben a měl s sebou šunku, kterou si koupil v Mariboru.

Also written:Marburg de

Literature
Sankt Moritznn flag
Wikipedia deensk MapSearch
stmoritz.jpg

K.u.k Eisenbahnkarte 1905.

Sankt Moritz is mentioned in an anecdote by Švejk about tailor Hývl who had a slip of tongue on the train Maribor - Leoben - Prague because he thought that the other passengers didn't understand what he said. This unfortunate episode happened by Sankt Moritz.

Background

Sankt Moritz appears to have been somewhere in Austria between Leoben and Prague but no such place has been identified. Thus the author surely didn’t have the famous Swiss resort of the same name so the most likely candidate is Sankt Michael in Obersteiermark. This is a town on one of the possible routes between Maribor and Prague, soon after Leoben.

Hašek and Styria

The author's inspiration for the use of Styria (and the described train route) as a theme in the novel is probably a trip he undertook in the summer of 1905. His travel companions for parts of this apostolical journey were painter Jaroslav Kubín and the actor František Vágner. His travels that year is described by Václav Menger and is also featured in Strana mírného pokroku v mezích zákona. Hašek also touches on the journey in the stories Rozjímání o počátku cesty and O sportu.

Jaroslav Hašek: O sportu (1907)

Bylo to předloni, když z nedostatku peněz šel jsem pěšky z Terstu přes Alpy do Prahy. Vandroval jsem, což předpokládá, že jsem fechtoval. V Lubně ve Štýru zastavil jsem na silnici tři muže, kteří vyhlíželi jako turisti, a prostým způsobem: Ein armer Reisender žádal jsem je o podporu.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.1] Jak tak jede ve vlaku, myslel si, že je vůbec jedinej Čech mezi pasažírama, a když si u Svatýho Mořice začal ukrajovat z tý celý šunky, tak ten pán, co seděl naproti, počal dělat na tu šunku zamilovaný voči a sliny mu začaly téct z huby. Když to viděl krejčí Hývl, povídal si k sobě nahlas: ,To bys žral, ty chlape mizerná.’

Also written:Svatý Mořic cz

Literature
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tabor.jpg

Tábor 1895

tabor1.jpg

Světozor,16.7.1880

Tábor is mentioned 17 times in The Good Soldier Švejk.

Tábor plays an important role in the plot because the journey from Prague to Budějovice was unexpectedly halted before the town. This was after Švejk's many mishaps on the train, culminating in him pulling the emergency brake.

He didn't have enough money to pay the fine so at the station (see Táborské nádraží) he had to step off the train to explain himself. A helpful gentleman in the crowd paid the fine and gave him money but he was then hit by the misfortune that he drank one beer after the other while the train with Oberleutnant Lukáš continued to Budějovice where their regiment was garrisoned. Without documents and money he was in the end dispatched onwards on foot. This was the beginning of Švejk's famous anabasis where he without much luck tried to get to his regiment.

Background

Tábor is a town in South Bohemia with about 35,000 inhabitants (2010). The historical centre is under protection and very attractive. The town was one of the hotbeds of the national/religious Hussite movement[1] and has therefore played an prominent role in Czech history.

prukopnik.jpg

Průkopník,27.3.1918

© VHÚ

1. The Hussite movement was named after the religious reformer Hus (1369-1415), and was one of the first groups that broke with the Catholic church. For the Czech independence movement during World War I they were an important national symbol and continued as one of the mainstays in the nation building in Czechoslovakia in the inter-war years. The Taborites was a radical faction named after Tábor and had sufficient traits of socialism to raise the attention of Marxists. Jaroslav Hašek himself referred to them in the article K českému vojsku (To the Czech Army) that he had printed in the Communist newspaper Průkopník 27 March 1918.

Demography

According to the 1910 census Tábor had 11,926 inhabitants of which 11,856 (99 per cent) reported that they used Czech in their daily speech. The judicial district was okres Tábor, administratively it reported to hejtmanství Tábor.The town was therefore surely the ethnically "cleanest" major town in all of Bohemia. This complete "czechness" was also a result of not hosting permanent military units. Hence the usual contingent of German-speaking officers that were usually attached to a garrison was absent.

Source:Seznam míst v království Českém(1913)

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Tábor were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 75 (Neuhaus) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 28 (Pisek).

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.1] Zůstal průvodčí se Švejkem a mámil na něm dvacet korun pokuty, zdůrazňuje, že ho musí v opačném případě předvést v Tábořepřednostovi stanice. „Dobrá,“ řekl Švejk, „já rád mluvím se vzdělanejma lidma a mě to bude moc těšit, když uvidím toho táborskýho přednostu stanice.“
Literature
Uhříněvesnn flag
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Čechy. Díl X, 1903

Uhříněves is mentioned in the anecdote about Mlíčko František who like Švejk had pulled the emergency brake on a train. The incident is said to have happened in May 1912.

Background

Uhříněves is a suburb on the south-eastern outskirts of Prague, within current Prague 22. From 1913 until 1974 it was a separate town. It had (and has) a railway station but the express trains didn't stop here so Švejk and Oberleutnant Lukáš simply passed through it on their way to Budějovice in 1915.

Demography

According to the 1910 census Uhříněves had 2,677 inhabitants of which 2,625 (98 per cent) reported that they used Czech in their daily speech. The judicial district was okres Říčany, administratively it reported to hejtmanství Žižkov.

Source:Seznam míst v království Českém(1913)

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Uhříněves were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 28 (Prag) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 8 (Prag).

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.1] Poněvadž železniční zřízenec neodpovídal, prohlásil Švejk, že znal nějakého Mlíčka Františka z Uhříněvse u Prahy, který také jednou zatáhl za takovou poplašnou brzdu a tak se lekl, že ztratil na čtrnáct dní řeč a nabyl ji opět, když přišel k Vaňkovi zahradníkovi do Hostivaře na návštěvu a popral se tam a voni vo něho přerazili bejkovec. „To se stalo,“ dodal Švejk, „v roce 1912 v květnu.“
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hostivar.jpg

Hostivař 1906

Hostivař is mentioned in the anecdote about Mlíčko František who also was unlucky and pulled the emergency brake of a train. The gardener gardener Vaněk came from here.

Later the place is mentioned in a story that Sappeur Vodička tells Švejk in Királyhida.

Background

Hostivař is an urban area on the south-eastern outskirts of Prague that since 1922 has been part of the capital. It has a railway station and is also the terminus of metro line A. Hostivař is also a popular area for recreation.

Demography

According to the 1910 census Hostivař had 2,495 inhabitants of which 2,492 (99 per cent) reported that they used Czech in their daily speech. The judicial district was okres Vršovice, administratively it reported to hejtmanství Královské Vinohrady.

Source:Seznam míst v království Českém(1913)

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Hostivař were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 28 (Prag) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 8 (Prag).

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.1] Poněvadž železniční zřízenec neodpovídal, prohlásil Švejk, že znal nějakého Mlíčka Františka z Uhříněvse u Prahy, který také jednou zatáhl za takovou poplašnou brzdu a tak se lekl, že ztratil na čtrnáct dní řeč a nabyl ji opět, když přišel k Vaňkovi zahradníkovi do Hostivaře na návštěvu a popral se tam a voni vo něho přerazili bejkovec. „To se stalo,“ dodal Švejk, „v roce 1912 v květnu.“
[II.3] „Plácnu taky ženskou, Švejku, mně je to jedno, to ještě neznáš starýho Vodičku. Jednou v Záběhlicích na ,Růžovým ostrově’ nechtěla se mnou jít jedna taková maškara tančit, že prej mám voteklou hubu. Měl jsem pravda hubu vopuchlou, poněvadž jsem právě přišel z jedný taneční zábavy v Hostivaři, ale považ si tu urážku vod tý běhny.
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Zwittau, Oberer Stadtplatz

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Ottův slovník naučný

Svitava is mentioned in the anecdote about station master Wagner and switch operator Jungwirt.

Background

Svitava no doubt refers to Svitavy, a town in eastern Bohemia that in 1914 was predominantly German speaking. It is also known as the birthplace of Oskar Schindler, to whom the town has erected a monument. In 1866 the ceasefire between Austria and Prussia was signed here.

The river Svitava flows through the town and as Švejk says there it has a railway station. The German translation of Grete Reiner interprets it as Zittau (tsj. Žitava), a town in Germany bordering Bohemia.

Then in Moravia

In 1914 the town belonged to Moravia but it was situated only a few kilometres from the border with Bohemia.

Ambiguous terms

Although odd at first sight, Hašek's use of the term Svitava is not necessarily wrong. Svitava is the term used on Erben's map from 1883 and is listed in Ottův slovník naučný as an alternative for Svitavy.

Demography

According to the 1910 census Svitava had 9 649 inhabitants. The judicial district was okres Svitavy, administratively it reported to hejtmanství Moravská Třebová.

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Svitava were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 93 (Mährisch Schönberg) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 13 (Olmütz).

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.1] Švejk vytáhl z bluzy dýmku, zapálil si, a vypouštěje ostrý dým vojenského tabáku, pokračoval: „Před léty byl ve Svitavě přednostou stanice pan Wagner. Ten byl ras na svý podřízený a tejral je, kde moh, a nejvíc si zalez na nějakýho vejhybkáře Jungwirta, až ten chudák se ze zoufalství šel utopit do řeky.

Also written:Zittau Reiner Svitavy cz Zwittau de

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Rudé květy, 6.8.1914

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Butchers in Tábor

Chytilův adresař 1915

Stará brána is mentioned by a man who is arrested for sedition at Táborské nádraží when Švejk steps off the train to pay his fine for having pulled the emergency brake. He defends himself by saying that he is a butcher from the Old Gate and that he didn't mean the utterance seriously.

Background

Stará brána obviously refers to a town gate in Tábor but a gate with such a name didnt exist. It was therefore probably a colloquial name for Bechyňská brána, the only town gate that is still intact.

There were many butchers in Tábor in 1915 but it has not been possible to find out where they were located. The address directory only lists names, not the street addresses (Alois Chytil).

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.1] Nešťastný občan nezmohl se na nic jiného než na upřímné tvrzení, že je přece řeznický mistr od Staré brány a že to tak nemyslel.

Also written:Old Gate en Alter Tor de Gamle Port no

Literature
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From Alexandr Drbal

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Českoslovan,21.1.1911

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K vítězné svobodě 1914-1918-1928

Rudolf Medek,1928

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Franzisco-Josephinische Landesaufnahme

Zdolbunov is mentioned is a conversation between Švejk and a passenger at Tábor station. The stranger gives him the name of the brewer Zeman in Zdolbunov and urges him not too stay too long at the front. Švejk's answer more than suggests that he intends to let himself be captured, just as the author did.

Background

Zdolbunov (Здолбунов), now Zdolbuniv (Здолбу́нів) is a town and important railway junction in the Volhynia region of Ukraine, in 1915 still part of Russia. In the inter-war years it was Polish, and from 1939 until 1990 part of the Soviet Union[1].

Almost all period sources refer to the town as Zdolbunovo/Zdołbunów and so did probably Hašek. In the novel he used the locative case v Zdolbunově, so the nominative case may either have been Zdolbunov, Zdolbunovo, or Zdolbunova. The paper he wrote for in Kiev from 1916 to 1918, Čechoslovan, consistently used the term Zdolbunovo, so it is logical to assume that Hašek would have done the same. Older maps, both Russian and Austrian, even use Здолбуновa/Zdołbunowa.

The area had many Czech settlers who had emigrated from around 1860 onwards. The town also hosted sizeable Polish and Jewish populations. The brewery of the mentioned brewer Zeman was not located here but in Kvasilov (now Kvasyliv), 4 km to the north towards Rovno (now Rivne).

Hašek and Zdolbunovo

Hašek would probabily have passed through it shortly after being captured at Chorupan on 24 September 1915. Presumably the prisoners waited for onward rail transport here. The author surely also visited in 1916 and 1917 on his travels between Kiev and the front.

1. Bar the years 1941 to 1944 when it was occupied by Nazi Germany.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.1] Když odcházel, řekl důvěrně k Švejkovi: „Tak vojáčku, jak vám povídám, jestli budete v Rusku v zajetí, tak pozdravujte ode mne sládka Zemana v Zdolbunově. Máte to přece napsané, jak se jmenuji. Jen buďte chytrý, abyste dlouho nebyl na frontě.“ „Vo to nemějte žádnej strach,“ řekl Švejk, „je to vždycky zajímavý, uvidět nějaký cizí krajiny zadarmo.“

Sources: Alexandr Drbal

Also written:Zdolbunov cz Zdołbunów pl Здолбунов ru Здолбунів ua

Literature
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Světozor,14.5.1915

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Avantgarde des Widerstands

Richard Georg Plaschka,2000

Szeged is mentioned in a conversation at Tábor railway station. A soldier from the Infanterieregiment Nr. 28 relates how Hungarians there mocked Czech soldiers by holding their hands up to demonstrate how easily the latter gave themselves up.

Background

Szeged is a city in southern Hungary, right on the Serbian border. It is the third largest city in Hungary and a major centre of education. It is located by the river Tisza.

Around 4 February 1915 the replacement battalion of Infanterieregiment Nr. 28 was transferred from Prague to Szeged, on of the first of many Czech regiments that were moved away from their recruitment districts. This was preventive move from k.u.k. Kriegsministerium against presumed disloyalty. Other regiments were moved later that year and it was the turn of Jaroslav Hašek and his Infanterieregiment Nr. 91 on 1 June, an event that is described in The Good Soldier Švejk.

The date of the transfer of Infanterieregiment Nr. 28 gives a certain clue as to the timing of events in the The Good Soldier Švejk - in general to be taken with a pinch of salt due to the novel's many anachronisms. Švejk must according to this logic have been in Tábor after 4 February 1915 because soldiers from IR28 hardly could have set foot in Szeged until then. The author himself passed Tábor in mid February 1915, so it is quite possible that he himself could have heard/experienced something similar at the time.

Demography

According to the 1910 census Szeged had 118 328 inhabitants. The judicial district was Szeged, administratively it reported to vármegye Csongrád.

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Szeged were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 46 (Szeged) or Honvédinfanterieregiment Nr. 5 (Szeged).

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.1] Od vedlejšího stolu řekl nějaký voják, že když přijeli do Segedína s 28. regimentem, že na ně Maďaři ukazovali ruce do výšky.

Also written:Segedín cz Szegedin de

Literature
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Čáslav, 1906

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Schematismus der K. K. Landwehr und der K. K. Gendarmerie 1914 (Wien, 1914)

Čáslav is mentioned by a Landwehr-soldier at Táborské nádraží. The theme was the antagonism between Czechs and Germans. An editor from Vienna refused to speak Czech until he one day found himself in a march company with Czechs only. Then he suddenly understood their language.

Background

Čáslav is a town in central Bohemia, about 100 km east of the capital, not far from Kutná Hora. The number of inhabitants is now (2020) around 10,000.

Hašek og Čáslav

Čáslav is not often featured in Hašek's writing. Apart from in The Good Soldier Švejk it is only briefly mentioned in the story Zrádce národa v Chotěboři (The traitor of the nation from Chotěboř).

Demography

According to the 1910 census Čáslav had 9,318 inhabitants of which 9,119 (97 per cent) reported that they used Czech in their daily speech. The judicial district was okres Čáslav, administratively it reported to hejtmanství Čáslav.The number of German speakers is low considering that this was a garrision town where 1 205 persons were associated with the army.

Source:Seznam míst v království Českém(1913)

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Čáslav were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 21 (Časlau) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 12 (Časlau). In 1914 the 2nd batallion of IR. 21 and Ergänzungsbezirk were garrisoned here, whereas regiment staff was located in Kutná Hora. The headcount of these units is however not enough to explain the relatively high military presence. For the numbers to add up k.k. Landwehr must be included. Čáslav was the seat of Landwehrergänzungsbezirk Nr. 12, and in 1914 also hosted k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 12 with all three battalions. That the Landwehr-soldier Švejk talked to in Tábor was from here is therefore logical.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.1] Landverák si odplivl: „U nás v Čáslavi byl jeden redaktor z Vídně, Němec. Sloužil jako fähnrich. S námi nechtěl česky ani mluvit, ale když ho přidělili k maršce, kde byli samí Češi, hned uměl česky.“

Also written:Tschaslau Reiner/Brousek Časlau de

Literature
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Na Bojišti in 1884, U kalicha is yet to be built.

Na Bojišti is mentioned by Švejk in the conversation with the lieutenant at Tábor station who accuses him of being degenerated.

Background

Na Bojišti is a street in Praha II. that in the mid 19th century was known as Windberg. It was surrounded by fields and gardens, only 3-4 houses can be seen. By 1875 maps show many additional buildings and a street now called Wahlstatt, a name that corresponds to the street's current name (Battlefield). The building U kalicha was amongst the last to be built. It is not on the map from 1884, but by 1889 it has appeared.

In number 463/10 lived in 1912 some Josef Švejk and he was a person Jaroslav Hašek may have known about when he wrote the novel. In the same house Antonín Nosek ran a brothel (1912), and this may explain why the good soldier told Sappeur Vodička that they have girls at U kalicha.

From 1876 onwards the street is repeatedly mentioned in the press, albeit in minor headlines. In the years before 1900 several suicides are reported. An article in Prager Tagblatt in 1885 mentions the poor hygienic conditions, and several cases of typhus. In 1914 the same newspaper reports that the police are making an effort to limit street prostitution. In 1915 small adverts reveal than many Jewish refugees from Galicia rented rooms in the street, particularly in no. 8 and 10. Incidentally many rooms and flats were for rent here also before the war.

There is every indication that Švejk lived in or near this street - both because he was a regular at U kalicha and that he says "by us" at the corner of Bojistě and Kateřinská ulice.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.1] Tyto úvahy shrnul v jednu větu, s kterou se obrátil k Švejkovi: „Vy jste, chlape, degenerovanej. Víte, co je to, když se o někom řekne, že je degenerovaný?“ „U nás na rohu Bojiště a Kateřinský ulice, poslušně hlásím, pane lajtnant, byl taky jeden degenerovanej člověk. Jeho otec byl jeden polskej hrabě a matka byla porodní bábou. Von met ulice a jinak si po kořalnách nenechal říkat než pane hrabě.“
[II.4] Když se Švejk s Vodičkou loučil, poněvadž každého odváděli k jejich části, řekl Švejk: "Až bude po tý vojně, tak mé přijel navštívit. Najdeš mé každej večer od šesti hodin u Kalicha na Bojišti."
[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.

Also written:Wahlstatt de

Literature
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MapSearch Švejkova cesta
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7.12.1904 • Celkový pohled na dům čp. 522 na nároží Ječné a Kateřinské ulice na Novém Městě.

© AHMP

Kateřinská ulice is mentioned by Švejk in the conversation at Tábor station where the lieutenant accuses him of being degenerated. Švejk refers to it by saying "by us at the corner of Kateřinská and Bojiště".

Background

Kateřinská ulice is a street in Nové město, Prague. This is also the location of Kateřinky, the madhouse where Švejk spent some time early in the novel. The text indicates that Švejk lived in or near this street, but referring to the corner with Na Bojišti makes no sense, as the two streets don't join. Švejk may have meant the corner of Ječná ulice and Sokolská ulice where the author lived for a short period in 1888 and 1889.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.1] Tyto úvahy shrnul v jednu větu, s kterou se obrátil k Švejkovi: „Vy jste, chlape, degenerovanej. Víte, co je to, když se o někom řekne, že je degenerovaný?“ „U nás na rohu Bojiště a Kateřinský ulice, poslušně hlásím, pane lajtnant, byl taky jeden degenerovanej člověk. Jeho otec byl jeden polskej hrabě a matka byla porodní bábou. Von met ulice a jinak si po kořalnách nenechal říkat než pane hrabě.“
Literature
Polandnn flag
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Poland with borders from 1772 and after the partitions 1772, 1793 and 1795.

Poland is mentioned indirectly through a Polish count. This happens when Švejk is accused by the lieutenant in Tábor of being degenerated. He retorts with an anecdote about the degenerate son of a Polish count who lived "by us" at the corner of Kateřinská ulice and Na Bojišti.

As the plot progresses in part III and IV more Poles are mentioned, for instance the "latrine general" in Budapest and a soldier from Kołomyja who messed with the field password. As the march company moves onto Polish territory by the Łupków Pass even more Poles appear, mostly without being mentioned by name. Examples are the spy in Švejk's cell in Przemyśl and the Polish head teacher in Klimontów.

The final four chapters of the plot of The Good Soldier Švejk takes place in current south-eastern Poland and in eastern Galicia, an area where Polish was the principal official language. On the current territory of Poland Švejk visited the Łupków Pass, Szczawne, Kulaszne, Sanok, Tyrawa Wołoska, Liskowiec, Krościenko and Przemyśl. Numerous other places are mentioned, amongst them Kraków, Warsaw, Poznań and Częstochowa.

In contrast to the many geographical references remarkably few Polish persons are mentioned by name, the only obvious one being Mr. Grabowski (the author surely meant Dworski). Trainsoldat Trainsoldat Bong may also have been Polish but this has not been verified.

Background

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Varšava zámek

Světozor,14.10.1914

Poland was in 1914 not an independent state as Polish lands had for almost 120 years been split between Austria, Germany and Russia. Despite the adversity Polish culture, language and nationhood rule had survived foreign rule. The background was three territorial divisions of Poland (1772, 1793, 1795), perpetrated by Russia, Prussia and Austria, by which Poland's size was progressively reduced until, after the final partition, the state ceased to exist. In 1918 the independent Polish state finally resurfaced, resulting from the defeat in World War I of the three powers that until then had ruled the country.

Russian and German Poland

The largest part of Poland was under Russian rule, from 1815 known as the Kingdom of Poland (Królestwo Polskie, Царство Польское) with the tsar as a nominal king and Warsaw as capital. Formally it enjoyed widespread autonomy but this was gradually eroded, particularly after the uprisings in 1830 and 1863. Further Russification measures followed, for instance the introduction of Russian as an official language after 1860. By 1900 the number of inhabitants was almost 10 million and Warsaw was the third largest city in Imperial Russia. Russian rule continued until 1915, ended by the Central Power's military victories that year. Poles served in the Russian army. An example is the battle by Sokal in July 1915 where Polish units faced Jaroslav Hašek's IR. 91 and distinguished themselves.

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Bergen Aftenblad,7.9.1910

German Poland consisted mainly of the Prussian province of Posen (Prowincja Poznańska, Provinz Posen) and was with 2 million inhabitants (1910) much smaller than Russian Poland. Poles made up two thirds of the population but had little influence on governance. Like in Russia Polish culture and language were subjugated and the province was subjected to severe Germanisation, particularly during and after Bismarck's reign. On the other hand Posen was the most prosperous of the areas populated by Poles. They were however obliged to serve in the German Imperial army.

Austrian Poland
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Kurjer Lwowski,29.6.1914

When Poland and Poles is a theme in The Good Soldier Švejk it is overwhelmingly likely to refer to Poles in Austria, for all practical purposes Galicia (Galicja - Galizien). It was annexed by Austria after the first partition of Poland in 1772. Poles in Austria enjoyed far greater autonomy than their brethren in Russia and Germany. From 1873 Galicia became an autonomous province of Cisleithanien with Polish and, to a lesser degree, Ruthenian (Ukrainian)[1], as official languages. The Galician Sejm (parliament) and provincial administration had extensive privileges and powers, especially in education, culture, and local affairs. The Polonisation of autonomous Galicia came at the expense of the Ukrainians and also the much smaller German minority. Dissatisfaction with Polish rule led to a strong Russophile movement amongst the Ukrainian population, a theme touched upon also in The Good Soldier Švejk. Poles, as one of the 11 nations of Austria-Hungary, made up almost 10 per cent of the 52 million strong population (classified by language). In the Reichsrat lower chamber they had 82 out of 516 representatives (1911).

In 1910 the population was around 8 million and the capital was Lwów. Galicia was ethnically divided with Poles being the majority in the west and Ukrainians in the east. The exception was Lwów where Polish speakers formed a majority in an otherwise Ukrainian region. Poles made up 58 per cent of the population, Ukrainians 40 per cent. Jews were not classified as a nation in Austria-Hungary but the confession statistic reveal that they numbered 11 per cent the population of Austrian Poland.

During the war
polen1.png

Lage und Verteilung der Kräfte 1. Mai 1915. Österreich-Ungarns letzter Krieg II, Beilage 15.

During 1914 and 1915 fierce fighting took place on Polish territory. Austro-Hungarian troops invaded Russian Poland in August and enjoyed early success in the battles of Kraśnik and Komarów. These advances were however overshadowed by the disaster in Galicia where the capital Lwów was abandoned in early September and k.u.k. forces were pushed back to the river San and the Carpathians. The situation was particularly critical in late November when the Russian 3rd Army crossed the Raba and threatened Kraków. Their advance was however halted during the battle of Limanowa and the front was stabilised along the Dunajec and the Carpathians. Of particular significance was the fortress of Przemyśl that tied up large Russian forces until it capitulated on 22 March 1915 after having been encircled since 8 November 1914. Further north the German army was more successful and by January 1915 it had occupied parts of Russian Poland, including the large city of Łódź.

In early may 1915 a major turnaround occurred. The Central Powers launched a successful offensive by the Dunajec that forced the Russians away from the Carpathians and during the summer forced them out of virtually all of Poland. Warsaw fell on 4 August 1915 and in addition nearly the entire Galicia was back in Austrian hands by the autumn.

As opposed to the Czechs and Ukrainians the Poles remained relatively loyal to Austria-Hungary during the war (and incidently also to Germany and Russia in their respective parts). The Central Powers even agreed to create a puppet state called the Kingdom of Poland on former Russian territory and a Polish Legion led by future president Józef Piłsudski was created as a semi-autonomous unit under the auspices of k.u.k. Wehrmacht.

Hašek in Poland
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Jaroslav Hašek, Zakopane, 6.8.1901

It is documented that Jaroslav Hašek (who knew some Polish) visited Austrian Poland in 1901 and 1903. The sources are his own post cards and also a police report after his arrest in Kraków in July 1903. He also wrote some stories from western Galicia that are set in the area by the rivers Raba and Dunajec. In the stories Mezi tuláky and Procházka přes hranice[2] he wrote that he by mistake crossed Russian border, was arrested and brought to Kielce in Russian Poland but soon dispatched across the border to Kraków. No independent accounts can however verify this story but the topographical description is quite accurate so the story may well be based on his own experiences.

Hašek also visited the territory of current Poland when he was transported with his march battalion to the front in the early days of July 1915. This was however nothing more than a transit by train[3] and it can practically be ruled out that he ever visited Sanok and Przemyśl, the two Polish mainstays of the plot. The route described in [III.4] Marschieren Marsch!", Sanok - Felsztyn, is also a result of artistic license. The plot of this chapter may well have been inspired by the author's own experiences in 1915 but not within the geographical conext he uses in the novel.

In the Ukrainian part of Galicia he did however spend much more time: from 4 July to 27 August 1915, now as a soldier with Infanterieregiment Nr. 91.

Švejk's stronghold
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18. Manewry Szwejkowskie, Przemyśl, 3.7.2015

Poland is today a world leader in the effort to keep Švejk's name alive and they even surpass the Czech Republic in this respect. The soldier has inspired groups of admirers in several locations, with annual Švejk festivals in both Kielce and Przemyśl. The latter is the largest event and has long traditions. The festival Manewry Szwejkowskie takes place in early July every year and in 2022 it was arranged for the 25th time. Poland also boasts some prominent švejkologists, first and foremost Antoni Kroh. He is not only the translator of The Good Soldier Švejk - he has also written a thorough and well researched book about the theme (O Szwejku i o nas, 1992). The explanations published in his translation are similarly informative and solid. On the itinerary that Švejk followed has been created a tourist trail with yellow explanatory posters (Szlak Dobrego Wojaka Szwejka). Sanok, Przemyśl and Kielce both have statues of the good soldier and there are several Švejk-restaurants around Poland.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.1] Tyto úvahy shrnul v jednu větu, s kterou se obrátil k Švejkovi: „Vy jste, chlape, degenerovanej. Víte, co je to, když se o někom řekne, že je degenerovaný?“ „U nás na rohu Bojiště a Kateřinský ulice, poslušně hlásím, pane lajtnant, byl taky jeden degenerovanej člověk. Jeho otec byl jeden polskej hrabě a matka byla porodní bábou. Von met ulice a jinak si po kořalnách nenechal říkat než pane hrabě.“

Also written:Polsko cz Polen de Polska pl

Notes
1. In official Austro-Hungarian terminology Ruthenen referred to the Ukrainian population of the empire. On this page the terms "Ruthenian" and "Ukrainian" are therefore interchangeable.
2. "Amongst tramps" and "A stroll across the border".
3. According to Jan Vaněk the march battalion were in Humenné on 2 July 1915 and two days later their train had halted near Sambor. The route would have been across Łupków Pass and down to Zagórz by Sanok, then to Sambor via Chyrów and Felsztyn.
Literature
Index Back Forward II. At the front Hovudpersonen

2. Švejk's budějovická anabasis

Asia Minornn flag
Wikipedia czdeennnnotr MapSearch
anabase4.png

Výbor ze spisů Xenofontových, Anabase, Kyrupaideie

Asia Minor is mentioned by the author when he describes Xenophon and explains the term anabasis.

Background

Asia Minor is a term rarely used nowadays, but refers to the region Anatolia which makes up a large part of modern Turkey.

It is the westernmost peninsula on the Asian continent, surrounded by the Black Sea, the Mediterranean Sea, the Aegean Sea and the Marmara Sea. It is separated from the Balkans by the Bosporus and the Dardanelles.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.2] Starověký válečník Xenofon prošel celou Malou Asii a byl bůhvíkde bez mapy. Staří Gotové dělali své výpravy také bez topografické znalosti. Mašírovat pořád kupředu, tomu se říká anabase. Prodírat se neznámými krajinami. Být obklíčeným nepřáteli, kteří číhají na nejbližší příležitost, aby ti zakroutili krk.

Also written:Malá Asie cz Kleinasien de Anadolu tr

Literature
Caspian Seann flag
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kaspiske.jpg

Стенька Разин, 1906

Caspian Sea is mentioned by the author when he explains the term anabasis.

Background

Caspian Sea is the world's largest inland body of water, variously classed as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged sea. It does not have an exit and lies 28 meters below sea level. Volga contributes 80 per cent of the water. The see border Azerbaijan, Russia, Kazakhstan, Iran and Turkmenistan.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.2] Když má někdo dobrou hlavu, jako ji měl Xenofon nebo všichni ti loupežní kmenové, kteří přišli do Evropy až bůhvíodkud od Kaspického nebo Azovského moře, dělá pravé divy na pochodu.

Also written:Kaspické moře cz Kaspisches Meer de Каспийское море ru

Sea of Azovnn flag
Wikipedia czdeennnru MapSearch
azov.jpg

Za svobodu,1925

taganrog.png

Čechoslovan,30.4.1917

Sea of Azov is mentioned by the author when he explains the term anabasis.

Background

Sea of Azov is an appendix to the Black Sea bordering Ukraine and Russia. It is the world's shallowest sea with only 15 metres at the deepest. The rivers Don and Kuban flow into it.

The Russian city of Taganrog (Таганрог) on the northern shore would have been well known to many Czechs as the city's munition factory employed many prisoners of war.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.2] Když má někdo dobrou hlavu, jako ji měl Xenofon nebo všichni ti loupežní kmenové, kteří přišli do Evropy až bůhvíodkud od Kaspického nebo Azovského moře, dělá pravé divy na pochodu.

Also written:Azovské moře cz Asowsches Meer de Azovhavet nn Азовское море ru

Gallic Seann flag
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Curriculum, gymnasium Žitná ulice, 1896

Gallic Sea is mentioned by the author when describing the term anabasis. The legions of Caesar are said to have got here without maps.

Background

Gallic Sea was an ancient name for the strecth of sea between Sardinia, the Balearic Islands and the Riviera.[a]

However this doesn't fit with the authors information that the sea is "somewhere in the north". He therefore probably had English Channel in mind, and this assumption is supported by other sources[b] and historical circumstances.

The source of the information seems to Caesar's own book De Bello Gallico (The Gallic Wars). It is also worth noticing that this work was on the Latin curriculum in the 4th year at the gymnasium Hašek visited[c].

Paulus Orosius

Narbonensis Provincia, pars Galliarum, habet ab oriente Alpes Cottias, ab occidente Hispaniam, a circio Aquitanicam, a septentrione Lugdunensem, ab aquilone Belgicam Galliam, meridie mare Gallicum quod est inter Sardiniam et insulas Baleares, habens in fronte, qua Rhodanus fluuius in mare exit, insulas Stoechadas.

Clas Meredin

Caesar claimed the purpose of the British expeditions was because the Belgic tribes across the Gallic Sea (The Channel) had assisted the Gauls in the Armorican rebellions of 57 and 56 BC. However, according to De Bello Gallico in his second expedition Caesar appears to have had a singular objective; to re-instate Mandubracius (Mandubratius) to the Trinobantes (Trinovantes).

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.2] Tam někde na severu u Galského moře, kam až se také dostaly římské legie Caesarovy bez mapy, řekly si jednou, že se zas vrátí a pomašírujou jinou cestou, aby ještě víc toho užily, do Říma.

Also written:Galské moře cz

References
aHistoriarum adversum paganos libri VIIPaulus Orisius
bClas Merdin: Tales from the Enchanted IslandEdward Watson
cDevátá výroční zpráva cís. král. vyššího gymnasia v Žitné ulici v PrazeC. k. vyšší gymnasium v Žitné ulici1896
Romenn flag
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roma.jpg

Rome is mentioned by the author when he explains the term anabasis and wandering about without a map. Here the theme is specifically Caesar's legions and the saying "all roads lead to Rome".

Background

Rome in this context refers to ancient Rome as the capital of the Roman Empire.

All roads lead to Rome

It has not been confirmed that this saying goes back to Caesar. Its origin is often attributed to French theologian Alain de Lille and his expression Mille viae ducunt hominem per saecula Romam[a]. It literally means "A thousand roads lead men forever to Rome".

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.2] Tam někde na severu u Galského moře, kam až se také dostaly římské legie Caesarovy bez mapy, řekly si jednou, že se zas vrátí a pomašírujou jinou cestou, aby ještě víc toho užily, do Říma. A dostaly se tam také. Od té doby se říká patrně, že všechny cesty vedou do Říma.

Also written:Řím cz Rom de Roma it Roma la

References
aAll Roads Lead To RomeBookBrowse.com
Budějovický krajnn flag
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Budějowský kraj w Králowstwí českém, 1847

Budějovický kraj is just about mentioned as Švejk wanders through the Milevsko-region instead of the region.

Background

Budějovický kraj may have been an unofficial name as the official Budějovický kraj was dissolved in 1868[a]. It was one of 13 kraje/Bezirke in Bohemia. The term seems to have lingered as it appeared in newspapers until way into the inter-war period. From 1949 it was again an official administrative region but larger than the 19th century namesake. In 1960 it was renamed Jihočeský kraj, an administrative sub-division that exists also today (2021).

It is also possible that the author meant Okresní hejtmanství Budějovice, a much smaller entity.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.2] Stejně vedou také všechny cesty do Českých Budějovic. O čemž byl plnou měrou přesvědčen dobrý voják Švejk, když místo budějovického kraje uviděl vesnice milevského. Šel však nepřetržitě dál, neboť žádnému dobrému vojákovi nemůže vadit takové Milevsko, aby přece jednou nedošel do Českých Budějovic.
[II.3] Dělali to Švédové a Španělé za třicetileté války, Francouzi za Napoleona a teď v budějovickém kraji budou to dělat zase Madaři a nebude to spojeno s hrubým znásilňováním.

Also written:Budějovice region en Bezirk Budweis de

Literature
References
aBudějovický krajOttův slovník naučný1891
Milevský krajnn flag
Wikipedia de MapSearch Švejkova cesta
milevsky.png

Nejnovější příruční mapa království Českého s politickým rozdělením, 1905

Milevský kraj is just about mentioned as Švejk wanders through the area on his way to what he believed was that Budějovice.

Background

Milevský kraj was as opposed to Budějovický kraj not an exisiting or former adminstrative region and the term hardly ever appeared in the press or in books and has at best been a colloquial term. It is therefore likely that the author had hejtmanství Milevsko in mind.

In 1913 hejtmanství Milevsko had 37,694 inhabitants and was a pure Czech district. Only 52 of its citizens reported German as their mother tongue. The military districts for k.u.k. Heer and k.k. Landwehr were No. 102 (Benešov) and No. 28 (Písek) respectively.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.2] Stejně vedou také všechny cesty do Českých Budějovic. O čemž byl plnou měrou přesvědčen dobrý voják Švejk, když místo budějovického kraje uviděl vesnice milevského. Šel však nepřetržitě dál, neboť žádnému dobrému vojákovi nemůže vadit takové Milevsko, aby přece jednou nedošel do Českých Budějovic.

Also written:Bezirk_Mühlhausen de

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milevsko.jpg
milevsko1.jpg

Stodruhák,15.1.1938

Milevsko is just about mentioned as Švejk wanders through Milevský kraj and past the town on his way to what he believed was that Budějovice.

Background

Milevsko is a town in South Bohemia with slightly less than 9,000 inhabitants (2019). It is located between Tábor and Písek.

Demography

According to the 1910 census Milevsko had 2,819 inhabitants of which 2,816 (99 per cent) reported that they used Czech in their daily speech. The judicial district was okres Milevsko, administratively it reported to hejtmanství Milevsko.

Source:Seznam míst v království Českém(1913)

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Milevsko were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 102 (Beneschau) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 28 (Pisek). No military units were garrisoned here.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.2] Stejně vedou také všechny cesty do Českých Budějovic. O čemž byl plnou měrou přesvědčen dobrý voják Švejk, když místo budějovického kraje uviděl vesnice milevského. Šel však nepřetržitě dál, neboť žádnému dobrému vojákovi nemůže vadit takové Milevsko, aby přece jednou nedošel do Českých Budějovic.

Also written:Mühlhausen de

Literature
Květovnn flag
Wikipedia czdeensv MapSearch Švejkova cesta Švejkův slovník
kvetov.jpg

Květov, 2010

kvetov.png

Ottův slovník naučný,1900

Květov is mentioned 4 times in The Good Soldier Švejk.

Květov is mentioned in passing as Švejk starts repeating his repertoir of army songs going past the village. On the way from here, almost in Vráž he meets a kind and helpful grandmother who advices him on the route forward.

Background

Květov is a village in South Bohemia with slightly more than 100 inhabitants. It is located between Milevsko and Písek.

Demography

According to the 1910 census Květov had 325 inhabitants of which 325 (100 per cent) reported that they used Czech in their daily speech. The judicial district was okres Milevsko, administratively it reported to hejtmanství Milevsko.See Milevský kraj for more information.

Source:Seznam míst v království Českém(1913)

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.2] A tak Švejk se objevil na západ od Milevska v Květově, když již vystřídal všechny vojenské písně, které znal o mašírování vojáků, takže byl nucen začít znova před Květovem s písní:

Když jsme mašírovali,
všechny holky plakaly...
[II.2] Nějaká stará babička, která vracela se z kostela, zavedla na cestě od Květova do Vráže, což je neustále západním směrem, řeč se Švejkem křesťanským pozdravem: „Dobrý poledne, vojáčku, kampak máte namíříno?“

Sources: Miroslav Vítek

Literature
Vrážnn flag
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Vráž 1902

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Jahrbuch für die k.k. Gendarmerie, 1916

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Ottův slovník naučný, 1907

Vráž is mentioned 7 times in The Good Soldier Švejk.

Vráž appears in the plot when Švejk on his way from Květov, just before Vráž meets an old woman who helps him with food and gives him advice on which villages to avoid. Vráž is one of them as the Gendarms there are like falcons. The old woman was herself from there and the meeting took place in a small forest just outside the village. She adviced Švejk to continue to Radomyšl and ask for her brother pantát Melichárek.

Background

Vráž is a village in South Bohemia with 275 inhabitants (2005). It is located 8 km north of Písek.

K.k. Gendarmerie

In 1915 Vráž actually had a k.k. Gendarmerie station. It reported to the district command in Písek, i.e. Gendarmeriebezirk Nr. 14 in Bohemia (Landesgendarmeriekommando Nr. 2). The local head of police in 1914 was strážmistr J. Šrám[a]. He had one assistant, J. Michal.

Demography

According to the 1910 census Vráž had 542 inhabitants of which 542 (100 per cent) reported that they used Czech in their daily speech. The judicial district was okres Písek, administratively it reported to hejtmanství Písek.

Source:Seznam míst v království Českém(1913)

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Vráž were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 11 (Pisek) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 28 (Pisek).

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.2] Nějaká stará babička, která vracela se z kostela, zavedla na cestě od Květova do Vráže, což je neustále západním směrem, řeč se Švejkem křesťanským pozdravem: „Dobrý poledne, vojáčku, kampak máte namíříno?“
[II.2] „Ale to jdou špatně, vojáčku,“ ulekaně řekla babička, „to tam nikdy nepřijdou tímhle směrem přes Vráž, kdyby šli pořád rovně, tak přijdou na Klatovy.“
[II.2] Přes tu naši vesnici Vráž nemůžou jít, tam jsou četníci jako vostříži. Dají se potom z lesejčka na Malčín.
[II.2] V Radomyšli Švejk našel k večeru na Dolejší ulici za Floriánkem pantátu Melichárka. Když vyřídil mu pozdrav od jeho sestry ze Vráže, nijak to na pantátu neúčinkovalo.

Sources: Miroslav Vítek

Literature
References
aChytilův úplný adresář Království ČeskéhoAlois Chytil1915
Čížovánn flag
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Čížová 1920

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Ottův slovník naučný, 1893

Čížová is a village which the old grandmother from Vráž adviced Švejk strongly against walking through because of the vigilant Gendarms. He followed the advice and turned east before Čížová. This would however have taken him away from his destination Malčín. Thus he must have been on a detour which is not described in the book (unless it's a lapse from the author).

Background

Čížová is a village in South Bohemia with 1,034 inhabitants (2009). It is located 6 km north of Písek.

Čížová was in 1915 part of the municipality (obec) Nová Ves and had a post office, parish and a railway station (still operating in 2020). There was however no Gendarmerie station here in 1915 so the old accordian player must have bluffed (Vráž and Písek were the nearest).

Demography

According to the 1910 census Čížová had 160 inhabitants of which 159 (99 per cent) reported that they used Czech in their daily speech. The judicial district was okres Písek, administratively it reported to hejtmanství Písek.

Source:Seznam míst v království Českém(1913)

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Čížová were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 11 (Pisek) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 28 (Pisek).

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.2] Dají se potom z lesejčka na Malčín. Vodtamtuď se vyhnou, vojáčku, Čížovej. Tam jsou četníci rasi a chytají desentýry.
[II.2] Od Čížové šel Švejk dle rady babičky na Radomyšl na východ a pomyslil si, že se musí dostat do těch Budějovic z každé světové strany, ať je to jakákoliv.
[II.2] Po zdvořilém odmítnutí Švejkově velice se rozčílil a dal se nalevo do polí, vyhrožuje Švejkovi, že ho jde udat na četnictvo do Čížový.

Sources: Miroslav Vítek

Also written:Tschizowa Reiner

Literature
Klatovynn flag
Wikipedia czdeen MapSearch
klatovy.jpg

Klatovy 1913

klatovy.png

Ottův slovník naučný, 1899

Klatovy is mentioned by the old grandmother from Vráž when she tells Švejk that he is going the wrong way and might end up in Klatovy instead of Budějovice.

Background

Klatovy is a town in the Plzeň region with 22 257 inhabitans (2020). The key industry at the outbreak of World War I was textile manufacturing. The town had a railway station, hospital, power plant etc. The centre has several historical buildings.

Demography

According to the 1910 census Klatovy had 14,387 inhabitants of which 13,981 (97 per cent) reported that they used Czech in their daily speech. The judicial district was okres Klatovy, administratively it reported to hejtmanství Klatovy.

Source:Seznam míst v království Českém(1913)

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Klatovy were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 11 (Pisek) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 28 (Pisek). Garrisoned in Klatovy was staff and one battalion of Dragonerregiment Nr. 13. Otherwise it hosted the Ersatzkader of Dragonerregiment Nr. 13. Employed by the armed forces were 589 of the inhabitants.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.2] „Ale to jdou špatně, vojáčku,“ ulekaně řekla babička, „to tam nikdy nepřijdou tímhle směrem přes Vráž, kdyby šli pořád rovně, tak přijdou na Klatovy.“ „Já myslím,“ řekl Švejk odevzdaně, „že se i z Klatov člověk dostane do Budějovic.

Also written:Klattau de

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Ottův slovník naučný, 1900

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Pubs in Malčice

Chytilův úplný adresář království Českého, 1915

Malčín was the village where Švejk went to a pub to buy liquor to keep warm. He was accompanied by on old accordion player on the long mile to Radomyšl.

Background

Malčín refers to Malčice, a part of the rural municipality Předotice in the Písek district of South Bohemia. In 2011 the village had 94 permanent residents.

The only Malčín in Bohemia was located in okres Habry, hejtmanství Čáslav. The village is located only 13 km from Lipnice so Hašek surely knew about it and probably got these similar names mixed up.

Pubs

In 1914 there were two public houses in Malčice. Landlords were Josefa Maříková og František Zeman. The first had a shop attached[b]. The municipal chronicle in 1932 lists the pub owners Josef Hach (no. 60) and Jan Mařík (no. 9)[c]. On old postcards appears Hostinec u Hachů[a] that obviously belonged to Hach. Also for Mařík in no. 9 the connection is clear. In no. 38 there was a pub until 1914. The owner may have been the mantioned Zeman or he could have owned the house that later became U Hachů.

Demography

According to the 1910 census Malčín had 335 inhabitants of which 335 (100 per cent) reported that they used Czech in their daily speech. The judicial district was okres Písek, administratively it reported to hejtmanství Písek.

Source:Seznam míst v království Českém(1913)

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Malčín were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 11 (Pisek) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 28 (Pisek).

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.2] Je ta chalupa naše vodtuď vidět, právě za lesejčkem trochu vpravo. Přes tu naši vesnici Vráž nemůžou jít, tam jsou četníci jako vostříži. Dají se potom z lesejčka na Malčín. Vodtamtuď se vyhnou, vojáčku, Čížovej.
[II.2] Nakonec vytáhla z kapsáře u jupky korunu, aby si koupil v Malčíně kořalku na cestu, poněvadž do Radomyšle je dlouhá míle.
[II.2] Z Malčína šel s ním starý harmonikář, kterého našel tam Švejk v hospodě, když si kupoval kořalku na tu dlouhou míli k Radomyšli.
[II.2] Harmonikář považoval Švejka za desertýra a radil mu, aby šel s ním do Horažďovic, že tam má provdanou dceru, jejíž muž je taky desertýr. Harmonikář v Malčíně očividně přebral.

Sources: Miroslav Vítek

Also written:Malčín Hašek

Literature
References
aDo MalčinaJaroslav Šerák
bChytilův úplný adresář Království ČeskéhoAlois Chytil1915
cPo cestách Švejkovy budějovické anabázeMiroslav Vítek2020
Horažďovicenn flag
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Horažďovice 1917

horazdovice.png

Ottův slovník naučný, 1897

Horažďovice is first mentioned by the old woman from Vráž when she explains for Švejk where he can go without being harassed by gendarmes (state police).

Later the drunk accordion player by Malčice tries to get Švejk to accompany him to Horažďovice. He thinks Švejk is a deserter and he claims his daughther is hiding her husband deserter there.

Švejk later told both pantát Melichárek and the police that he went there but the plot never reaches Horažďovice.

Background

Horažďovice is a town of 5,600 inhabitants in the Plzeň region. It is located on the river Otava, some 50 km south east of Plzeň.

Demography

According to the 1910 census Horažďovice had 3,252 inhabitants of which 3,226 (99 per cent) reported that they used Czech in their daily speech. The judicial district was okres Horažďovice, administratively it reported to hejtmanství Strakonice.

Source:Seznam míst v království Českém(1913)

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Horažďovice were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 11 (Pisek) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 28 (Pisek).

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.2] Jdou přímo přes les na Sedlec u Horažďovic. Tam je moc hodnej četník, ten propustí každýho přes vesnici. Mají s sebou nějaký papíry?
[II.2] Harmonikář považoval Švejka za desertýra a radil mu, aby šel s ním do Horažďovic, že tam má provdanou dceru, jejíž muž je taky desertýr. Harmonikář v Malčíně očividně přebral.

Also written:Horaždowitz Reiner Horaschdowitz de

Literature
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Sedlice 1900

sedlice1.png

Chytilův úplný adresář království Českého, 1915

Chytilův úplný adresář Království Českého1915

sedlice.png

Ottův slovník naučný, 1904

Sedlec is recommened by the old woman by Vráž who tells Švejk that the gendarmes there turn a blind eye to deserters. Švejk later claims that he went there, but there is nothing in the narrative to support this.

Background

Sedlec is the name of 20 places in Bohemia but none of them fit the description in The Good Soldier Švejk. The author rather had Sedlice in mind, underpinned by the fact that it in 1904 primarily was known as Sedlec (Ottův slovník naučný).

Today it is a minor town (městys) in South Bohemia, with 1252 inhabitants (2019). It is located north of Strakonice near Blatná Castle.

The kind grandmother from Vráž told Švejk that the gendarm in Sedlec is a good man and let deserters pass trough. In this context we note that the town actually had a state police station and it was headed by strážmistr František Svojík[a]. He is the only one listed so it may well be that he was the sole policeman in town.

Demography

According to the 1910 census Sedlec had 1,411 inhabitants of which 1,411 (100 per cent) reported that they used Czech in their daily speech. The judicial district was okres Blatná, administratively it reported to hejtmanství Blatná.

Source:Seznam míst v království Českém(1913)

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Sedlec were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 11 (Pisek) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 28 (Pisek).

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.2] Jdou přímo přes les na Sedlec u Horažďovic. Tam je moc hodnej četník, ten propustí každýho přes vesnici. Mají s sebou nějaký papíry?

Sources: Miroslav Vítek

Also written:Sedlec Hašek

Literature
References
aChytilův úplný adresář Království ČeskéhoAlois Chytil1915
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Radomyšl 2010

radomysl.png

Ottův slovník naučný, 1904

Radomyšl is mentioned 7 times in The Good Soldier Švejk.

Radomyšl was visited by Švejk when he on the advice of the old woman from Vráž went to see her brother, pantát Melichárek in Dolejší ulice behind Floriánek. He was adviced to go there at night because the gendarms then would be in the pub.

Background

Radomyšl is a small town in South Bohemia, 6 km north of Strakonice. It has 1250 inhabitants and was in 2005 voted South Bohemian "Village of the Year".

Radomyšl was indeed served by a gendarmerie station. It was located in the town hall[a], opposite Floriánek. Police chief was strážmistr František Křížek and he had two assistants.

Demography

According to the 1910 census Radomyšl had 1,230 inhabitants of which 1,225 (99 per cent) reported that they used Czech in their daily speech. The judicial district was okres Strakonice, administratively it reported to hejtmanství Strakonice.

Source:Seznam míst v království Českém(1913)

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Radomyšl were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 11 (Pisek) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 28 (Pisek).

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.2] „Tak ani tam nechodějí, jdou raději na Radomyšl, ale hledějí tam přijít kvečeru, to jsou všichni četníci v hospodě.
[II.2] Nakonec vytáhla z kapsáře u jupky korunu, aby si koupil v Malčíně kořalku na cestu, poněvadž do Radomyšle je dlouhá míle. Od Čížové šel Švejk dle rady babičky na Radomyšl na východ a pomyslil si, že se musí dostat do těch Budějovic z každé světové strany, ať je to jakákoliv. Z Malčína šel s ním starý harmonikář, kterého našel tam Švejk v hospodě, když si kupoval kořalku na tu dlouhou míli k Radomyšli.
[II.2] V Radomyšli Švejk našel k večeru na Dolejší ulici za Floriánkem pantátu Melichárka. Když vyřídil mu pozdrav od jeho sestry ze Vráže, nijak to na pantátu neúčinkovalo. Chtěl neustále na Švejkovi papíry. Byl to nějaký předpojatý člověk, poněvadž mluvil neustále něco o raubířích, syčácích a zlodějích, kterých se síla potlouká po celém píseckém kraji.

Sources: Miroslav Vítek

Also written:Radomyschl Reiner Radomischl de

Literature
References
aPo cestách Švejkovy budějovické anabázeMiroslav Vítek2020
bChytilův úplný adresář Království ČeskéhoAlois Chytil1915
Floriáneknn flag
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florianek.jpg

Floriánek 28 May 2010.

florianek.png

Strakonicko 6.1936

florianek1.jpg

Radomyšl ~1900 / 2020

© Městys Radomyšl

Floriánek is mentioned in connection with Radomyšl, pantát Melichárek lives behind this house.

Background

Floriánek is a building on the corner of Kostelní ulice and Maltézské náměstí in Radomyšl, house number 6, also Grunt Michalcovský. It's recorded history goes back to 1599. Old photos show a brass shield on the front where St. Florian is depecited[a]. In 2010 the building was in a derelict state but by 2020 it had been renovated and a shelf in the front wall hosts a small statue of St. Florian!

Floriánek is named after the Christian saint and the first Austrian martyr Saint Florian. He is the patron saint of Poland, the city of Linz, firefighters and chimney sweeps.

Městys Radomyšl, 5.8.2020

Grunt Michalcovský (U Michalců) č.p. 6. První doložený majitel v roce 1599. Michalců zde žili ale "pouhých" 120 let. Následně statek patřil 121 let rodině Mlčánů. V roce 1910 prodal poslední z rodu, JuDr František Mlčán z Kutné Hory, grunt dvěma obchodníkům, kteří ho i s polnostmi výhodně rozprodali místním občanům. K samotnému statku poté přistali polnosti vyženěné. O tomto statku je zmínka i v knize Jaroslava Haška o dobrém vojáku Švejkovi, kdy se o něm v knize zmiňuje jako o Floriánku, kde pod ním v Dolejší ulici (dnešní Sokolská) bydlí pantáta Melichárek. Floriánkem je podle plechového obrazu (je znát na prvním fotu) sv. Floriána na štítě, který se bohužel nedochoval. Nyní je nahrazen nikou mezi okny pro jeho sošku. Štít se sesko-barokními prvky zde zůstal po požárech městečka, snad díky tehdejší špatné finanční situaci majitelů k přestavbě. Patrně jich na dnešním náměstí bylo více. Poslední požár gruntu připomíná letopočet v dnešním štítu.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.2] V Radomyšli Švejk našel k večeru na Dolejší ulici za Floriánkem pantátu Melichárka. Když vyřídil mu pozdrav od jeho sestry ze Vráže, nijak to na pantátu neúčinkovalo. Chtěl neustále na Švejkovi papíry. Byl to nějaký předpojatý člověk, poněvadž mluvil neustále něco o raubířích, syčácích a zlodějích, kterých se síla potlouká po celém píseckém kraji.

Sources: Miroslav Vítek, Ivana Sibková, Ivana Jonová, Jaroslav Šerák

Literature
References
aGrunt MichalcovskýMěstys Radomyšl5.8.2020
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dolejsi.jpg

Dolejší ulice is mentioned in connection with Radomyšl. pantát Melichárek, brother of the good woman from Vráž, lives here.

Background

Dolejší ulice was an informal name of Sokolská ulice in Radomyšl. The house where Václav Melichar (the alleged inspiration for pantát Melichárek) lived is now demolished (see the picture).

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.2] V Radomyšli Švejk našel k večeru na Dolejší ulici za Floriánkem pantátu Melichárka. Když vyřídil mu pozdrav od jeho sestry ze Vráže, nijak to na pantátu neúčinkovalo. Chtěl neustále na Švejkovi papíry. Byl to nějaký předpojatý člověk, poněvadž mluvil neustále něco o raubířích, syčácích a zlodějích, kterých se síla potlouká po celém píseckém kraji.

Sources: Miroslav Vítek, Ivana Sibková, Ivana Jonová, Jaroslav Šerák

Literature
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Prácheňsko, from 1855 to 1868 Písecký kraj

Krátký zeměpis pro djtky obecných sskol, 1846

Písecký kraj is mentioned by the suspicious pantát Melichárek during Švejk's visit. Thiefs and robbers roam freely in Písecký kraj he moans.

Later in the chapter the author mentions the area again when he explains that soldier for Infanterieregiment Nr. 11 were recruited from here.

Background

Písecký kraj was probably an unofficial term for the area around Písek as the official Písecký kraj was abolished in 1868[a] during a reform that separated the political executive from the judiciary. It was one of 13 kraje/Bezirke in Bohemia.

Another possibility is that the author meant hejtmanství Písek. This was however a much smaller entity and did not include Radomyšl. Thus the first explanation is more logical, particlarly because the term was used by an old man.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.2] Chtěl neustále na Švejkovi papíry. Byl to nějaký předpojatý člověk, poněvadž mluvil neustále něco o raubířích, syčácích a zlodějích, kterých se síla potlouká po celém píseckém kraji.
[II.2] 28. regiment, 11. regiment. V tom posledním vojáci z píseckého kraje a okresu.

Also written:Písek region en Bezirk Pisek de

Literature
References
aZeměpis království ČeskéhoJan Tichý1868
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Putim, 1.6.2010

Putim polní stoh is the scene of the plot when Švejk after walking almost the whole night from Radomyšl stops to relax in a haystack. Here he finds himself in company of three deserters who think Švejk is one of them. Two are from Infanterieregiment Nr. 35 and one from the artillery in Budějovice, i.e. Feldkanonenregiment Nr. 24. The latter was from Putim and also owned the haystack. A few sentences further on the author for some curious reason converts him to a Dragoner (cavalry soldier).

All the deserters had hopes that the war would soon be over because in Putim it was said that the Russians had reached Moravia and stood behind (east of) Budapest.

Background

Putim polní stoh (haystack) was according to the author situated somewhere by Putim, but we don't know exactly where. To judge by Švejk's route it is likely to have been west of the village, but near enough for him to recognise it when he returned soon after.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.2] Švejk šel opět hnedle celou noc, až někde u Putimě našel v poli stoh. Odhrabal si slámu a slyšel zcela blízko sebe hlas: „Vod kterýho regimentu? Kam se neseš?“ „Vod 91. do Budějovic.“
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susice.png

Ottův slovník naučný, 1906

Sušice is mentioned by the defectors in the haystack by Putim. In the mountains behind Sušice on of them had contacts who could help them hide.

Background

Sušice is a town in the Šumava region in south-western Bohemia. The number of inhabitants is around 12,000.

Demography

According to the 1910 census Sušice had 7,264 inhabitants of which 7,061 (97 per cent) reported that they used Czech in their daily speech. The judicial district was okres Sušice, administratively it reported to hejtmanství Sušice.

Source:Seznam míst v království Českém(1913)

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Sušice were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 11 (Pisek) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 28 (Pisek). The only military presence in the town was Landwehrevidenzassistent Johann Kreutz from k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 28.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.2] K ránu, ještě než se rozední, přinese panimáma dragounova snídani. Pětatřicátníci půjdou potom na Strakonice, poněvadž jeden z nich má tam tetu a ta zas má v horách za Sušicí nějakého známého, který má pilu, a tam že budou dobře schováni.

Also written:Schüttenhofen de

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Štěkeň in May 2010

steken.png

Ottův slovník naučný, 1906

steken1.jpg

Královské město Písek, Jan Matzner, 1898

Štěkeň is mentioned as Švejk meets an old tramp here. They keep company all the way to the Švarcenberský ovčín, four hours towards the south. When he is interrogated by Rittmeister König in Písek he lists Štěkno as one of the places he visisted on the way to his regiment. He reels the same list also for Einjährigfreiwilliger Marek in the regiments prison in Budějovice.

Background

Štěkeň is a market town in the Strakonice district in South Bohemia. It is located west of Písek by the river Otava. In 2014 it counted 839 inhabitants.

Demography

According to the 1910 census Štěkeň had 928 inhabitants of which 923 (99 per cent) reported that they used Czech in their daily speech. The judicial district was okres Strakonice, administratively it reported to hejtmanství Strakonice.

Source:Seznam míst v království Českém(1913)

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Štěkeň were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 11 (Pisek) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 28 (Pisek).

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.2] Švejk šel lesy a u Štěkna setkal se s vandrákem, starým chlapíkem, který ho uvítal jako starého kamaráda douškem kořalky.
[II.2] Švejk vysvětlil mu celou situaci. Jmenoval Tábor a všechna místa, kudy šel do Budějovic: Milevsko - Květov - Vráž - Malčín - Čížová - Sedlec - Horažďovice - Radomyšl - Putim - Štěkno - Strakonice - Volyň - Dub - Vodňany - Protivín a zas Putim.

Also written:Stěkno Hašek Stěkna de

Literature
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Strakonice, 1917

strakonice.png

Ottův slovník naučný, 1906

Strakonice is a town Švejk claims he went through or passed by although this is not directly stated in the plot. From Štěkeň to Švarcenberský ovčín he walked in the company of a tramp who thought he was a deserter. The tramp therefore tried to persuade Švejk to come with him to Strakonice, Volyně and Dub to get hold of civilian clothes. The good soldier was of course no deserter so from the shep-pen he continued on his own. Thus the planned trip to Strakonice never materialised.

Strakonice is mentioned 8 times in this chapter, and is included on the list of places Švejk claims he visited on his anabasis.

Background

Strakonice is a town in South Bohemia, west of Písek with around 24,000 inhabitants. It is an industrial town and was also during Švejk's lifetime.

Demography

According to the 1910 census Strakonice had 5,440 inhabitants of which 5,414 (99 per cent) reported that they used Czech in their daily speech. The judicial district was okres Strakonice, administratively it reported to hejtmanství Strakonice.

Source:Seznam míst v království Českém(1913)

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Strakonice were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 11 (Pisek) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 28 (Pisek). The only military presence in the town was Landwehrevidenzoffizial Martin Pavliček from k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 28.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.2] Neboj se ale nic, teď půjdem na Strakonice, Volyň, Dub, a to by v tom byl čert, abychom nějakej civil nesehnali. Tam u Strakonic jsou ještě takoví moc blbí a poctiví lidi, že ti nechají ještě leckdes přes noc votevříno a ve dne to vůbec nezamykají.
[II.2] Neboj se ale nic, teď půjdem na Strakonice, Volyň, Dub, a to by v tom byl čert, abychom nějakej civil nesehnali. Tam u Strakonic jsou ještě takoví moc blbí a poctiví lidi, že ti nechají ještě leckdes přes noc votevříno a ve dne to vůbec nezamykají. Jdou někam teď v zimě k sousedovi si popovídat, a ty máš civil hned. Co ty potřebuješ? Boty máš, tak jen něco přes sebe. Vojenskej mantl je starej?“
[II.2] Dnes půjdeme na Strakonice,“ rozvinoval dál svůj plán. „Odtud čtyry hodiny je starej švarcenberskej ovčín. Je tam můj jeden známej ovčák, taky už starej dědek, tam zůstaneme přes noc a ráno se potáhnem na Strakonice, splašit tam někde ve vokolí civil.“

Also written:Strakonitz de

Literature
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Pohled část náměstí s radnicí, 1910

volyne.png

Ottův slovník naučný, 1907

Volyně is a town Švejk claims he went through or passed by although this is not directly stated in the plot. From Štěkeň to Švarcenberský ovčín he walked in the company of a tramp who thought he was a deserter. The tramp therefore tried to persuade Švejk to come with him to Strakonice, Volyně and Dub to get hold of civilian clothes. The good soldier was of course no deserter so from the shep-pen he continued on his own. Thus the planned trip to Volyně never materialised.

Background

Volyně is a town in South Bohemia, south of Strakonice with around 3,000 inhabitants (2020).

Demography

According to the 1910 census Volyně had 3,156 inhabitants of which 3,140 (99 per cent) reported that they used Czech in their daily speech. The judicial district was okres Volyně, administratively it reported to hejtmanství Strakonice.

Source:Seznam míst v království Českém(1913)

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Volyně were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 11 (Pisek) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 28 (Pisek).

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.2] Neboj se ale nic, teď půjdem na Strakonice, Volyň, Dub, a to by v tom byl čert, abychom nějakej civil nesehnali. Tam u Strakonic jsou ještě takoví moc blbí a poctiví lidi, že ti nechají ještě leckdes přes noc votevříno a ve dne to vůbec nezamykají.

Also written:Wolin de

Literature
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dub.jpg

Pohled na městys z věže hradu Helfenburk

dubg.png

Ottův slovník naučný, 1894

dubg.jpg

Dub, 1917

Dub is a town Švejk claims he went through or passed by although this is not directly stated in the plot. From Štěkeň to Švarcenberský ovčín he walked in the company of a tramp who thought he was a deserter. The tramp therefore tried to persuade Švejk to come with him to Strakonice, Volyně and Dub to get hold of civilian clothes. The good soldier was of course no deserter so from the sheep-pen he continued on his own. Thus the planned trip to Dub never materialised.

Background

Dub is a village in the Prachatice district in South Bohemia with around 400 inhabitants (2020). Although there were 11 places named Dub in Bohemia and Moravia there is not doubt that this is the one the author meant. All the others were too far from Švejk's itinerary.

Demography

According to the 1910 census Dub had 529 inhabitants of which 529 (100 per cent) reported that they used Czech in their daily speech. The judicial district was okres Volyně, administratively it reported to hejtmanství Strakonice.

Source:Seznam míst v království Českém(1913)

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Dub were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 11 (Pisek) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 28 (Pisek).

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.2] Neboj se ale nic, teď půjdem na Strakonice, Volyň, Dub, a to by v tom byl čert, abychom nějakej civil nesehnali. Tam u Strakonic jsou ještě takoví moc blbí a poctiví lidi, že ti nechají ještě leckdes přes noc votevříno a ve dne to vůbec nezamykají.
[II.2] Švejk vysvětlil mu celou situaci. Jmenoval Tábor a všechna místa, kudy šel do Budějovic: Milevsko - Květov - Vráž - Malčín - Čížová - Sedlec - Horažďovice - Radomyšl - Putim - Štěkno - Strakonice - Volyň - Dub - Vodňany - Protivín a zas Putim.
Literature
Swedennn flag
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sverige.jpg

The Swedish siege of Prague in 1648. This was the final battle of the Thirty Year War.

sverige.png

Průvodce po dějinách věku starého, středního a nového, 1891

Sweden is mentioned indirectly through the expression The Swedish Wars when the old shepherd in Švarcenberský ovčín recalls what happened to deserters in previous wars.

The country is referred to directly in the final passages of the novel, see Stockholm.

Background

Sweden was in 1914 as now a kingdom and the area was exactly the same as today. The country was neutral in both world wars. Contemporary Sweden is a parlamentary democracy with around 10.4 million inhabitants (2020).

The Swedish Wars

This term refers to the period from 1630 until 1635, the so-called Swedish phase of the Thirty Year War (1618-1648)[a]. In 1630 king Gustav Adolf II intervened on the continent as the Protestants of Germany seemed to be destined to defeat. Sweden was supported by France, the Netherlands, some German states, and initially also England.

The Swedes first landed in Pomerania before advancing south. Their allies from Saxony invaded Bohemia and occupied Prague 11 November 1631. In 1632 they were however defeated by Wallenstein and were forced to leave Bohemia. The peace agreement that ended the Swedish phase of the Thirty Year War was signed in Prague in 1635.

The Swedish army however remained in Central Europe and in 1648 they besieged Prague and looted Hradčany without managing to occupy Staré město and Nové město. When the final peace agreement was signed they abondoned the city.

The good Swedish soldier

Although Hašek never set his foot in Sweden, the country was a theme not only in The Good Soldier Švejk but also in some of his short stories. In a Švejk context the most relevant of these is titled Povídka o hodném švédském vojákovi (The story of the kind Swedish soldier) and already here Hašek introduced a theme we know well. It is about a duty-conscious soldier who with pleasure sacrifices himself for his monarch. The story was printed in the anarchist newspaper Nová Omladina on 30 January 1907[b].

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.2] „To myslíš,“ otázal se ovčák, „že to letos neskončí? A máš, hochu, pravdu! Byly už dlouhý vojny. Ta napolionská, potom, jak nám vypravovávali, švédský vojny, sedmiletý vojny. A lidi si ty vojny zasloužili.

Also written:Švédsko cz Schweden de Sverige sv

References
aK dějinám třicetileté války od r. 1621 do r. 1648Josef Thille1879
bPovídka o hodném švědském vojákoviNová OmladinaJaroslav Hašek30.1.1907
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Wikipedia czensv MapSearch Švejkův slovník
skocice.jpg

Skočice, 30.5.2010

skocicka.jpg
skocice.png

Ottův slovník naučný, 1905

Skočice is mentioned by the old shepherd in Švarcenberský ovčín when he tells a story about some Kořínek down in Skočice who has been arrested because of alleged sedition.

When the plot reaches Putim later in this chapter Skočice reapperas as the terrified old Pejzlerka, being interrogated by Wachtmeister Flanderka, twice bursts out: "Virgin Mary of Skočice!"

Background

Skočice is a village in South Bohemia, south of Písek, near Vodňany and Protivín. It has 242 inhabitants (2020). Švejk must have been very close to the village on the very morning he appeared in Putim for the second time.

Panna Maria Skočická

Pejlerka's exclamation refers to a portrait of the Virgin Mary from the 17th century that survived a fire unscathed, an event that was perceived as a miracle. This set in motion building of the pilgrimage church Navštívení Panny Marie. It was inaugurated on 21 August 1668[a].

Demography

According to the 1910 census Skočice had 469 inhabitants of which 466 (99 per cent) reported that they used Czech in their daily speech. The judicial district was okres Vodňany, administratively it reported to hejtmanství Písek.Skočice was served by a post/telegraph office, had a school but no police station.

Source:Seznam míst v království Českém(1913)

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Skočice were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 11 (Pisek) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 28 (Pisek).

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.2] „Na to se mu, hochu, teď každej vykašle,“ rozdrážděně promluvil ovčák, „máš bejt při tom, když se sejdou sousedi dole ve Skočicích. Každej tam má někoho, a to bys viděl, jak ti mluvějí. Po tejhle válce že prej bude svoboda, nebude ani panskejch dvorů, ani císařů a knížecí statky že se vodeberou. Už taky kvůli takovej jednej řeči vodvedli četníci nějakýho Kořínka, že prej jako pobuřuje. Jó, dneska mají právo četníci.“
[II.2] „Ježíšmarjá,“ vykřikla Pejzlerka, „panenko Maria Skočická!“
[II.2] Pejzlerka odpotácela se ke stolu za neustálého bědování: "Panenko Maria Skočická, že jsem sem kdy vkročila."
Literature
References
aSkočický poutní kostel Navštívení Panny MarieObec Skočice
Lánynn flag
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lany.jpg

Lány 1922

lany1.jpg

Masaryks letzte Tage, Karel Čapek, 1937

Lány is part of the anecdote about Rittmeister Rotter and his police dogs, which is told by the tramp who accompanied Švejk on parts of his anabasis.

A shorter version of the story has already appeared in [I.3] but there Lány is only indirectly mentioned through Lánské lesy.

Background

Lány is a town in the Kladno district west of Prague. It is best known as the burial place of the first Czechoslovak president, Professor Masaryk.

Demography

According to the 1910 census Lány had 1,386 inhabitants of which 1,381 (99 per cent) reported that they used Czech in their daily speech. The judicial district was okres Nové Strašecí, administratively it reported to hejtmanství Slány.

Source:Seznam míst v království Českém(1913)

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Lány were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 28 (Prag) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 8 (Prag).

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.2] Tak dal rozkaz, aby četnictvo po celým Kladencku sbíralo houževnatě vandráky a dodávalo je přímo do jeho rukouch. Já tak jednou štrekuju si to vod Lán a míhám se dost hluboko lesem, ale co platný, na tu hájovnu, kam jsem měl zamíříno, už jsem nedošel, už mě měli a vodváděli k panu rytmistrovi.
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kacak.png

Paměti okresu Unhošťského, František Melichar, 1890

Kačák is mentioned in the anecdote that the tramp at Švarcenberský ovčín tells about Rittmeister Rotter in Kladno and his police dogs.

Background

Kačák is a stream by Beroun, west of Prague, better known as Loděnice. It empties into Berounka. The colloquial name Kačák is derived from the name of the village Kačice[a].

The author knew the area well; he was visiting at the very moment the fatal shots in Sarajevo fell. On this trip he was accompanied by Josef Lada and they had started in Kladno where they visited none other than Rittmeister Rotter. It is therefore very likely that the tramp's anecdote draws inspiration from this trip.

Radko Pytlík - Toulavé house, kap. Sarajevo

Jaroslav Hašek v ten červnový den sotva tušil, jak se změní chod dějin a jak zasáhnou válečné události do života milionů. V den sarajevského atentátu byl s Josefem Ladou na výletě podél potoka Kačáku. Nejprve navštívili četnického rytmistra Rottra, proslulého cvičitele policejních psů, s nímž se Hašek seznámil v redakci Světa zvířat. Z Kladna se dali směrem k Nouzovu a k potoku Kačáku, pak po proudu potoka dolů. Jaroslav prý měl básnickou náladu, běhal po mezích a snažil se jmenovat všechny polní květiny, které natrhal. V Drahenicích si je podezřívavě prohlíželi, neboť budili dojem potulných šlejfířů.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.2] Vzal jsem to k údolí Kačáku do lesů, do jedný rokle, a za půl hodiny byli už dva ty vlčáci u mne, povalili mne, a zatímco jeden mne držel za krk, ten druhej běžel do Kladna, a za hodinu přišel sám pan rytmistr Rotter ke mně s četníky, zavolal na psa a dal mně pětikorunu a povolení, že můžu po celý dva dny na Kladencku žebrat.
References
aO jménech našich řekNaše řečVladimír Šmilauer1946
Berounskonn flag
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berounsko.jpg

Středními Čechami, Vilém Doubrava, 1906

Berounsko is mentioned in the anecdote that the tramp at Švarcenberský ovčín tells about Rittmeister Rotter in Kladno and his police dogs.

Background

Berounsko is the Czech name of the Beroun district west of Prague. See Kačák for more on the background of this anecdote.

Berounsko was probably a term that was synonymous with okres Beroun, a district of 36,022 inhabitants distributed across 42 local communities (1913)[a].

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.2] Ale kdepak já, běžel jsem, jako když mně hlavu zapálí, na Berounsko a víckrát jsem se na Kladencku neukázal. Tomu se vyhýbali všichni vandráci, poněvadž na všech dělal ten pan rytmistr svý pokusy.
References
aSeznam míst v království ČeskémC.k. místodržitelství1913
Lipnice nad Sázavounn flag
Wikipedia czdeenno MapSearch Švejkův slovník
lipnice2.jpg

Postcard from Z.M. Kuděj to Antonín Švečený, dated 22.6.1922. Signed also by Jaroslav Hašek.

© LA-PNP

lipnice.jpg

Postcard from Jaroslav Hašek to Marie Panušková, 26.9.1922 (page 6)

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Ottův slovník naučný, 1900

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Hašek's grave around 1960. With Richard Hašek (son) and Zdena Ančík (haškologist).

© LA-PNP

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Lidové noviny,4.1.1928

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Česká koruna, 6.5.2018

Lipnice nad Sázavou is mentioned 3 times in The Good Soldier Švejk.

Lipnice nad Sázavou is mentioned when the tramp in Švarcenberský ovčín tells the story about that time when he was begging in Lipnice and by accident knocked on the door of the police station. Her he received such a whack that he ended up down in Kejžlice.

Background

Lipnice nad Sázavou is small town in Vysočina with a history that goes back to the 14th century. It is situated 620 metres above sea level. The most prominent landmark is Hrad Lipnice (the castle). In 2020 the number of inhabitants was 654, only about half the number that lived here in 1910.

It was a prominent place in Jaroslav Hašek's life and writing because he moved to Lipnice on 25 August 1921 and lived here until he died 16 months later.

Most of The Good Soldier Švejk, probably from [II.2] onwards, was written here, including the lines that this very description refers to. The author had obviously already been inspired by Lipnice, and several anecdotes later in the book bear testimony to this. The neighbouring villages of Kejžlice, Okrouhlice and Jedouchov are eventually all mentioned, and so is the district town Německý Brod.

It is also likely that Lipnice inspired Hašek to involve jew Herrman in the story. Herrman was actually born at Lipnice and surely some of his relatives lived there when the novel was written.

Česká koruna

Hašek lived at the inn of Alexandr Invald (U české koruny) until the autumn of 1922 when he moved into house no. 185 around the corner that he had bought in the spring. After a hand injury he stopped writing himself and dictated to the young Kliment Štěpánek who was later to provide vital accounts on the last months of Hašek's life and also how he lived and worked[a]. Hašek didn't only work on The Good Soldier Švejk at Lipnice, in between he had some short stories printed. In 1922 one of them was published in the book Mírová konference a jiné humoresky (The peace conference and other humorous stories). The story is called Průvodčí cizinců (Guide for foreigners) and Hrad Lipnice is the setting[c].

Jaroslav Hašek died from heart failure in the morning of 3 January 1923 but had long been suffering from underlying health problems. He is buried at the old cemetery in Lipnice.

Traditions kept alive

Since the year 2000 U České Koruny, the inn where Hašek lived during his first year at Lipnice, has been owned and managed by his descendants[b]. In the house where he died there is now a museum dedicated to the author, one of only two Hašek museums in the world (the other one is in Bugulma in Russia). Lipnice also has a bust and a statue of the author. Since 2003 there have been arranged international Hašek conferences every five years.

Demography

According to the 1910 census Lipnice nad Sázavou had 1,353 inhabitants of which 1,342 (99 per cent) reported that they used Czech in their daily speech. The judicial district was okres Německý Brod, administratively it reported to hejtmanství Německý Brod.Lipnice had a post office, a brewery, k.k. Gendarmerie station and hosted its own parish.

Source:Seznam míst v království Českém(1913)

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Lipnice nad Sázavou were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 21 (Časlau) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 12 (Časlau).

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.2] A zatímco ovčák cedil brambory a nalíval do mísy kyselé ovčí mléko, dělil se dál vandrák se svými vzpomínkami na četnické právo: „V Lipnici bejval jeden strážmistr dole pod hradem. Bydlel přímo na četnické stanici a já, dobrák stará, pořád jsem byl všude v tý domněnce, že četnická stanice musí být přece někde na vystrčeným místě, jako na náměstí nebo podobně, a ne někde v zastrčenej uličce.
Literature
References
aJaroslav Hašek na LipniciLidové novinyKliment Štěpánek20.12.1927
bPenzion a hostinec U České korunyHašektour s.r.o
cMírová konference a jiné humoreskyJaroslav Hašek1922
Kejžlicenn flag
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kejzlice.jpg
kejzlice.png

Ottův slovník naučný, 1900

Kejžlice appears when the tramp in Švarcenberský ovčín tells the story about when he was begging in Lipnice and he accidentally knocked on the door of the gendarmerie station. He got such a whack that he didn't stop until he got down to Kejžlice.

Background

Kejžlice (previously also Kyžlice) is a village in the Vysočina region, 4 km from Lipnice in the direction of Humpolec. The number of inhabitants is 416 (2020).

Demography

According to the 1910 census Kejžlice had 730 inhabitants of which 730 (100 per cent) reported that they used Czech in their daily speech. The judicial district was okres Humpolec, administratively it reported to hejtmanství Německý Brod.

Source:Seznam míst v království Českém(1913)

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Kejžlice were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 21 (Časlau) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 12 (Časlau).

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.2] A nežli jsem moh něco bleptnout, přiskočil ke mně vachmajstr a dal mně takovou facku v těch dveřích, že jsem po těch dřevěnejch schodech letěl až dolů a nezastavil jsem se až v Kejžlicích. To je četnický právo.“
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Zlatá stezka, 2.1929

vodnany.png

Ottův slovník naučný, 1906

Vodňany is mentioned in passing in the plot as Švejk avoids the town on his wandering from Švarcenberský ovčín to Putim.

A little bit earlier the town is mentioned by the tramp that Švejk met by Štěkno. He told the soldier that he could sell his uniform to the jew Herrman in Vodňany. The old shepherd at Švarcenberský ovčín then relates about his grandfather who was baudly mauled in Vodňany after having been caught as a deserter.

Vodňany had already been mentioned in an anecdote by Švejk in [I.1]. It was the home town of a pigs gelderer who was hanged in Písek and uttered the most unkind words about the Emperor when this happened. This is at the end of one of the stories Švejk told detective Bretschneider at U kalicha and must have contributed to his arrest.

In [I.14] the town is mentioned again when Švejk chats to the maid of Oberst Kraus. He tries to gather information about the habits of the dog of her master's dog Fox, and asks where she's from.

Background

Vodňany is a town in the Strakonice district in South Bohemia. It is located 28 km north west of Budějovice. In 2020 the town had 7028 inhabitants.

Demography

According to the 1910 census Vodňany had 4,602 inhabitants of which 4,588 (99 per cent) reported that they used Czech in their daily speech. The judicial district was okres Vodňany, administratively it reported to hejtmanství Písek.

Source:Seznam míst v království Českém(1913)

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Vodňany were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 11 (Pisek) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 28 (Pisek).

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.1] Pak si vzala nunváře z Vodňan, a ten ji jednou v noci klepl sekerou a šel se dobrovolně udat. Když ho potom u krajského soudu v Písku věšeli, ukousl knězi nos a řekl že vůbec ničeho nelituje, a také řekl ještě něco hodně ošklivého o císařovi pánovi.“
[I.14.6] „Já jsem teprve nedávno do Prahy přeloženej,“ řekl Švejk, „já nejsem zdejší, já jsem z venkova. Vy taky nejste z Prahy?“ „Já jsem z Vodňan.“ „Tak jsme nedaleko od sebe“ odpověděl Švejk, „já jsem z Protivína.“
[II.2] Potřebuješ kalhoty a kabát. Až budeme mít ten civil, tak kalhoty a kabát prodáme židovi Herrmanovi ve Vodňanech.
[II.2] Ale dopadli ho ve Vodňanech a tak mu rozsekali prdel, že z ní cáry lítaly.
[II.2] Poněvadž napravo, když sestoupil s lesů, bylo vidět nějaké město, zabočil Švejk severněji, pak na jih, kde opět bylo vidět nějaké město. (Byly to Vodňany.) Vyhnul se mu obratně cestou přes luka a ranní slunce uvítalo ho v zasněžených stráních nad Protivínem.
[II.2] V tom předvzpourovém dusnu přijeli rekruti z Vodňan s karafiáty z černého organtýnu.

Also written:Wodnian de

Literature
Protivínnn flag
Wikipedia czdeen MapSearch Švejkův slovník
protivin.jpg

Zlatá stezka,10.1928

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Hašek's mother was born in Protivín

Lidský profil Jaroslava Haška, Václav Menger, 1946

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Ottův slovník naučný,1903

Protivín is mentioned 10 times in The Good Soldier Švejk.

Protivín is mentioned in passing as Švejk avoids the town on his wandering from Švarcenberský ovčín to Putim. It had already been mentioned in a conversation just before.

The town had already been mentioned in the conversation between Švejk and the housemaid of Oberst Kraus in chapter [I.14].

Background

Protivín is a town in okres Písek with 4808 inhabitants (2020), situated by the river Blanice. The town is best known for its castle and also has a well known brewery that at the time of Švejk belonged to the Schwarzenberg estate. See Fürst Schwarzenberg (st.).

Hašek and Protivín

Protivín was surely a place Hašek knew well as his mother Kateřina (1849-1911) was born in Protivín No. 158[a]. Young Jaroslav visited the area with his mother during the summer holidays of 1897 and probably also before that[b].

Demography

According to the 1910 census Protivín had 3,342 inhabitants of which 3,299 (98 per cent) reported that they used Czech in their daily speech. The judicial district was okres Vodňany, administratively it reported to hejtmanství Písek.Protivín was served by a post and telegraph office, railway station and also a police station.

Source:Seznam míst v království Českém(1913)

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Protivín were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 11 (Pisek) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 28 (Pisek).

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.14.6] „Já jsem teprve nedávno do Prahy přeloženej,“ řekl Švejk, „já nejsem zdejší, já jsem z venkova. Vy taky nejste z Prahy?“ „Já jsem z Vodňan.“ „Tak jsme nedaleko od sebe“ odpověděl Švejk, „já jsem z Protivína.“
[II.2] Z Ražic za Protivínem syn Jarešův, dědeček starýho Jareše, baštýře, dostal za zběhnutí prach a volovo v Písku.
[II.2] Poněvadž napravo, když sestoupil s lesů, bylo vidět nějaké město, zabočil Švejk severněji, pak na jih, kde opět bylo vidět nějaké město. (Byly to Vodňany.) Vyhnul se mu obratně cestou přes luka a ranní slunce uvítalo ho v zasněžených stráních nad Protivínem.
[II.2] A nešťastnou náhodou místo od Protivína na jih na Budějovice Švejkovy kroky zaměřily k severu na Písek.
[II.2] Tak se podívejte, vojáku. Od nás na jih je Protivína. Od Protivína na jih je Hluboká a od ní jižně jsou České Budějovice. Tak vidíte, že jdete ne do Budějovic, ale z Budějovic.“

Sources: Miroslav Vítek

Literature
References
aJaroslav Hašek domaVáclav Menger1935
bOsudy dobrého člověka Jaroslava Haška, 1897Jaroslav Šerák
Putimnn flag
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putim.jpg

Putim, 12.7.2020

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Švejk, 11.7.2020

putim.png

Ottův slovník naučný,1903

Putim is mentioned 23 times in The Good Soldier Švejk.

Putim plays an important role in the novel and Švejk's stay here is amongst the most famous passages in the novel. Immediately after realising that he has arrived in Putim again (he slept in a haystack nearby earlier on his anabasis), he is pulled in by Wachtmeister Flanderka who immediately starts spinning a theory that Švejk is a Russian spy. He becomes increasingly convinced as the hours passes and the alcohol intake increases.

Švejk spent just one night in Putim and almost exclusively at Gendarmeriestation Putim. The day after his arrival he was led to Písek in a snowstorm. On the way his police escort managed to get insanely drunk in a roadside tavern.

Background

Putim is a village just south of Písek with 455 inhabitants (2006). It's major claim to fame outside the area is actually Švejk. A large part of Karel Steklý's Švejk-film was shot in the village in 1957. On 23 August 2014 the first ever statue of the good soldier on Czech soil was unveiled in Putim.

Fact and fiction

Whereas large parts of The Good Soldier Švejk patently draw inspiration from Jaroslav Hašek's own experiences, it is difficult to find such connections in Putim or indeed in any part of Švejk's anabasis. The locations is Putim are fictitious; no k.k. Gendarmerie station existed, nor was there any pub called Na Kocourku here. No Wachtmeister Flanderka, Pejzlerka or Wachtmeister Bürger are found in the census from 1900 or 1910[a], nor in the address book from 1915.

This does however not rule out that part of plot from Putim and the anabasis mirrors some real incident. František Skřivánek wrote that Hašek undertook an "excursion" to the area around Zliv where he met a gendarm who Hašek distracted by telling him some story and in the end the two drank together at U ruského cára in České Vrbne. Others claim that Hašek slept over at a sheep farm by Netolice and that he even reached Radomyšl.

Demography

According to the 1910 census Putim had 766 inhabitants of which 766 (100 per cent) reported that they used Czech in their daily speech. The judicial district was okres Písek, administratively it reported to hejtmanství Písek.Putim was served by a parish, a school and a railway station, post and telegraph in Písek. The k.k. Gendarmerie station is however Hašek's literary creation. The nearest police presence was in Písek.

Source:Seznam míst v království Českém(1913)

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Putim were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 11 (Pisek) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 28 (Pisek).

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.2] K polednímu uviděl Švejk před sebou nějakou vesnici. Sestupuje s malého návrší, pomyslil si Švejk: „Takhle dál už to nejde, zeptám se, kudy se jde do těch Budějovic.“ A vcházeje do vesnice byl velice překvapen, vida označení vesnice na sloupu u prvního domku: „Obec Putim“. „Pro Krista pána,“ vzdychl Švejk, „tak jsem zas v Putimi, kde jsem spal ve stohu.“ Pak ale už nebyl vůbec ničím překvapen, když za rybníčkem z bíle natřeného domku, na kterém visela slepice (jak někde říkali orlíčku), vystoupil četník, jako pavouk, když hlídá pavučinu. Četník šel přímo k Švejkovi a neřekl nic víc než: „Kampak?“ „Do Budějovic k svýmu regimentu.“ Četník se sarkasticky usmál: „Vy jdete přece od Budějovic. Máte ty vaše Budějovice už za sebou,“ a vtáhl Švejka do četnické stanice. Putimský četnický strážmistr byl znám po celém okolí, že jedná velice taktně a přitom bystře. Nikdy zadrženým nebo zatčeným nenadával, ale podroboval je takovému křížovému výslechu, že by se i nevinný přiznal.

Sources: Miroslav Vítek, Václav Pixa

Literature
References
aSčitání lidu PutimSOkA Písek1910
Bohemiann flag
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Erbenova mapa Čech z roku 1883

Bohemia is mentioned by the Wachtmeister Flanderka when he shows Švejk a map of Bohemia and explains how completely off track he is. Later he asks the "Russian spy" in a friendly tones if he likes it here in Bohemia.

Background

Bohemia (Čechy) is a historical region, and the term is still used as a geographical description of the western two thirds of Czechia. During Austria-Hungary it was also a political and adminitrative entity. See Kingdom of Bohemia.

The name Bohemia existed already in ancient times as latin Bohemia, named after the Celtic tribe Boii. Prague was always the most important city in Bohemia. The name has also given rise to the wide-spread term bohemian.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.2] „Pak jste si ovšem spletl cestu,“ usměvavě řekl strážmistr, „poněvadž vy jdete od Českých Budějovic. O čemž vás mohu přesvědčit. Nad vámi visí mapa Čech. Tak se podívejte, vojáku. Od nás na jih je Protivín. Od Protivína na jih je Hluboká a od ní jižně jsou České Budějovice. Tak vidíte, že jdete ne do Budějovic, ale z Budějovic.“
[II.2] Zadíval se přitom do dobrácké tváře Švejkovy a zaklepal mu náhle v záchvatu dobromyslnosti na rameno, naklonil se k němu a optal se ho otcovským tónem: „Nu, a jak se vám v Čechách líbí?“
[II.2] „Mně se všude v Čechách líbí,“ odpověděl Švejk, „na svej cestě našel jsem všude velice dobrý lidi.“
[II.2] Tato nová situace umožnila ruským vyzvědačům, při pohyblivosti fronty, vniknutí hlouběji do území našeho mocnářství, zejména do Slezska i Moravy, odkud dle důvěrných zpráv velké množství ruských vyzvědačů odebralo se do Čech.

Also written:Čechy cz Böhmen de Bohemia la Böhmen no

Literature
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Národnostní složení Rakouského Slezska a přilehlé části Pruského Slezska v roce 1912.

teschen.jpg

Teschen/Cieszyn/Těšín

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Ottův slovník naučný, 1905

Silesia is mentioned in a report that Wachtmeister Flanderka receives about now Czech speaking Russian spies flood into the monarchy. It was sent to all k.k. Gendarmerie stations in Bohemia by Landesgendarmeriekommando Prag.

Background

Silesia is an area which in 1914 was divided between Germany and Austria-Hungary. Today most of the region is contained within Poland, with a minor parts belonging to Czechia and Germany.

In The Good Soldier Švejk it is explicitly a question of Austrian Silesia, a duchy and former Czech crownland that came under Habsburg rule in 1763. The capital was Troppau (Opava) with other notable cities being Bielitz (Bielsko), Jägerndorf (Krnov) and Teschen (Cieszyn/Český Těšín). Germans were the largest ethnic group followed by Poles and Czechs. The crown land was geopgrahically split in two, separated by a piece of land by Ostrava.

With regards to military recruitment Silesia consisted of two districts. K.u.k. Heer Infanterieregiment Nr. 1 recruited from Troppau whereas Infanterieregiment Nr. 100 recruited from Teschen. Both reported to Korpsbereich Nr. 1 (Krakau).

The former Austrian Silesia today mainly belongs to Czechia with a smaller part to the east being in Poland.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.2] Tato nová situace umožnila ruským vyzvědačům, při pohyblivosti fronty, vniknutí hlouběji do území našeho mocnářství, zejména do Slezska i Moravy, odkud dle důvěrných zpráv velké množství ruských vyzvědačů odebralo se do Čech.

Also written:Slezsko cz Schlesien de Śląsk pl

Literature
Blatann flag
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Veselí nad Lužnicí, 2011

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Ottův slovník naučný, 1891

blata1.png

Stráž, 27.4.1902

Blata was an area where Wachtmeister Flanderka gave up looking for informers because people there were particularly stubborn.

Background

Blata (also Blatsko) is a vaguely defined area, the flat stretch of land from Veselí nad Lužnicí and Soběslav, westwards towards Tyn nad Vltavou and Bechyně, south-west towards Hluboká and Netolice and east towards Třeboň.

The area was previously known for its peasant rebellions, and particularly one led by Jakub Kubata in the 16th century. He was eventually executed. The rebellion took place in the so-called Zbudovská blata, the southern area near Hluboká. This is also a part of Blata that Hašek knew well (his father was from Mydlovary) so it is most likely this region the author had in mind when he wrote this passage of The Good Soldier Švejk.

Blata is famed for its specific culture, its rich traditions, and not the least by its many rybníky (man-made fish ponds). It has never been an official administrative entity and is today described as an "ethnographic sub-region".

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.2] Nejvíce mu dala starostí instrukce, jak získati z místního obyvatelstva placené donášeče a informátory, nakonec, poněvadž uznal za nemožné, aby to mohl být někdo z místa, kde začínají Blata a kde je ten lid taková tvrdá palice, připadl na myšlenku vzít na tu službu obecního pasáka, kterému říkali „Pepku, vyskoč!“ Byl to kretén, který vždy na tuto výzvu vyskočil.
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Přerov 1920

prerov.png

Ottův slovník naučný, 1903

Přerov is mentioned when it is revealed what was said during the drinking binge at the gendarmerie station in Putin. The Russian commander in chief Nicholas Nikolaevich would next week be in Přerov, Wachtmeister Flanderka is reported to have said.

Background

Přerov is a city and an important railway junction in the Olomouc district of Moravia. Today (2018) it has around 45,000 inhabitants.

It was the seat of okres and hejtmanství of the same name. In 1900 the city had around 21,000 inhabitants of which the vast majority reported Czech as their mother language. Already then Přerov was an industrial city and established as a railway junction.

Hašek and Přerov

It can not be established whether Jaroslav Hašek ever visited the city, but he must at least have travelled through it on his way back from Kraków and Frydek-Mistek in August 1903. He may also have stopped over on his travels to and from Slovakia in 1900 and 1901. In 1909 his future wife Jarmila Mayerová stayed with her sister here, but there is no record of Hašek himself having visited. Still he received som letters from Jarmila during her stay here.

As a curiosity on the side: IR. 91 passed Přerov on 17 November 1915[a], on their way from the Russian front to the front against Italy by the river Isonzo. Needless to say they travelled without the author of The Good Soldier Švejk who had been a prisoner of war in Russia for almost two months.

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Přerov were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 54 (Olmütz) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 13 (Olmütz).

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.2] Nakláněje se k uchu strážmistra, šeptal: „Že jsme všichni Češi a Rusové jedna slovanská krev, že Nikolaj Nikolajevič bude příští týden v Přerově, že se Rakousko neudrží,
Literature
References
aPrvní světová válka v denících feldkuráta P. Jana Evangelisty Eyblaed. Miloš Garkisch2015
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kobylisy.png

Ottův slovník naučný, 1899

Kobylisy was the place butcher Chaura hailed from, mentioned in an anecdote.

Background

Kobylisy is an area in the northern part of Prague, until 1922 still not part of the capital. It was here that the operation to assassinate Heydrich in 1942 started. The Kobylisy metro station was opened in 2004.

Demography

According to the 1910 census Kobylisy had 3,199 inhabitants of which 3,180 (99 per cent) reported that they used Czech in their daily speech. The judicial district was okres Karlín, administratively it reported to hejtmanství Karlín.

Source:Seznam míst v království Českém(1913)

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Kobylisy were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 28 (Prag) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 8 (Prag). The town had a military presence, the 25 employed by the army not were no doubt associated with the shooting range.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.2] „To byl bych si nikdy nemyslil,“ vykládal Švejk, „že taková cesta do Budějovic je spojena s takovejma vobtížema. To mně připadá jako ten případ s řezníkem Chaurou z Kobylis. Ten se jednou v noci dostal na Moráň k Palackýho pomníku a chodil až do rána kolem dokola, poněvadž mu to připadalo, že ta zeď nemá konce.
Literature
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Moráň was where butcher Chaura, mentioned in a story, walked round the monument of Palacký a whole night.

Background

Moráň is a small area of Prague between Karolovo náměstí and Vltava. The Palacký monument is located by the river, at Palackého náměstí. It was unveiled in 1 July 1912[a] in a grand ceremony.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.2] „To byl bych si nikdy nemyslil,“ vykládal Švejk, „že taková cesta do Budějovic je spojena s takovejma vobtížema. To mně připadá jako ten případ s řezníkem Chaurou z Kobylis. Ten se jednou v noci dostal na Moráň k Palackýho pomníku a chodil až do rána kolem dokola, poněvadž mu to připadalo, že ta zeď nemá konce.
References
aSlavnost odhalení pomníku PalackéhoNárodní listy1.7.1912
Písecký okresnn flag
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Okresní hejtmanství around 1904.

Písecký okres is mentioned by the author when he explains where Infanterieregiment Nr. 11 was recruited from.

Background

Písecký okres almost certain refers to hejtmanství Písek, a political district that contained the towns Mirotice, Mirovice, Vodňany, Bavorov and Protivín. Several smaller places known from The Good Soldier Švejk were within the district: Putim, Ražice, Skočice, Krč, Vráž and Čížová. In 1910 the population numbered 79096 of which only 289 reported German as their mother tongue.

As Hašek correctly pointed out the district provided soldiers for Infanterieregiment Nr. 11.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.2] 28. regiment, 11. regiment. V tom posledním vojáci z píseckého kraje a okresu.
[II.2] V příloze předvádí se Josef Švejk, dle dotyčného tvrzení býti pěšákem téhož pluku, zadržený na základě svého vyjádření v Putimi, okres Písek, četnickou stanicí, podezřelý ze zběhnutí.

Also written:Písek region en Bezirk Pisek de

Literature
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pisek.jpg

Písek, Otava, 27.8.2009

pisekmost.jpg

August Sedláček, 1911

piseknam.jpg

Velké náměstí 1912

pisekotto.png

Ottův slovník naučný, 1902

Písek is mentioned 26 times in The Good Soldier Švejk.

Písek is the centre of the action when the drunk gendarme from Putim appears at Bezirksgendarmeriekommando Pisek with Švejk in hand-cuffs. This is the end of Švejk's famous anabasis but he is also cleared of the suspicion of being a Russian spy. The next morning he is sent to Budějovice to join his regiment.

Písek had by then already been mentioned several times during the interrogation at Gendarmeriestation Putim. Švejk informed Wachtmeister Flanderka that he had taken part in the Kaisermanövern (Imperial manoeuvres) in the area in 1910.

Písek was mentioned already in [I.1], in the anecdote about the pig gelderer from Vodňany.

Background

Písek is a city in South Bohemia with around 30,000 inhabitants. The town was severely hit by the floods in 2002. The oldest bridge in Czechia crosses the river Otava here. Písek is also an important centre for education.

In The Good Soldier Švejk several institutions and places in the city are mentioned: Krajský soud Písek, Okresní soud Písek, Bezirksgendarmeriekommando Pisek, Písecké nádraží and also the house regiment Infanterieregiment Nr. 11. Associated with the city is also Rittmeister Rotter, he served here from 1910 until at least 1916.

Imperial manoeuvres

Kaisermanövern were annual large-scale military exercises where the emperor usually was present, joined by additional members of the upper echelons of society. It also happened that foreign heads of state were invited. The manoevres included various branches of the armed forces and almost always took place in September. They usually stretched over four days.

In The Good Soldier Švejk at least three of the manoeuvres are mentioned and Švejk took part in all of them. These are, in the order they appear in the novel: Písek in 1910, Veszprém and Velké Meziříčí. In addition, the author mentions an large exercise by Sopron in 1908 but historical circumstances dictate that these were the same as those by Veszprém. Despite what Švejk told Wachtmeister Flanderka: there were no imperial exercises by Písek in 1910, instead they were arranged in South Bohemia, including the Písek region, in 1905 and 1913. The 1910 Imperial exercises were actually planned for Upper Hungary (Slovakia) but were cancelled due to a regional outbreak of a horse disease.

South Bohemia did however in 1910 host the manoeuvres of 8. Korps, centred around Týn nad Vltavou but activities also took place around Písek. In these the 4th battalion of Infanterieregiment Nr. 91 participated so Švejk could hypothetically have been there.

Demography

According to the 1910 census Písek had 15,499 inhabitants of which 15,191 (98 per cent) reported that they used Czech in their daily speech. The judicial district was okres Písek, administratively it reported to hejtmanství Písek.

Source:Seznam míst v království Českém(1913)

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Písek were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 11 (Pisek) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 28 (Pisek). Písek hosted a large garrison, 980 of the inhabitants were employed by the army. The barracks of k.k. Landwehr and k.u.k. Heer were located next to each other in the Prague suburb west of the river Otava.

Kaisermanövern 1905-1913

Jahr Datum Bereich Bemerkung
1905 3.9 - 7.9 Südböhmen Štěkeň
1906 4.9 - 7.9 Schlesien Teschen
1907 2.9 - 7.9 Kärnten Klagenfurt
1908 14.9 - 18.9 West-Ungarn Veszprém
1909 8.9 - 11.9 Mähren Groß Meseritsch
1910 12.9 - 16.9 (abgesagt) Oberungarn, Komitat Zemplen Stropko, Felsövizköz
1911 12.9 - 15.9 Oberungarn und West-Galizien, Karpathen Bartfa, Felsövizköz
1912 9.9 - 11.9 Südungarn Mezöhegyes
1913 15.9 - 17.9 Südböhmen Chotowin

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.1] Pak si vzala nunváře z Vodňan, a ten ji jednou v noci klepl sekerou a šel se dobrovolně udat. Když ho potom u krajského soudu v Písku věšeli, ukousl knězi nos a řekl že vůbec ničeho nelituje, a také řekl ještě něco hodně ošklivého o císařovi pánovi.“
[II.2] A to moh ještě mluvit o štěstí. Z Ražic za Protivínem syn Jarešův, dědeček starýho Jareše, baštýře, dostal za zběhnutí prach a volovo v Písku.
[II.2] Závodčího zmocnila se naprostá deprese, a když po hrozném utrpení pozdě večer dorazili do Písku k četnickému velitelství, na schodech řekl úplně zdrceně závodčí Švejkovi: „Teď to bude hrozné. My od sebe nemůžem.“
Literature
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otava.jpg

Otava in Písek, 1915.

Otava is briefly mentioned as guardsman Wachtmeister Matějka impatiently waits to get away from the police station in Písek for a game of "Schnaps" somewhere down by the Otava.

Background

Otava is a 112 km long river that flows from Šumava through Sušice, Horažďovice, Strakonice, and Písek and joins the Vltava by Zvíkov.

Otava is also the name of a local hotel and could in theory be the place the author had in mind. This assumption is however contradicted by the fact that the hotel is located on the other side of the river from the police station (and even uphill), whereas the author explicitly says "down by the Otava". Moreover, Hašek usually put the names of specific establishment in quotes, which is not the case here.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.2] Rytmistr studoval „bericht“ četnického strážmistra z Putimě o Švejkovi. Před ním stál jeho četnický strážmistr Matějka a myslel si, aby mu rytmistr vlezl na záda i se všemi berichty, poněvadž dole u Otavy čekají na něho s partií „šnopsa“.

Also written:Wottawa de

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Světozor,16.11.1906

Budějovice is mentioned 109 times in The Good Soldier Švejk.

Budějovice (also České Budějovice) plays a prominent role in the chapter Švejkova budějovická anabase [II.2] because parts of the plot take place in the city and the rest of the chapter is about Švejk's attempts to get there. Švejk's stay in the city lasted for only three days and he never saw more than the road from the barracks to the station. This is however compensated by the author who lets his alter ego Einjährigfreiwilliger Marek provide a colourful account of life in the garrison.

Infanterieregiment Nr. 91, the unit in which Oberleutnant Lukáš and Švejk served, was located in the city, in Mariánská kasárna. The narrator also lets part of the plot take place during an officer's party in a hotel, making light of the debauchery and moral corruption in the army. This is where staple characters like Oberst Schröder, Major Wenzl, and Hauptmann Ságner enter the plot (they have already been introduced by Marek). Budějovice is the place that is most frequently named in The Good Soldier Švejk and it is also the final geographical reference in the novel.

The city was introduced already in [I.1], in one of the stories Švejk tells detective Bretschneider at U kalicha. Several more anecdotes confirm that Švejk did his military service in Budějovice.

Background

Budějovice (Budweis) was until 1920 the name of České Budějovice, the largest city in South Bohemia. In 1913 the number of inhabitants was 44,538 of which roughly 63 per cent reported Czech as their everyday language. Amongst Czechs, the city was mostly called České Budějovice even under Austrian rule. The city was part of Okresní hejtmanství Budějovice and belonged to the okres carrying its name.

In 2019 the city had slightly more than 94,000 inhabitants and is now as then the administrative and commercial centre of the region. It is also a popular tourist destination, offering a well preserved old town. It is situated 381 metres above sea level at the confluence of the rivers Malše and Vltava.

The garrison
budweis1911.png

City map from 1911 with barracks indicated

When World War I broke out the city had a notable military presence, reflected in the number of people working for the armed forces. In 1913 they totalled 2205, making up five per cent of the population. The garrison in Budějovice provided five barracks where two were used by k.u.k. Heer, one by k.k. Landwehr, one by the field artillery, and one vacated.

In addition, new barracks were in 1915 built at Čtyři dvory, next to the already existing exercise ground (3 km west of the city centre). k.k. Landwehr was in 1913 moved to a new building in the southern part of the city, their former barracks were during the war turned into a reserve hospital. All the barracks were owned by the city council, who in turn leased them to the armed forces.

The garrison also hosted Platzkommando, a prison, a hospital, and a military court.

BarracksUsed by
AArcivévoda VilémField artillery (FKR. 24)
BMariánskáInfantry (IR. 91)
CStará zeměbraneckák.k. Landwehr (until 1913)
DCísař František Josef I.Infantry (IR. 88)
EArcivévoda RainerLandwehr (LIR. 29)
The letters in the first column refer to the map ➔
ergbudweis.png

91. Ergänzungsbezirk

The city's two Hausregimente[1] were IR. 91 and k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 29. The regiment's numbering reflected their respective Ergänzungsbezirke[2] with the associated Ergänzungsbezirkskommando and Ersatzbataillon[3]. In addition Feldkanonenregiment Nr. 24 and parts of Infanterieregiment Nr. 88 (Beroun) were garrisoned in the city (staff and two battalions). The command of 38. Infanteriebrigade was also located here, although their operative units were garrisoned elsewhere.

Infanterieregiment Nr. 91
ir91e.jpg

The regiment's orchestra before departure to the front, 1.8.1914. The railway station in the background.

Jednadevadesátníci, Jan Ciglbauer, 2018

The theme of these pages is the novel The Good Soldier Švejk so further discussions will reduce the scope to IR. 91 only. It was in this regiment Jaroslav Hašek served in 1915, and by projecting his own experiences into his famous novel, he unwittingly made the regiment the best-known unit in the entire k.u.k. Heer. The author's association with the regiment is also the reason why Budějovice is the geographical entity that is most frequently mentioned in the novel, more than one hundred times!

At the outbreak of war 4th battalion and Ersatzbataillon IR. 91 were housed in Mariánská kasárna. During mobilisation at the end of July 1914, regimental staff, 2nd and 3rd field battalion arrived from Prague but already by 1 August 1914 they had departed for the front by the Drina, together with the 4th battalion[4]. The only part of the regiment that remained in Budějovice was thus the replacement battalion.

ir91abmarsch.png

News about the transfer of the reserve battalion (EB91). Note that the local press used the term "regiment" also when referring to EB91.

Deutsche Böhmerwaldzeitung,4.6.1915

Throughout The Good Soldier Švejk the term "regiment" is used even when the replacement battalion is obviously meant. This is in spite of the fact that the field regiment (the four field battalions etc.) during the war always were fighting at the front. The first two lines of [II.3] serves as a good example when the author states that "the 91st regiment was transferred to Bruck an der Leitha-Királyhida".

The author's use of the term “regiment” may thus appear misleading, but a person who lived at the time would, from the context, know that the subject was the reserve battalion and not the field regiment. Readers knew that Bruck was nowhere near the front and that the reference could NOT be to the regiment in the field. For the modern reader is easy to conclude that Jaroslav Hašek "was wrong", but he actually adhered to the terminology that was common at the time. In 1915 the newspapers in Budějovice used exactly the same words as the author of The Good Soldier Švejk when they reported that the Ersatzbataillon IR. 91 had been transferred to Királyhida.

The reserve battalion
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© VHA

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Mariánská kasárna (Marienkaserne), the home of IR. 91 until 1 June 1915.

Geschichte des ehemaligen Schützenregimentes Nr. 6, 1932

As mentioned earlier the reserve battalion of IR. 91 (further Ersatzbataillon IR. 91) was permanently garrisoned in Budějovice. After the outbreak of war, it grew rapidly as it was responsible for training the reservists who were drafted in increasing numbers.

Apart from ordinary recruits, the one-year volunteers were also trained here. After a course at the regiment’s reserve officer school, they became junior officers. The school was located at the top floor of Mariánská kasárna and this is also where the aspiring cadets lived.

Military training mostly took place at the exercise grounds west of the city, at Čtyři Dvory (Vierhöf) and the nearby shooting range in Borský les (Haiderwald). It also appears that some units were garrisoned and trained in Suché Vrbny (Dirnfellern), east of the railway station.

Commander of Ersatzbataillon IR. 91 at the outbreak of war was Oberstleutnant Johann Splichal. He was very soon ordered to the front in Serbia and was on 25 August 1914 succeeded by the pensioned Oberst Karl Schlager who also oversaw the transfer to Bruck in June 1915. He was in turn replaced by Major Benedikt Pallweber on 26 July 1915. The last commander of the reserve battalion was Major Gustav Jausen.

From January to March 1915 Hauptmann Josef Adamička was head of the reserve officer's school but we don't know who succeeded him. Commander of I. Ersatzkompanie was from 28 February 1915 Oberleutnant Čeněk Sagner. Schlager himself commanded II. Ersatzkompanie, and Hauptmann Rudolf Skara III. Ersatzkompanie. Who were in charge of the other companies is not known (nor do we know the total number of replacement companies - there were at least 4).

Relocation of replacement battalions
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[Free translation] In order to remove those on Landsturm duty [conscripted reservists] who hailed from nationally unreliable areas from the destructive influences of their environment, extensive relocation of replacement units in the hinterland was initiated during the first months of 1915.

Geschichte des ehemaligen Schützenregimentes Nr. 6, 1932

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IR. 91 transferred to Bruck (sensored).

Jihočeské listy,2.6.1915

During the late spring of 1915, the garrison in Budějovice witnessed a major upheaval. When the war started the Czechs were reportedly just as enthusiastic as other nations in Austria-Hungary, but this was soon to change. By the end of 1914, it became clear that the war would not end soon. The professional core of the army who were largely loyal to the monarchy had been badly decimated and were replaced by far less enthusiastic reserves. Shortages and price hikes started to take their toll, and discontent surfaced amongst the civilian population. As further reserves were drafted there were incidents and signs of disloyalty, particular when soldiers left for the front. Armeeoberkommando decided to act by transferring Czech replacement battalions to areas populated by other nationalities. The idea was to prevent “contamination” from disloyal Czech civilians.

The first such transfer took place in January 1915 when the reserve battalion of Prague's house regiment Infanterieregiment Nr. 28 was transferred to Szeged and replaced by Hungarians[5]. During the spring more units from Bohemia followed, including those of k.k. Landwehr. In Budějovice both house regiments were affected. The replacement battalion of k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 29 was on 19 May 1915 swapped with k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 6, an almost completely German regiment from Eger (now Cheb). On 1 June 1915, it was the turn of Ersatzbataillon IR. 91 as they were moved to Királyhida in two separate stages. Eight days later the Hungarian Infanterieregiment Nr. 101 from the recruitment district Békéscsaba replaced them in the by now vacated Mariánská kasárna. As we know the transfer of the replacement battalion to Királyhida has a central part in chapter [II.3] of The Good Soldier Švejk.

The news about the imminent transfer of the Kader was not welcomed by soldiers at the front and according to Inft. Reg. 91 Galizien... the vast majority were disappointed when they were told on 23 May 1915. It would now be much more difficult for the soldiers to visit their loved ones when being away from the front. The only exceptions to the general disappointment were the few of the regiment's soldiers who were from Vienna.

March battalions
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Units from the IR. 91/XIV. march battalion at Chorupan. They arrived 18 September 1915.

Jednadevadesátníci, Jan Ciglbauer, 2018

After having completed training at the reserve battalion the soldiers were dispatched to the front in so-called march battalions. These consisted of up to 1000 men, were denoted by Roman numbers and divided into four march companies[6]. The march battalions were sent to the front roughly once a month. By the end of the war, Ersatzbataillon IR. 91 had trained, prepared and dispatched 44 march battalions. One example is the 40th march battalion that departed on 23 May 1918 where Leutnant Hans Bigler commanded one of the squads in the 2nd company. Five of the march battalions were sent to Serbia during the autumn of 1914, and the following nine were dispatched to the eastern front in 1915. The rest were destined for the Italian front after IR. 91 were transferred there in November 1915[7].

After the outbreak of war, the number of soldiers in the city increased and lack of accommodation led to many units being lodged in schools and other large buildings. This also applied to march units and Suché Vrbné (Dirnfellern) is a name that often crops up. This was a village east of the railway station, now part of the city. Records exist that the 7th and 11th march battalions were garrisoned there, and probably many of the others too. At the garrison in Budějovice a total of 11 march battalions from IR. 91 were trained and equipped.

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Numbering of march companies. Kadettaspirant Bigler in June 1915. His superior was Oberleutnant Lukas.

© VÚA

The march battalion was typically formed a month before planned departure and it was as part of this unit that the soldiers completed their training. The XII. Marschbataillon of IR. 91 was for example formed 1 June 1915 and departed for the front on 30 June. They were transported by train to a so-called Etappenstation (staging station) behind the lines, and then continued on foot. The mentioned 12th march battalion spent five days on the train to Sambor and then marched for a week before they reached their destination. On arrival the newcomers were distributed across the existing field battalions, and if possible entire units were replaced. IR. 91 at times lost entire field companies and these were then replaced one-to-one by a march company. It also happened that march battalions were engaged in fighting before they joined the main part of the regiment.

Jaroslav Hašek in Budějovice
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Spisovatel-humorista a spolupracovník Světozora Jaroslav Hašek v reservní vojenské nemocnici v Českých Budějovicích.

Světozor,30.4.1915

The story of Jaroslav Hašek and his stay in Budějovice in 1915 is entangled in legends - and no doubt he contributed some of them himself. His main vehicle for mystification was one-year volunteer Einjährigfreiwilliger Marek in The Good Soldier Švejk, but the stories Gott strafe England (1917) and V strategických nesnázích (In strategical difficulties) (1921) have also contributed.

Countless witnesses have over the years added their versions, but most of these accounts were published after 1960 in the local press in České Budějovice. Here the Communist Party newspaper Jihočeská pravda was particularly active. In addition there are some items that were collected by Zdena Ančík but seemingly never published. Some of them have later been drawn upon by biographers like Radko Pytlík.

One particularly useful contribution was published in 1972 in Sborník Památníku národního písemnictví. It was written by Jaroslav Kejla, a former inter-war air force general who served with Hašek in Budějovice in 1915. Although his recollection of detail suffered from the distance in time, his story is unusual inasmuch as he questions the version of history presented by Hašek scholars like Ančík and Radko Pytlík. He openly ridicules the tendency to accept Hašek's own version of events as facts, and makes a most relevant statement: "perhaps he [Hašek] invented a thing or two"?

Verified details
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Hašek's partial superarbitration, rubberstamped in Prague 25 May 1915.

© VÚA

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Chronischer Gelenksrheumatismus und abgelaufene Herzklappenentzündung. Über dem linken Ventrikel ein erstes Geräusch hörbar. Dyspnoe bei körperlichen Anstrengungen.

Transkripzion: Doris und Gert Kerschbaumer

© VÚA

What all seem to agree on is that Hašek turned up in Budějovice in civilian clothes and in a cylinder hat. He enlisted at the reserve officer’s school of IR. 91 as his status as a one-year volunteer permitted. He was expelled from the school, and he was locked up in the garrison arrest at least once. He was admitted to k.u.k. Reserve-Spital with rheumatism and that he genuinely suffered from it (unlike Einjährigfreiwilliger Marek) and that he was later transferred to a recuperation unit in the southern suburb Linecké předměstí (Linzer Vorstadt). Many claim that Marek's excursions with the Krankenbuch is autobiographical and that Dr. Peterka at the reserve hospital turned a blind eye. Most of the details listed here are mirrored in Marek's conversation with Švejk.

Hašek's army file provide exact dates and also the diagnosis that prompted Dr. Peterka to apply for superarbitration on the patient's behalf. He suffered not only from rheumatism of the joints but also endocarditis and a slight sound was heard above the left heart valve. He became exhausted at the slightest physical effort.

Nor would it come as a surprise that he visited many pubs, particularly those in the vicinity of Mariánská kasárna, in the historical centre and in the Linz suburb.

We also know that Hašek wrote two stories while stationed in Budějovice: Aféra s křečkem (The affair with the hamster) and Aféra s teploměrem (The affair with the thermometer). The first story has nothing to do with his stay in the Czech south, but the thermometer story is set at k.u.k. Reserve-Spital. Unsurprisingly he makes fun of Bohemian Germans and even confirms information from Jihočeské listy that he stayed in room no. 77!

A miniature anabasis?

Often mentioned is an escape Hašek made to the area north of the city, perhaps as far as Protivín. In České Vrbné he was stopped by a gendarme but wriggled himself out of the situation and in the end the two sat down for a beer or two in the local pub U ruského cara. The "excursion" seems to have lasted for a few days and may have provided motifs for Švejkova budějovická anabase. The originator of the story was František Škřivánek, but since then more details have appeared, for instance that Hašek allegedly slept over in a sheep shed by Netolice, another possible connection to the novel.

Škřivánek was the first ever to publish anything about Hašek in Budějovice, and one of the first to publish anything biographical about him after the author's death. His article was published in Jihočeské listy as early as 5 February 1923. It was Škřivánek who had Hašek's stories that were written at k.u.k. Reserve-Spital sent to publisher publisher Vilímek. He also revealed that it was Hašek himself who told him about the excursion north of the city. Importantly the article also contains a poem by Hašek. In 1954 Škřivánek followed up with a longer item in Stráž míru but by now he mixed in the memories of others. This combined with the distance in time obviously detracts from its trustworthiness. Clearly it is the latter version that biographers have leant on because the first is not listed in the official bibliography (Medílek, 1983).

Mystification
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Hašek was never stripped of his privileges as a one-year volunteer.

Verlustliste Nr. 566, 4.5.1917

While most of the myths surrounding Hašek in Budějovice are improbable but not directly falsifiable, there are a few that can be dismissed out of hand. Hašek claimed that he "had his one-year volunteer stripes stripped off" at the beginning of the war. This can not have been the case because all military records list him as Landsturmmann mit Einj. Freiw. Abzeichen, later Landsturm Gefreiter. Kejla also noted that the one-year volunteer privilege was earned by his civilian education so could not be removed by the military. The only thing he could be stopped from was to graduate from the reserve officer's school (and this was the case).

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Considering the timing of events it is very unlikely that Hašek ever had the change to provoke the soldiers of the Hungarian IR. 101 by singing the Tsar's hymn.

Budweiser Zeitung,11.6.1915

As for the many stories that do NOT originate from Hašek himself some have been confirmed (see discussion above), some are probable, some are possible but hard to believe in. One often referred story is that Hašek one night provoked soldiers from the Hungarian 101st regiment by singing the Russian national anthem in front of their barracks. This story can be dismissed almost out of hand as this regiment only arrived in Budějovice 9 June 1915. This is eight days AFTER Hašek's units left city.

Some of the details from his story Gott strafe England can also be falsified, but these are beyond the scope of this discussion as they concern Josef Adamička,s fate later in the war. The same goes for the story V strategických nesnázích (In strategical difficulties) where he mystifies the reason why he was decorated and promoted.

Time-line

Few of the witness accounts provide exact dates so in order to establish a time-line we are left to rely on his military records, aided by two articles by František Skřivánek (1923 and 1954).

Jaroslav Hašek in Budějovice. Includes some dates related to The Good Soldier Švejk only.
17.2 1915Hašek Präsentiert (enlisted) in I. Ersatzkompanie.
25.2 1915Hašek dedicates a poem to the sister of landlord Mičan's wife [Skřivánek].
26.2 1915Literature: Full page advert for the book Můj obchod se psy a jiné humoresky in Humoristické listy.
28.2 1915Oberleutnant Sagner assumes command of I. Ersatzkompagnie.
6.3 1915Hašek admitted to k.u.k. Reserve-Spital near the railway station.
7.3 1915IR. 91/VII. march battalion departs, 4th company commanded by Oberleutnant Wurm.
13.3 1915Hašek: Jihočeské listy brings news of the hospitalisation, the "wounded Czech writer" is in room no. 77.
18.3 1915IR. 91/VIII. march battalion departs, commanded by Hauptmann Adamička.
18.3 1915Adamička departing, a new commander of the reserve officer school appointed (Franz Wenzel?).
19.3 1915 Hašek sent postcard to Vilímek thanking for being regularly paid [Pytlík].
1.4 1915Zugsführer Bigler promoted to Feldwebel. Transferred from reserve officer school to III. Ersatzkompanie.
1.4 1915Einj. Freiw. Feldwebel Jaroslav Baloun transferred from IR73 to IR. 91/II. Ersatzkompanie.
8.4 1915Hašek: application for Superarbitrierung filed. Now in III. Ersatzkompagie. Signed by Peterka, dr.
12.4 1915Hašek: referred to Superarbitrierungskommission. Signed by Pallweber.
17.4 1915Literature: Kynologický ústav printed in Světozor.
21.4 1915Hašek: signed agreement with bookshop owner and publisher Jan Svátek, Šternekova 25 [Hašek].
30.4 1915Hašek: superarbitration commission's verdict: fit for light/guard duties. Signed by Pallweber, Schlager, and 2 more.
30.4 1915Literature: photo from k.u.k. Reserve-Spital printed in Světozor.
5.5 1915Hašek: bids farewell to Skřivánek.
19.5 1915LIR29 transferred to Cheb (Eger). Petr Fingal met Hašek "a few days earlier".
25.5 1915Hašek: K.u.k. Militärkommando Prag rubberstamps the superarbitration.
1.6 1915IR. 91/XII. march battalion formed, commanded by Major Wenzel. Oberleutnant Lukas commander of the 4th march company.
1.6 1915 Ersatzbataillon IR. 91 inspected by the feared Feldmarschall-Leutnant Schwertdner von Schwertburg (see Generalmajor von Schwarzburg).
1.6 1915IR. 91 replacement battalion (EB91) transferred to Bruck/Királyhida in two stages.

Despite providing a number of references this time-line does not give answers to questions about two key motifs we know from The Good Soldier Švejk, his stay at the reserve officer's school and his disciplinary record. It is also odd that Hašek in his Vormerkblatt was assigned to I. Ersatzkompanie but his health file has him in III. Ersatzkompanie. Perhaps this change reflects his status before and after he attended the school for reserve officers?

Reserve Officer's School
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František Šimek with one of the more trustworthy accounts.

Jihočeská pravda, 5.8.1967

Information about Hašek's unsuccessful stay at the reserve officer's school, a theme he in the novel projects onto Einjährigfreiwilliger Marek, is shrouded in uncertainty. We have no start or end dates, but considering his poor physical condition it was probably a short stint, perhaps interrupted by his stay in the hospital (if we accept Marek as a witness this was the case). If so it would be logical to assume that he started soon after enlisting[8] and the fact that he himself and also Franta Hofer mention Josef Adamička who was head of the reserve officer's school until 18 March 1915, seem to confirm this. Hofer revealed that Adamička liked Hašek and invited him to the officer's dining room to provide entertainment. Kejla wrote that he was dismissed for behaviour unworthy of a future k.u.k. officer and not what Marek was expelled for.

Disciplinary record
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Jaroslav Kejla on why Hašek was expelled from the reserve officer school.

© LA-PNP

If all legends are to be believed Hašek would have a long disciplinary record but his Vormerkblatt does not show any punishment at all. The regiment could punish a soldier with up to 30 days arrest without involving a military court[9] but even that should in theory show up. Still there is no doubt that he spent time behind bars as confirmed by Kejla. That it has been more than public order offence is however unlikely and it would be in line with his chequered public order record from civilian life in Prague. All we can say is that he could have been handed no more than 30 days at a time, anything more serious would have meant a trial at a military court. In his story Gott strafe England Hašek claims to have received 30 days "mixed" (confined to barracks?), Skřivánek says he was given 30 days Verschärft (increased), and Einjährigfreiwilliger Marek, his literary alter ego, was given 21 days Verschärft. There is contradictory information about the reason for his punishment, but everything points towards some public order incident(s). The least credible version is Hašek's own in Gott strafe England where he claims to have been punished for writing a pretty innocent poem.

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Handbuch für Unteroffiziere,1916

Sentences of 30 or even 21 days are difficult to fit into Hašek's time line. From his enlisting to being admitted to hospital there is a span of 18 days, then he was undergoing treatment until 8 April, probably even longer. On 21 April 1915 he signed an agreement with Svátek and was presumably a free man. On 5 May he bid farewell with Skřivánek[10]. Petr Fingal met him "a few days before LIR29 was transferred to Cheb"[11] (i.e. 19 May minus a couple of days). One possibility is obviously that the disciplinary measures started after mid-may and that he (like Einjährigfreiwilliger Marek) was transported to Királyhida in the Arrestantenwaggon and sat out the rest of the time there. Jan Morávek confirms this. In an unpublished article Bohumil Mičan repeatedly mentioned 14 days punishment, a number that is much more likely than 30.

Innumerable pubs
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Česká chalupa, one of Hašek's favourites.

© Milan Binder / Jan Schinko

The incessant pub crawls are a recurring theme in the various reminiscences. Within a stone's throw from Mariánská kasárna there were three taverns that are often mentioned: Česká chalupa, U růže and U Mičanů. Radko Pytlík lists a range of others: U Novotných, U slunce (see Budějovický hotel), U města Krumlova, U Žáků, U černého vola, U anglického dvora, U Týfů, and Na posledním groši (and there were surely more). The tally is impressive considering Hašek out of his 3 months and 12 days in Budějovice he spent at least 33 days in hospitals and perhaps as much as a month behind bars or at least confined to barracks. Apart from U růže and an unnamed hotel, two more establishments are mentioned by Einjährigfreiwilliger Marek. The first is the respectable Měšťanská beseda which is the only of the above-mentioned taverns that still operates (2015). The second is the brothel Port Arthur that no one (to my knowledge) has ever claimed that Hašek visited. This notorious establishment was located outside the centre so my guess is that Hašek had heard of it and thus had his literary hero Marek visit it. On the other hand, it was on the way to Suché Vrbny so perhaps that is the connection?

Another cluster of pubs from the southern part of the city are also mentioned. This is no doubt connected to his stay for recuperation in the nearby military hospital.

Fact and fiction
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Hašek mystifying his own stay in Budějovice in the story Gott strafe England.

Československý voják,15.10.1917 (28.10)

As usual Hašek presents scholars and amateur enthusiasts alike with headaches when they try to distinguish between myth and reality. In Budějovice this challenge is exacerbated by the fact that none of his friends (biographers) served with him there. Thus almost all the information that is found in secondary literature about Hašek is based on stories and articles that appeared after 1950. With the distance in time they are less reliable and some also suffer from the tendency to accept passages from the novel and other stories by Hašek as facts.

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Ančík correctly observes that many anecdotes float around regarding Hašek's stay in Budějovice. On the other hand: the claim that whatever is true from it found its way into Švejk says more about the haškologist's naivity than about the veracity of Hašek.

O životě Jaroslava Haška, Zdena Ančík, 1953

In his studies over the years Radko Pytlík has aggregated a wealth of information about Hašek's stay in Budějovice. His findings have been published in several books, with a tendency to become more voluminous each time. Particularly rich in detail is Data, fakty, dokumenty (2013). Unfortunately the facts from Budějovice are chaotically presented, chronologically suspect, and replete with errors and repetitions. At times fiction from Hašek's own pen is mixed in and presented as facts, for instance details from the stories Gott strafe England and Potíže s literární tvorbou. Much easier to digest are his more condensed accounts found in his earlier books: the excellent Toulavé house (1971), Náš přitel Jaroslav Hašek (1979) and Kniha o Švejkovi (1982).

Apart from Radko Pytlík, biographers and scholars provide little information of substance and most reveal their limited understanding of the organisation of k.u.k. Heer and the various unit's role in the military hierarchy. This applies to Jaroslav Křížek, Cecil Parrott, Gustav Janouch, Emanuel Frynta, and above all Zdena Ančík. Pre-war biographers (apart from Václav Menger) skip the subject entirely. In fairness it should be noted that access to military archives was restricted in Communist Czechoslovakia and the benefit of searchable on-line newspapers archives is a privilege only the modern haškologist can enjoy.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.2] A opět se dál nadporučík se Švejkem mlčky pozorovali, až konečně řekl nadporučík Lukáš s drsnou ironií: „Pěkně vás vítám, Švejku, do Českých Budějovic. Kdo má být oběšen, ten se neutopí. Už na vás vydali zatykač a zítra jste u regimentsraportu. Já se s vámi již zlobit nebudu. Natrápil jsem se s vámi dost a dost a moje trpělivost praskla. Když si pomyslím, že jsem mohl tak dlouho žít s takovým blbem jako vy...“

Sources: Radko Pytlík, Jan Ciglbauer, Franta Hofer, Bohumil Vlček, Jaroslav Kejla, František Skřivánek, František Šimek, Bohumil Milčan

Also written:Budweis de

Notes
1. House regiment (or home regiment) is a term for a regiment that recruited from a specific area. Because e.g. IR. 91 recruited from the district of Budějovice, it was called the city's and region's house regiment. That did however not mean that the whole regiment resided in the home garrison. Battalions and even staff were frequently moved between locations. Only the reserve battalion and the district command were permanently located least one of the battalions were also present at any time. Usually the same person was commander of both the recruitment district and the reserve battalion.
2. cz. doplnovací okres. Recruitment district, literally "replenishment district". The area from where the manpower of a regiment was recruited. The district was named after the garrison town and the number of the district aligned with that of the house regiment (in 1912 the numbering wass dropped). The district didn't only supply the house regiment, it also provided recruits for navy, artillery, cavalry etc. The recruitment districts of k.k. Landwehr and k.u.k. Heer were not identical. The Landwehr districts were generally larger as they had fewer regiments to replenish.
3. cz. nahradní prápor. The reserve battalion, literally "replacement battalion", consisting of at least three companies, reserve officer school, and other staff functions. The battalions main task was to train and equip the troops, prepare them for front duty, and dispatch them to the front. This was done in so-called march battalions that were transported to the field roughly once a month. Until 1914 the official name of the reserve battalion was Ersatzbataillonskader but the short from Kader was often used, also during the war.
4. The first battalion had since 1906 been detached from the rest of the regiment and garrisoned in southern Dalmatia. See Montenegro for further details.
5. The First World War and the End of the Habsburg Monarchy, 1914-1918, Manfried Rauchensteiner, 2013.
6. At the end of September 1918 the regiment was transferred to Serbia so the final march battalion was probably sent there.
7. At the beginning of the war the march units were often composed and numbered differently. Experiments with entire march regiments took place, and the number of companies in each battalion could vary. The number of companies often spilled over into the next battalion so the 3rd company of III. battalion would be called 11th march company. This was a numbering system the regiments in the field already employed, but as the war continued it fell out of use for march units (presumably because the numbers would have become very large). It is therefore obvious that Švejk's 11th march company never existed in 1915, and if such a unit ever existed it would have been sent to Serbia in the autumn of 1914. If the original scheme had been used in 1915 Hašek's IR. 91 4./XII. march company would have been give the number 48 (this number is based on the assumption that each march battalion was made up of four companies, which may not have been true at the start of the war).
8. Kejla wrote that Hašek didn't start at the school immediately and was at the school only for a short time. A start date of 1 March is therefore reasonable to assume and we already know that he was admitted to hospital on the 6th.
9. According to army regulations there were disciplinary measures that could be handled at the level of regiments and subordinated units (battalions, companies) without involving a military court. The mildest reaction was a warning, followed by two levels of so-called Kasernearrest (i.e. confined to barracks). The delinquent could only leave the barracks in the company of a person with a higher rank, and he could not visit pubs. For more serious offences soldiers were locked up at night but had to take part in normal exercises during the day. These had various degrees of severity. Verschärft (increased) was one of them and meant locked away for the night, not permitted to smoke and sleeping on a hard mattress. There were also more severe measures, including periodic fasting, a diet of water and bread and solitary confinement. For all but the harsher sentences he guilty had to take part in the daily duties. Rank and file soldiers could not share cells with anyone of higher rank, including one-year volunteers. Thus Einjährigfreiwilliger Marek and Švejk sharing a cell was in breach of regulations!
10. Skřivánek noted that Hašek took farewell because he was heading to Vienna to attend a course for translators. Unfortunately there were pubs on the way, and the author of Švejk got involved in some incident and was arrested.
11. Here Fingal spoke to Hašek when the latter was exercising with his unit, so him simultaneously serving a sentence can't be ruled out.
Literature
Budějovické náměstínn flag
Wikipedia cz MapSearch
budnam.jpg

"Mein Österreich, mein Heimatland", 1915

Budějovické náměstí was the scene of Einjährigfreiwilliger Marek's unfortunate incident when he in a state of inebriation knocked the cap off the artillery officer Leutnant Anton who he mistook for his friend Einjährigfreiwilliger Materna. Anton stood below the arcades and was seemingly waiting for a prostitute.

Later in the chapter Einjährigfreiwilliger Marek tells about how Fähnrich Dauerling had taken a soldier to battalion report because he didn't greet him on the square.

Background

Budějovické náměstí (Budweiser Ringplatz) refers to the city square in Budějovice. With its 17 768 m² it is one of the largest of its kind in Europe, and with a history dating from 1295. It has arcades around the entire square. Since 1991 it has been called Náměstí Přemysla Otakara II. but has since 1915 changed names several times, all according to the direction of the political winds. During the Nazi occupation, it was bestowed with the rather unappealing name of Adolf Hitler Platz.

Originally the square was simply called Náměstí (Ringplatz), a name it also had during Hašek's stay in the city from February 1915 until the end of May. On 4 June 1915 the city council unanimously decided to rename the square Náměstí Františka Josefa (Franz Josefs-Platz)[a].

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.2] Napohlavkoval omylem jednomu poručíkovi od dělostřelectva v noci na náměstí v podloubí v opilém stavu. Vlastně ani nenapohlavkoval, srazil mu jenom čepici s hlavy. Stalo se to tak, že ten poručík od dělostřelectva stál v noci pod podloubím a patrně čekal na nějakou prostitutku.
[II.2] Tak stoupala moje drzost, že jsem myslel, že mně nikdo nemůže nic udělat, až došlo k osudnému omylu v noci na náměstí pod podloubím, k omylu, který jasně dokázal, že všechny stromy nerostou do nebe, kamaráde.
[II.2] Nyní si představte, příteli, že hned po jeho příchodu sem ten pitomý fähnrich Dauerling hnal před batalionsraport jednoho muže, že prý ho ten zúmyslně nepozdravil, když Dauerling jel přes náměstí ve fiakru v neděli odpůldne s nějakou slečinkou!
[II.2] ,Já si to vyprošuji, himldonrvetr, já si to zakazuji! Víte, pane fähnrich, co je to batalionsraport? Batalionsraport není žádný schweinfest. Jak mohl vás vidět, když jste ujížděl po náměstí? Nevíte, že jste sám učil, že vzdává se čest šaržím, s kterými se setkáváme, a to neznamená, jestli má voják se točit jako vrána, aby našel pana fähnricha projíždějícího se přes náměstí.
[II.2] „Nechte toho,“ řekl poručík Pelikán naoko přísně, „myslím, že víte, že máte jít v devět hodin ležet a netropit hluk. Vaše koncertní číslo je slyšet až na náměstí.“

Also written:Budweiser Ringplatz de

Literature
References
aGemeindeausschußsitzungBudweiser Zeitung15.6.1915
Malšenn flag
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malse.jpg

Soldiers from 6th Landwehr some time after 19 May 1915.

Geschichte des ehemaligen Schützenregimentes Nr. 6

Malše is the river where Einjährigfreiwilliger Marek took baths in the winter to contract rheumatism in the hope that it would make him unfit for service.

Background

Malše is a river in Upper Austria and the Czech Republic that empties into Vltava in Budějovice. The river's total length is 96 km.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.2] Když jsem totiž narukoval,“ vypravoval dál, „tak jsem si předně najal pokoj v městě a snažil jsem si zaopatřit rheumatismus. Třikrát za sebou jsem se namazal a pak jsem si lehl za město do příkopu, když pršelo, a zul si boty. Nepomáhalo to. Tak jsem se v zimě v noci koupal v Malši celý týden, a docílil jsem pravý opak.
[II.3] Bude to prostá výměna. Český voják vyspí se s maďarskou dívkou a ubohá česká děvečka přijme k sobě maďarského honvéda, a po staletích bude to zajímavé překvapení pro antropology, proč se objevily vysedlé lícní kosti u lidí na březích Malše.“

Also written:Maltsch de

Literature
Ninivehnn flag
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The fall av Niniveh. John Martin, 1829.

Niniveh is mentioned as Einjährigfreiwilliger Marek tells Švejk about his pride and how this led to his fall and subsequent arrest and expulsion from the officer's school. That why he was now locked up together with Švejk.

Background

Niniveh was one of the most important cities in the ancient Middle East and was in several periods capital of Assyria. The city was located by the river Tigris, near the present city of Mosul in Irak and is mentioned in the Old Testament. It was destroyed 612 BC.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.2] Svou zpověď zakončil jednoroční dobrovolník slavnostně: „Došlo i na Karthago, z Ninive udělali zříceniny, milý příteli, ale hlavu vzhůru! Ať si nemyslí, že když mne pošlou na front, že dám jednu ránu. Regimentsraport!

Also written:Ninive cz

Šumavann flag
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Světem letem, Enrique Stanko Vráz,1896

sumava.png

"Šumava a Pošumaví", Josef Kafka, 1904

Šumava is mentioned by Einjährigfreiwilliger Marek when he tells his cell mate Švejk that Oberst Schröder had roared at him so he was heard all the way to Šumava. In [III.2] Marek mentions the region again in connection with telling his companions on the train from Budějovice to Bruck an der Leitha - Királyhida about his experiences as editor of Svět zvířat.

Background

Šumava (Böhmerwald) is a loosely defined geographical area in the southern and western part of Bohemia, bordering Bavaria and Austria. It stretches from Vltava in the east to around Domažlice in the west. The area is mainly wooded, thinly populated and parts of it is protected as a national park. The area was until 1945 predominantly German speaking.

There are no large cities in the area, the major towns are Krumlov, Prachatice, Vimperk and Klatovy. Additonal places that are mentioned in The Good Soldier Švejk are Sušice and Kašperské Hory.

Hašek's and Švejk's regiment, Infanterieregiment Nr. 91, was partly recruited from the eastern part of Šumava, more precisely the two hejtmanství Krumlov and Prachtice. The regiment thus had the nickname Syny Šumavy / Böhmerwalds Söhne. The middle and western lay within the recruitment districts of Infanterieregiment Nr. 11 and Infanterieregiment Nr. 35.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.2] Obrst Schröder přijel na mne přímo na koni a div mne nepovalil na zem. ,Donnerwetter,’ zařval, až to bylo slyšet jistě na Šumavě, "was machen Sie hier, Sie Zivilist?"
[II.3] Původ k tomu daly mé různé drobné zprávy o včelařství, drůbežnictví, kde jsem rozvinul své nové teorie, které způsobily pravé zděšení, poněvadž po mých jednoduchých radách ranila známého včelaře pana Pazourka mrtvice a vyhynulo včelaření na Šumavě i v Podkrkonoší.

Also written:Böhmerwald de

Literature
Engadinnn flag
Wikipedia deenno MapSearch Švejkův slovník
engadin.jpg
engadin.png

Zdroje hospodářského blahobytu,1906

Engadin was according to Einjährigfreiwilliger Marek used as a swearword towards recruits by Korporal Althof through the expression "Engadin goat".

Background

Engadin is a long valley located in the canton of Graubünden in southeast Switzerland. The goat breed in question is generally referred to as Pfauenziege (Pfauen goat) and is now extinct.

The valley is directly mentioned by Jaroslav Hašek in the story "Winter sports" from 1910[a].

The good soldier Švejk in captivity

The theme around the zoological swearwords that were taken from Sources of economic prosperity is also found in Dobrý voják Švejk v zajetí, and in quite similar wording. The only major difference is that the abuse took place in Királyhida and not in Budějovice. Like in the novel it was Korporal Althof who used "Engadin goat" as a term of abuse.[1]

Kaprál Althof, který byl představeným oddělení, kde Švejk měl v prachu baráku svůj kavalec, nazval ho hned dopoledne, krátce po přibytí a roztřídění nových domobranců, engadinskou kozou, svobodník Müller, německý učitel z Kašperských hor, českým smraďochem a šikovatel Sondernummer volskou žábou, vepřovým dobytkem a vyjádřil se, že ho vydělá.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.2] Kaprál Althof, který byl představeným oddělení, kde Švejk měl v prachu baráku svůj kavalec, nazval ho hned dopoledne, krátce po přibytí a roztřídění nových domobranců, engadinskou kozou, svobodník Müller, německý učitel z Kašperských hor, českým smraďochem a šikovatel Sondernummer volskou žábou, vepřovým dobytkem a vyjádřil se, že ho vydělá.
[II.2] U 11. kompanie kaprál Althof používá slova: engadinská koza. Svobodník Müller, německý učitel z Kašperských Hor, nazývá nováčky českými smraďochy, šikovatel Sondernummer volskou žábou, yorkshirským kancem a slibuje přitom, že každého rekruta vydělá.
Literature
References
aZimní sportyBeseda liduJaroslav Hašek8.1.1910
1Dobrý voják Švejk v zajetíJaroslav Hašek1917
Yorkshirenn flag
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yorkshire.jpg

Svět zvířat,1909-1910

Yorkshire was used indirectly as swearword by Feldwebel Sondernummer through the expression Yorkshire boar.

Background

Yorkshire is a former county in the north of England with York as the capital. The name is still widely used to denote the region. The largest cities are Leeds and Sheffied.

The Yorkshire pig (or Middle White) is one of the most common pig breeds on earth.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.2] U 11. kompanie kaprál Althof používá slova: engadinská koza. Svobodník Müller, německý učitel z Kašperských Hor, nazývá nováčky českými smraďochy, šikovatel Sondernummer volskou žábou, yorkshirským kancem a slibuje přitom, že každého rekruta vydělá.
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khory.jpg

Bergreichenstein/Kašperské Hory, 1914

Kašperské Hory is mentioned 9 times in The Good Soldier Švejk.

Kašperské Hory first appears when Einjährigfreiwilliger Marek tells Švejk about Gefreiter Müller and other brutal lower charges from the German-speaking areas of Bohemia.

In the train transport from Budějovice to Királyhida there were numerous soldiers from Kašperské Hory who sang all the way to Vienna. It is eventually revealed that many of them served in 12. Kompanie.

In [III.1] the narrator even provides samples of the dialect through the colourful expressions of Offiziersdiener Batzer, who was from this town.

Background

Kašperské Hory (Bergreichenstein) is a small town in Šumava that until 1945 was predominantly German-speaking. Today (2019) it has 1,449 inhabitants. At 758 metres above sea level it is one of the highest situated towns in Bohemia.

Kaplice, not Kašperské Hory
khory1.png

The loss lists confirm Bergreichenstein's location in Ergänzungsbezirk Nr. 11.

Verlustliste Nr. 409,17./4. 1916

Soldiers from Kašperské Hory were recruited from Ergänzungsbezirk Nr. 11 and their unit would thus be Infanterieregiment Nr. 11 from Písek, and not Infanterieregiment Nr. 91 as Jaroslav Hašek leads the reader to believe.

It is therefore tempting to guess that when he wrote about "Germans from Kašperské Hory and Krumlovsko" he actually had Kaplice and Krumlovsko in mind. These were districts were Germans made up the vast majority of the population and they were also part of the recruitment district of IR. 91. Krumlov was at the time 75 per cent German speaking, Kaplice 95 per cent.

The only circumstance where Hašek may have met larger numbers of soldiers from Kašperské Hory is in the gathering area by Sambor after 4 July 1915 and then at the front from 11 July when IR. 11 and IR. 91 were fighting side by side as part of 9. Infanteriedivision.

Wann ich kumm
wann.png

Österreichische Illustrierte Zeitung,20.6.1915

The verses that the soldiers from Kašperské Hory and Krumlovsko sang on the train from Budějovice are fragments from a folk song of German origin that through the 19th century had become popular. The song is popular not only in German-speaking countries but also world-wide. Even Elvis Presley recorded it in 1960 with the title Wooden Heart. As is often the case with folk songs, various lyrics and spellings exist.

wann1.png

Morgenblatt für gebildete Stände,18.5.1827

The melody is believed to be a traditional song from Swabia but the lyrics were added in 1827 by the composer Friedrich Silcher (1789-1860) who also published it. During World War I it was much used by soldies that were leaving home for service and it was also popular as a march anthem. The title is officially "Muß i denn".

The good soldier Švejk in captivity

The theme around the zoological swearwords that were taken from Sources of economic prosperity is also found in Dobrý voják Švejk v zajetí, and in quite similar wording. Moreover, the users of the expletives are the same. Like in the novel Gefreiter Müller is a teacher from Kašperské Hory.[1]

Kaprál Althof, který byl představeným oddělení, kde Švejk měl v prachu baráku svůj kavalec, nazval ho hned dopoledne, krátce po přibytí a roztřídění nových domobranců, engadinskou kozou, svobodník Müller, německý učitel z Kašperských hor, českým smraďochem a šikovatel Sondernummer volskou žábou, vepřovým dobytkem a vyjádřil se, že ho vydělá.

Demography

According to the 1910 census Kašperské Hory had 2,228 inhabitants of which 88 (3 per cent) reported that they used Czech in their daily speech. The judicial district was okres Kašperské Hory, administratively it reported to hejtmanství Sušice.In the okres of almost 17,000 nearly half were Czechs.

Source:Seznam míst v království Českém(1913)

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Kašperské Hory were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 11 (Pisek) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 28 (Pisek).

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.2] Kaprál Althof, který byl představeným oddělení, kde Švejk měl v prachu baráku svůj kavalec, nazval ho hned dopoledne, krátce po přibytí a roztřídění nových domobranců, engadinskou kozou, svobodník Müller, německý učitel z Kašperských hor, českým smraďochem a šikovatel Sondernummer volskou žábou, vepřovým dobytkem a vyjádřil se, že ho vydělá.
[II.2] U 11. kompanie kaprál Althof používá slova: engadinská koza. Svobodník Müller, německý učitel z Kašperských Hor, nazývá nováčky českými smraďochy, šikovatel Sondernummer volskou žábou, yorkshirským kancem a slibuje přitom, že každého rekruta vydělá.
[II.3] Teprve řev z vagonů vzadu přerušil vypravování Švejkovo. 12. kumpanie, kde byli samí Němci od Krumlovska a Kašperských Hor, hulákala: Wann ich kumm, wann ich kumm, wann ich wieda, wieda kumm.
[II.3] Jestli ozýval se ještě neustále z vagonů řev skopčáků od Kašperských Hor: Wann ich kumm, wann ich kumm, wann ich wieda, wieda kumm.
[II.3] Bylo vidět, jak horáci od Kašperských Hor cpou se perníkem, přičemž je neopouštěl výraz beznadějnosti.

Also written:Kašperské Mountains Sadlon Bergreichenstein de

Literature
References
1Dobrý voják Švejk v zajetíJaroslav Hašek1917
Africann flag
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Prager Tagblatt,22.9.1914

Africa is mentioned by Einjährigfreiwilliger Marek when he describes the lower rank officers at thegarrison in Budějovice; these dance in circles round the recruits and scream at them like savages from Africa.

Background

Africa is one of the five continents, the second largest after Asia. In 1914 it was still colonised by European powers (apart from Ethiopia). World War I affected Africa as Germany lost her colonies on the continent. The other warring parties who had colonies there were Great Britain, France, Portugal, Belgium and Italy.

Troops from Africa participated in the British and French armies during the war. The best known and most numerous were the "Tirailleurs sénégalais" in the French army.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.2] Všichni vojenští představení snaží se tak vštípit lásku k vlasti zvláštními pomůckami, jako je řev a tanec kolem rekrutů, válečný ryk, připomínající divochy v Africe připravující se ke stažení nevinné antilopy nebo k pečení kýty z misionáře, připraveného ke snědění. Němců se to ovšem netýká.

Also written:Afrika cz

North Polenn flag
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nordpol.jpg

North Pole is mentioned by Einjährigfreiwilliger Marek when he describes how Fähnrich Dauerling had got such a knock on his head when he was little that the point of impact resembled the earth by the North Pole. His astounding lack of intelligence was caused by this.

Background

North Pole (geographical) is defined as the point in the northern hemisphere where the Earth's axis of rotation meets the Earth's surface.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.2] Zanedlouho po narození upadla s ním chůva a malý Konrád Dauerling uhodil se do hlavičky, takže ještě dnes je vidět na jeho hlavě takovou zploštěnost, jako kdyby kometa narazila na severní točnu.

Also written:Severní točna Hašek Severní pól cz

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hainburg.jpg

Kadettenschule; Schloßberg. 1906.

hainburg.png

Ottův slovník naučný, 1896

Hainburg is mentioned as Einjährigfreiwilliger Marek tells Švejk about the moronic Fähnrich Dauerling who was educated at the towns cadet school.

Background

Hainburg is a town in Austria by the Danube, just before the river flows into Slovakia. From 1869 onwards a cadet school was located in the castle. See Hainburger Kadettenschule.

In 1890 the town had in excess of 5,000 inhabitants where many worked at the tobacco factory. With 1,500 employees it was the largest of its kind in Cisleithanien. Hainburg was part of Bezirk Bruck.

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Hainburg were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 84 (Wien) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 24 (Wien).

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.2] Mladý Dauerling po hrozném zápase s čtyřmi třídami nižší reálky, které vystudoval soukromě, přičemž předčasně zešedivěl a zblbl jeho domácí učitel a druhý chtěl skočit v zoufalství se svatoštěpánské věže ve Vídni, přišel do hainburské kadetní školy.
[II.2] Když vypukla válka a všecky mladičké kadetíky udělali fähnrichy, dostal se do archu hainburských povýšenců i Konrád Dauerling a tak se dostal k 91. regimentu.“
Literature
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Kutná Hora - sv. Barbora a kasárna, 1914

kutnahora1.jpg

Kutná Hora, 1906

kutnahora.png

Ottův slovník naučný, 1900

Kutná Hora was the scene of the episode between Major Wenzl and Kadettstellvertreter Zítko and also the problems Wenzl ended in after having called a waiter a "Czech swine" at a local hotel.

Background

Kutná Hora is a city in the central part of Czechia, about 100 km east of Prague. It became rich on silver mining in the medieval ages and the many historical buildings bear witness to its wealthy past. Kutná Hora is on UNESCO's World Heritage list.

Hašek in Kutná Hora

In early summer 1914 Jaroslav Hašek visited the city together with Zdeněk Matěj Kuděj. The latter eventually wrote that he "lost" Hašek there.

The good soldier Švejk in captivity

Kutná Hora is also mentioned in Dobrý voják Švejk v zajetí and the description is similar to Einjährigfreiwilliger Marek's account in The Good Soldier Švejk. Here the name of the hotel is mentioned. See Kutnohorský hotel.[1]

Major Wenzl nebyl sice žádná zvláštní vojenská hvězd rakouská, ale měl strach z národnostních sporů. Měl za manželku Češku a kdysi, když ještě sloužil jako hejtman v Kutné Hoře, přišel do novin, poněvadž jednou v napilosti vynadal číšníkovi v Haškově hotelu "česká pakáž", ačkoli mluvil sám jinak jen česky v domácnosti i ve společnosti.

Demography

According to the 1910 census Kutná Hora had 15,542 inhabitants of which 15,337 (98 per cent) reported that they used Czech in their daily speech. The judicial district was okres Kutná Hora, administratively it reported to hejtmanství Kutná Hora.

Source:Seznam míst v království Českém(1913)

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Kutná Hora were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 36 (Jungbunzlau) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 12 (Časlau). The city housed a garrison and in 1910 the census recorded 791 military persons. The reason for this relatively high number was that the city housed staff and two battalions of Infanterieregiment Nr. 21. On the other hand k.k. Landwehr were not present.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.2] Major Wenzl nebyl sice žádná zvláštní vojenská hvězd rakouská, ale měl strach z národnostních sporů. Měl za manželku Češku a kdysi, když ještě sloužil jako hejtman v Kutné Hoře, přišel do novin, poněvadž jednou v napilosti vynadal číšníkovi v Haškově hotelu "česká pakáž", ačkoli mluvil sám jinak jen česky v domácnosti i ve společnosti.
[II.2] Když před lety sloužil jako hejtman v Kutné Hoře, vynadal jednou v opilosti v jednom hotelu vrchnímu, že je česká pakáž. Upozorňuji přitom, že ve společnosti mluvil major Wenzl výhradně česky, stejně jako ve své domácnosti, a že jeho synové studují česky.
[II.2] Měl z toho Wenzl velké nepříjemnosti, poněvadž to bylo právě v době povolení parlamentem vojenské předlohy, a teď jim do toho vleze takový ožralý hejtman Wenzl z Kutné Hory.
[II.2] Co je hejtman Wenzl proti velebné přírodě? to znali po celé Kutné Hoře.

Also written:Kuttenberg de

Literature
References
1Dobrý voják Švejk v zajetíJaroslav Hašek1917
Vávrova ulicenn flag
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rumunska.jpg

The lower part of Rumunská ulice, corner of Lublaňská (until 1926 Puchmajerova).

vavrova.png

"Kronika královské Prahy a obcí sousedních", František Ruth, 1904

Vávrova ulice er mentioned in the story Švejk tells Einjährigfreiwilliger Marek about a certain carpenter Mlíčko from this street who was wounded very early in the war.

Background

Vávrova ulice (also Vávrova třída) was the name of a street in Praha II. and Vinohrady. It was named after Čeněk Vávra who was mayor of Vinohrady from 1868 to 1873. The street was namned Vávrova ulice from 1884 to 1926 when it was renamed Rumunská ulice, a name it has kept since[a].

The street tretches from Sokolská in Praha II. up towards Náměstí Míru in Vinohrady and its length is 180 metres. It was on the corner of this street and Tylovo náměstí that drogerie Průša was located.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.2] „O velkej stříbrnej medalii za udatnost, kterou dostal jeden truhlář z Vávrovy ulice na Král. Vinohradech, nějakej Mlíčko, poněvadž byl první, kterému u jeho regimentu utrh na začátku války granát nohu.

Also written:Wawragasse Reiner Vavragasse/Vavraße de

Literature
References
aRumunská (Vinohrady)Encyklopedie Prahy 2
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bozetechova.png

Orientační plán král. hl. města Prahy a obcí sousedních, 1909-1914

Božetěchova ulice is mentioned in a story Švejk tells Einjährigfreiwilliger Marek in the prison in Budějovice about an annoyed father who displayed the medal of his fallen son on the toilet wall. However, a policeman with who he shared the toilet dencounced him so he landed in trouble with the authorities. Švejk incorrectly claims that the street is located in Vyšehrad.

Background

Božetěchova ulice is a short street in Nusle, situated on the hill towards Vyšehrad.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.2] V Božetěchově ulici na Vyšehradě jeden rozzuřenej otec, který myslel, že si z něho úřady dělají legraci, pověsil tu medalii na záchod a jeden policajt, který s ním měl na pavlači ten záchod společnej, udal ho pro velezrádu, a tak si to ten chudák odskákal.“
Literature
Belgiumnn flag
Wikipedia czdeenfrnlnnno MapSearch
belgia.jpg

Belgium in 1914

Belgium is mentioned in the incoherent discourse by Hauptmann Spíro at the hotel in Budějovice. Belgians as a group had already been mentioned by hop trader Wendler in connection with Klosterhoek [I.14]. Amongst places in Belgium, Waterloo is mentioned already at the start of the novel. Anloy appears in Kadett Biegler's lecture for Hauptmann Ságner about his favourite reading. See Udo Kraft.

Background

Belgium entered the war on 4 August 1914 when the neutral country was invaded by Germany who attempted to circumvent the French border fortifications. The German attack that influenced England's decision to enter the war. The country offered stiff resistance, and it was only in October that Antwerp fell. Almost her entire area remained occupied for the rest of the war and Belgium suffered severe human and material losses. As a result of the peace treaty the region of Malmedy-Eupen was ceded by Germany.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.2] „Uvažte prosím dobře. Máme ve zbrani rakouské zeměbranecké hulány, rakouské zeměbrance, bosenské myslivce, rakouské myslivce, rakouské pěšáky, uherské pěšáky, tyrolské císařské střelce, bosenské pěšáky, uherské pěší honvédy, uherské husary, zeměbranecké husary, jízdní myslivce, dragouny, hulány, dělostřelce, trén, sapéry, sanitu, námořníky. Rozumíte? A Belgie? První a druhá výzva vojska tvoří operační armádu, třetí výzva obstarává službu v zádech armády...“

Also written:Belgie cz Belgien de Belgique fr België nl

Tyrolnn flag
Wikipedia czdeenitno MapSearch
tyrol.jpg

Das interessante Blatt,30.12.1915

Tyrol is mentioned in the incoherent discourse by Hauptmann Spíro. He mentions the province indirectly through Tiroler Kaiserschützen (Tyrolean Imperial Riflemen).

Background

Tyrol was in 1914 an Austrian region, larger than the current Austrian Tirol as it also comprised the current Italian provinces of Alto Adige (South Tyrol) and Trentino. Sections of the front between Italy and Austria stretched through Tyrol from the outbreak of war on 23 May 1915 until the 1918 armistice.

Tiroler Kaiserschützen was originally a Landwehr-unit with Tyrol and Vorarlberg as operational areas, but were still employed as regular forces at several fronts, and suffered heavy losses. After war with Italy broke out, they were redirected to their home province. Kaiserschützen were until 1917 called Landeschützen so Hauptmann Spíro has in this section jumped two years ahead of historical events. He might also have meant Tiroler Kaiserjäger as these existed with this name in 1915.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.2] „Uvažte prosím dobře. Máme ve zbrani rakouské zeměbranecké hulány, rakouské zeměbrance, bosenské myslivce, rakouské myslivce, rakouské pěšáky, uherské pěšáky, tyrolské císařské střelce, bosenské pěšáky, uherské pěší honvédy, uherské husary, zeměbranecké husary, jízdní myslivce, dragouny, hulány, dělostřelce, trén, sapéry, sanitu, námořníky. Rozumíte? A Belgie? První a druhá výzva vojska tvoří operační armádu, třetí výzva obstarává službu v zádech armády...“

Also written:Tyrolsko cz Tirol de Tirolo it

Americann flag
Wikipedia czdeennnno MapSearch
usa.jpg

Expedition force in World War I

amerika.png

The Democratic banner,6.4.1917

amerika1.jpg

America (USA) was discussed amongst the officers at Budějovický hotel. It concerned whether or not America was going to join the war so it is obvious that the subject is the political entity of the United States, not the geographical entity America.

Background

America no doubt refers to the USA as a political entity. The country was neutral until 6 April 1917, when the country, provoked by German submarine warfare and the prospect of an allied defeat, declared war upon Germany.

Important involvement

The economic (and later on military) might of the United States decidedly influenced the outcome of the war. After the war, US influence played a significant part in shaping the new Europe. President Woodrow Wilson was an advocate of national self-determination for the smaller nations, which not the least benefited Czechoslovakia and the other successor states of Austria-Hungary.

War against Austria-Hungary

The declaration of war on Austria-Hungary followed as late as 7 December. In the Senate 74 voted in favour of the declaration and none against. In the House of Representatives, 365 were in favour, and only one objected.

Direct fighting between American and Austro-Hungarian troops occurred by Piave in October 1918 but these engagements would have been few as the American expeditionary force consisted merely of Infantry Regiment 332, and some aeroplanes and medical units. The latter did gather some fame though: amongst them served Ernest Hemingway. His stay on the Piave resulted in the novel Farewell to arms.

A little known but well dokumented battle between units from U.S. Army and k.u.k. Wehrmacht took place on the western front in the autumn of 1918. In July 1918 Austria-Hungary put four divisions and some artillery at the disposal of the German army. In September American forces led by Pershing won a decisive victory by Verdun against forces that inluded 35. Infanteriedivision. At the beginning of October 1. Infanteriedivision faced US troops north of Verdun. It suffered frightening losses and was also exposed to gas attacks. Between these troops was Feldjägerbataillon Nr. 17, a unit with a high number of Czech soldiers from southern Moravia.

Hašek printed in the USA
smrthorala.png

Národní noviny (Baltimore), 3.5.1902

usa.png

This Chicago newspaper was the first to print Švejk outside Czechoslovakia.

Duch času,14.10.1923

Czech-language newspapers in the USA printed stories by Jaroslav Hašek several times during his lifetime. From 1911 to 1917 some of them appeared in Slavie, a weekly published in Racine, Wisconsin, later in Chicago. One of them is called Dobrý voják Švejk and was published on 12 September 1911[d]. It is an uncensored version of the story Dobrý voják Švejk učí se zacházet se střelnou bavlnou that was first printed by Dobrá kopa 21 July 1911. Pre-dating these stories was Smrt Horala that appeared in Národní noviny in Baltimore already 3 May 1902[a]. To our knowledge, this was the first time ever a story by Hašek was printed outside the Czech lands.

The novel The Good Soldier Švejk was published in the USA already during Hašek's lifetime. It was printed as a serial in Duch času, the Sunday issue of Svornost (Chicago). It has not been established exactly when the series started but we know that the issue from 9 September 1923[b] is from the first chapter of Part Three, thus covering the departure from Királyhida. Below the title of the series is written that it is published in agreement with the author, and this is confirmed by Kliment Stěpánek to whom Hašek in 1922 dictated the final parts of the novel. The editor that Hašek was in contact with was August Geringer[c]. He even sent the Sunday issues back to Hašek and this was highly appreciated by the author.

Amongst Czech-American newspapers that published Hašek's stories we are aware of Minnesotské noviny (St. Paul), Svět (Cleveland), Denní hlasatel (Chicago), and Dennice novověku (Cleveland).

Kuděj

Jaroslav Hašek never visited the USA but may have had considerable second-hand knowledge of the country from his close friend Zdeněk Matěj Kuděj who spent three years there from 1906 to 1909 and travelled widely. He also knew others that spent periods of their lives in America, amongst them Josef Mach.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.2] Od druhého konce stolu bylo slyšet čísi vážný hlas: „Amerika se do války pouštět nemůže. Američani a Angličani jsou na nůž. Amerika není na válku připravena.“

Also written:Amerika cz

Literature
References
aSmrt HoralaNárodní novinyJaroslav Hašek3.5.1902
bOsudy dobrého vojáka ŠvejkaDuch času9.9.1923
cJaroslav Hašek na LipniciLidové novinyKliment Štěpánek20.12.1927
dDobrý voják ŠvejkaSlavieJaroslav Hašek12.9.1911
Šabacnn flag
Wikipedia deennnsr MapSearch
sabac.png

Šabac was evacuated for strategic reasons

Hlas lidu, 14.9.1914

sabac2.png

© ÖStA

Šabac enters the story when Oberst Schröder the morning after the meeting at Budějovický hotel reads about the bad news from the front, that the army has retreated to already prepared positions.

The city is mentioned again in [II.4] where Einjährigfreiwilliger Marek refuses to clean the latrines, despite the Befehl from Oberst Schröder.

Background

Šabac (Шабац) is a town by the river Sava in Serbia, and almost constantly in the front line during the autumn of 1914. It was one of the first targets for the Austro-Hungarian invasion, and as the invaders reached the town on 14 August they ravaged the city and massacres took place[a]. Eventually only half of the population survived the war. Due to the many battles and widespread destruction Šabac was also called the Serbian Verdun. The city changed hands several times that autumn but by the end of 1914 it was again controlled by the Serbs.

IR. 91

On 8 November 1914 Infanterieregiment Nr. 91 marched through the city, on their way to the front by the river Kolubara, slightly to the east[b].

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.2] Plukovník Schröder v mrzuté náladě odešel domů, a když se ráno probudil, měl ještě horší náladu, poněvadž v novinách, které četl v posteli, několikrát našel větu ve zprávách z bojiště, že vojska byla odvedena na předem již připravené posice. Byly to slavné dny rakouské armády, podobající se jako vejce vejci dnům u Šabace.
[II.4] Ty dva, kteří byli pověšeni, zdráhali se propíchnout ženu a chlapce jednoho čužáka pod Šabacem a jednoročák od 9. kumpačky byl zastřelen, poněvadž nechtěl jít kupředu a vymlouval se, že má oteklé nohy a že je platfus. Tak budete pucovat hajzl, nebo nebudete?’

Also written:Schabatz de Шабац sr

Literature
References
aDas Lächeln der HenkerDer SpiegelAnton Holzer5.10.2008
bBlutkarte des IR. 91Böhmerwalds Söhne im Felde1924-1928
cZ bojiště rakousko-srbsko-černohorskéhoHlas lidu14.9.1914
Andalusiann flag
Wikipedia czdeenesnn MapSearch
andalucia.jpg

Andalusia is mentioned by the author when he describes how Einjährigfreiwilliger Marek and Švejk tease the prison guard as if he were an Andalusian bull in Seville.

Background

Andalusia is an autonomous region of Spain. It is the most populous and the second largest, in terms of land area, of the seventeen autonomous communities of Spain. Its capital and largest city is Seville. The region is known for its bullfighting.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.2] A zatímco oba tak dráždili profouse, jako v Seville andaluského býka dráždí červeným šátkem, nadporučík Lukáš s úzkostí očekával, kdy se objeví Švejk, aby hlásil, že nastupuje opět službu.

Also written:Andalusie cz Andalusien de Andalucía es

Sevillenn flag
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sevilla.jpg

Světem letem, Enrique Stanko Vráz,1896

Seville is mentioned by the author when he describes how Einjährigfreiwilliger Marek and Švejk tease the prison guard as if he were an Andalusian bull in Seville.

Background

Seville is the capital of the Spanish region of Andalusia, amongst other things known as the centre of bullfighting.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.2] A zatímco oba tak dráždili profouse, jako v Seville andaluského býka dráždí červeným šátkem, nadporučík Lukáš s úzkostí očekával, kdy se objeví Švejk, aby hlásil, že nastupuje opět službu.

Also written:Sevilla cz

Index Back Forward II. At the front Hovudpersonen

3. Švejk's happenings in Királyhida

Bruck an der Leitha - Királyhidann flag
Search
bruck_kh.png

VÚA

bruck_kh1.png

Der Militärarzt, 1915

Bruck an der Leitha - Királyhida is just about mentioned in the introduction to [II.3].

Background

Bruck an der Leitha - Királyhida is a collective term for the twin towns Bruck and Királyhida, often used in military documents issued by Ersatzbataillon IR. 91 and others. Shorter versions were Bruck-Királyhida and Bruck a.d. Leitha/Királyhida.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.3] Jednadevadesátý pluk se stěhoval do Mostu nad Litavou - Királyhidy.

Also written:Most nad Litavou - Királyhida Hašek

Abyssiniann flag
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habes.jpg

Ottův slovník naučný. 10. Gens - Hedwigia. 1896

habes.png

Katolické listy, 6.3.1900

melenik.jpg

Obrazový zpravodaj z bojiště, 14.1.1906

Abyssinia is mentioned as an adjective in the form of an "Abyssinian king" who had been exhibited in a circus on the island Štvanice. This king reportedly fornicated with a teacher who wrote poems for the Lada magazine and she gave birth to a son who later became known as negro Kristian.

Background

Abyssinia was a monarchy that roughly covered the areas of current Ethiopia and Eritrea. It was the only country in Africa that escaped European colonial rule and the only one on the continent that was predominantly Christian. Until emperor Haile Selassie was deposed by a coup in 1974 it was the oldest existing state in the world.

Kingdom or Empire?

Many would question Švejk's use of the term "Abyssinian king" because Ethiopia is generally associated with emperors like Haile Selassie. Searches in newspapers from the period do however reveal that king was often used at the time. Probably this is down to ambiguities in the translation of the term Negus. The term emperor seems to have appeared later and Negus was also often used.

Negus of Abyssinia in Hašek's lifetime was Melenik II. (1844-1913). He is best known for having thwarted an Italian invasion in 1896 and thus preserved the country's independence. His army beat the aggressors in the battle of Adua and a peace agreement was signed. His army was well organised and equipped with modern weapons from England and Belgia[a].

Melenik undertook trips to Europe but it is doubtful if he ever visited Prague and if so he would surely not have let himself be exhibited in a circus.

Švejk's imagination

The story about the king of Abyssinia as told in The Good Soldier Švejk is obviously a figment of Švejk's imagination and although a real negro Kristian lived in Prague at the time he had nothing to do with Abyssinia (he was born on a Caribic island).

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.3] „S tím vzájemným pářením,“ poznamenal Švejk, „je to vůbec zajímavá věc. V Praze je číšník černoch Kristián, jehož otec byl habešským králem a dal se ukazovat v Praze na Štvanici v jednom cirku.

Also written:Habeš cz Abessinien de

References
aKampen ved AduaNorges Sjøfartstidende14.3.1896
Štvanicenn flag
Wikipedia czdeen MapSearch
stvanice.jpg

3.6.1908 • Pohled na stavbu plavební komory u ostrova Štvanice. Vpravo Negrelliho viadukt.

Štvanice (the island) is mentioned in the story Švejk tells Einjährigfreiwilliger Marek about an Abyssinian king who had been exhibited in a cirkus on the island. This king reportedly fornicated with a teacher who wrote peoms for the Lada magazine and they had a son. See negro Kristian.

Background

Štvanice is an island in the river Vltava in Prague that is located between Karlín and Holešovice. It is and was mainly used as a bathing and recreation area.

In historical newspapers there is no indication that a cirkus ever performed on the island, and definitely not with an Abyssinian (Ethiopian) king as an item to be exhibited. This information is surely a product of Švejk's lively imagination.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.3] „S tím vzájemným pářením,“ poznamenal Švejk, „je to vůbec zajímavá věc. V Praze je číšník černoch Kristián, jehož otec byl habešským králem a dal se ukazovat v Praze na Štvanici v jednom cirku.

Also written:Hetzinsel de

Franz Joseph Landnn flag
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fjosephland.jpg

Fridtjof Nansen and Frederick Jackson in 1896

fjosephland.png

Franz Joseph Land is mentioned by Švejk in a conversation with Einjährigfreiwilliger Marek and the guard on the way from Mariánská kasárna to the station in Budějovice. The two portray it as an Austrian colony, inhabited by eskimos.

Background

Franz Joseph Land is an archipelago in the northern part of the Barents Sea which belongs to Russia. The first officially recognized discovery took place in 1873 by the Austro-Hungarian North Pole Expedition led by polar explorers Julius von Payer and Karl Weyprecht. On their way back the expedition requested that the isles be named after the emperor and this was reported in the newspapers in 1874[a].

In 1914 the uninhabitated islands were still no-mans land and it was only in 1926 that they became part of the Soviet Union.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.3] "Vypravovalo se," prohodil Švejk, "že Rakousko má přece kolonie, někde na severu. Nějakou tu Zem císaře Františka Josefa..." "Nechte si to, hoši," řekl jeden voják z eskorty, "to je moc nevopatrný, vypravovat dnes vo nějakej Zemi císaře Františka Josefa. Nejmenujte nikoho a uděláte lepší..." "Tak se podívejte na mapu," vpadl do toho jednoroční dobrovolník, "že opravdu je země našeho nejmilostivějšího mocnáře císaře Františka Josefa. Podle statistiky je tam samý led a vyváží se odtud na ledoborcích patřících pražským ledárnám. Tento ledový průmysl je i cizinci neobyčejně ceněn a vážen, poněvadž je to podnik výnosný, ale nebezpečný. Největší nebezpečí panuje při dopravě ledu ze Země císaře Františka Josefa přes polární kruh. Dovedete si to představit?"

Also written:Frans Josefs land nn Земля Франца-Иосифа ru

References
aUnsere Nordpolfahrer gerettetNeues Wiener Blatt 4.9.1874
Pakoměřicenn flag
Wikipedia cz MapSearch Švejkův slovník
pakomerice.jpg

Pivovar Pakoměřice

pakomerice.png

Kvas, 1.11.1908

Pakoměřice is mentioned in a comment Švejk makes to Feldoberkurat Lacina, agreeing that onions must be added to the gravy. He goes on to tell about a brewmaster from here who indeed added onion to the beer because it would cause thirst.

Background

Pakoměřice is a village just north of Prague, administratively part of Bořanovice. The major attraction is the castle that once belonged to the noble family Nostitz (see Feldmarschall Nostitz-Rieneck). It has recently (2020) been renovated after having fallen into disrepear.

The brewery

The brewery was one of the oldest in Bohemia and is mentioned as early as 1636[a]. The owner at the beginning of the 20th century was Count Erwin Nostitz. Around 1870 the brewery was modernised and it delivered beer also to restaurants in Prague. In 1908 the production was 17,116 hectolitres and the brewmaster was Rudolf Zilka[b]. During and after the war production stagnated and the last year it operated was in 1926. The building is still intact and like the castle it has recently been renovated.

Demography

According to the 1910 census Pakoměřice had 113 inhabitants of which 113 (100 per cent) reported that they used Czech in their daily speech. The judicial district was okres Karlín, administratively it reported to hejtmanství Karlín.

Source:Seznam míst v království Českém(1913)

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Pakoměřice were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 28 (Prag) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 8 (Prag).

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.3] „Ano,“ podotkl Švejk, „pan obrfeldkurát má ouplnou pravdu. Čím víc cibule, tím lepší. V Pakoměřicích bejval sládek a ten dával i do piva cibuli, poněvadž prej cibule táhne žízeň. Cibule je vůbec náramně prospěšná věc. Pečená cibule se dává i na nežidy...“
Literature
References
aPivovar (Pakoměřice, Česko)Středočeská vědecká knihovna v Kladně
bVýroba piva jednotlivých pivovarů v Cechách roku 1908Kvas1.11.1908
Krumlovskonn flag
MapSearch
krumlovsko.jpg

Karte des Bezirkes Krummau

Krumlovsko is mentioned on the train from Budějovice to Bruck an der Leitha - Királyhida. The author remarked that 12. Kompanie consisted of Germans from Krumlovsko and Kašperské Hory and that the company were singing and yelling all the time.

Background

Krumlovsko is a common term for the area around Krumlov but here the author probably refers to hejtmanství Krumlov, one of the five political districts that Infanterieregiment Nr. 91 was recruited from.

According to the 1910 census Krumlovsko had 61,068 inhabitants of which 15,729 (25 per cent) reported Czech as their mother tongue, the rest were German speakers.

Wann ich kumm
wann.png

Österreichische Illustrierte Zeitung,20.6.1915

The verses that the soldiers from Kašperské Hory and Krumlovsko sang on the train from Budějovice are fragments from a folk song of German origin that through the 19th century had become popular. The song is popular not only in German-speaking countries but also world-wide. Even Elvis Presley recorded it in 1960 with the title Wooden Heart. As is often the case with folk songs, various lyrics and spellings exist.

wann1.png

Morgenblatt für gebildete Stände,18.5.1827

The melody is believed to be a traditional song from Swabia but the lyrics were added in 1827 by the composer Friedrich Silcher (1789-1860) who also published it. During World War I it was much used by soldies that were leaving home for service and it was also popular as a march anthem. The title is officially "Muß i denn".

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Krumlovsko were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 91 (Budweis) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 29 (Budweis).

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.3] Teprve řev z vagonů vzadu přerušil vypravování Švejkovo. 12. kumpanie, kde byli samí Němci od Krumlovska a Kašperských Hor, hulákala: Wann ich kumm, wann ich kumm, wann ich wieda, wieda kumm.
Literature
Jabal an-Nûrnn flag
Wikipedia aren MapSearch
jabal.jpg

Jabal an-Nûr is indirectly mentioned by Einjährigfreiwilliger Marek through the proverb "if the mountain will not come to Muhammad…"

Background

Jabal an-Nûr is a mountain by Mekka, famous through the legend where Muḥammad met Allāh's messenger, the angel Gabriel.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.3] „Milý pane kaprále,“ ozval se jednoroční dobrovolník, „papíry nejdou samy k veliteli eskorty. Když hora nejde k Mahomedovi, musí jít velitel eskorty sám pro papíry. Vy jste se nyní ocitl před novou situací. Rozhodně nesmíte zadržovat nikoho, který má vyjít na svobodu. Na druhé straně nesmí nikdo opustit podle platných předpisů arestantský vagon. Opravdu nevím, jak se dostanete z této prožluklé situace. Čím dál je to horší. Teď je půl jedenácté.“

Also written:_النور ar

Saanennn flag
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saanen.jpg

Milotický hospodář,10.1918

saanen.png

Zdroje hospodářského blahobytu, B. Kočí,1906

Saanen is mentioned indirectly through the expression Saanen-goat. It as escorting corporal on the train to Bruck who lets the goat bleat itself into the story when Einjährigfreiwilliger Marek tells about his unfortunate experiences as editor of Svět zvířat. In the corporal's home village those goats died and the owner wrote to the magazine for advice.

Background

Saanen is a valley in Berner Oberland in Switzerland from where the Saanen goat breed has its name.

The goat

As the name indicates this goat breed originates from Switzerland and is best known for milk production. Generally, they have white, short fur and are without horns. In Bohemia, they were pretty widespread at the beginning of the 20th century, and this is respected both in newspapers and specialist literature.

It is very likely that Hašek came across articles about this animal during his editorship of Svět zvířat in 1909 and 1910 but that he also may have drawn inspiration from other publications he was familiar with, for instance, Zdroje hospodářského blahobytu that was printed by publisher Kočí in 1906[a].

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.3] „Ten časopis,“ odpověděl desátník se zřejmým výrazem radosti, že hovor převádí se na jiné pole, „odbíral hospodský u nás ve vsi, poněvadž měl děsně rád sánské kozy, a všechny mu chcíply. Proto žádal v tom časopise o radu.“
References
aZdroje hospodářského blahobytuB. Kočí1906
Icelandnn flag
Wikipedia czdeenisnnno MapSearch
island.jpg

Do země ohně a ledu, Karel J. Zákoucký, 1922

island.png

Ottův slovník naučný, 1897

Iceland is mentioned when Einjährigfreiwilliger Marek tells about the Islandic bat-the-remote, one of the many exotic animals that he invented during his stint as inventive editor of Svět zvířat.

Background

Iceland is an island and republic in the North Atlantic that until 1918 was ruled by Denmark. The Danish king remained head of state until 1944 when Iceland became a republic. The island was colonised by Norsemen in the 9th and 10th centuries and was independent for 300 years when it came under Norwegian, later Danish rule.

Reykjavik is the capital and largest city and the population of the country is now (2019) estimated at 360,000. In 1890 it had 71,000 inhabitants. Iceland is known for its volcanic activity and there have been several major eruptions in the last 50 years. The main source of income is fisheries.

Bats

Iceland is not a natural habitat for bats but occasionally they arrive with ships. In this context Einjährigfreiwilliger Marek's expression "bat-the-remote" is descriptive.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.3] Věděl Brehm a všichni ti, kteří šli po něm, o mém netopýrovi z ostrova Islandu, "netopýru vzdáleném", o mé kočce domácí z vrcholku hory Kilimandžaro pod názvem "pačucha jelení dráždivá"?

Also written:Island cz Island de Ísland is

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Brockhaus Kleines Konversations-Lexikon (5. Auflage 1911)

kilima.png

Ottův slovník naučný, 1899

Kilimanjaro is mentioned when Einjährigfreiwilliger Marek tells about the "deer-sniffer-the-irritable", one of his many creative inventions as editor of Svět zvířat.

Background

Kilimanjaro is the highest peak in Africa (5,892 metres), it is located in Tanzania near the Kenyan border. In 1914 the montain was situated on the territory of German East Africa.

Jaroslav Hašek also mentions the mountain in the story Záhady vesmíru from 1922[a].

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.3] Věděl Brehm a všichni ti, kteří šli po něm, o mém netopýrovi z ostrova Islandu, ,netopýru vzdáleném’, o mé kočce domácí z vrcholku hory Kilimandžaro pod názvem ,pačucha jelení dráždivá’?

Also written:Kilimandžáro cz Kilimandscharo de

References
aZáhady vesmíruJaroslav Hašek1922
Postojna Cavenn flag
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postojna.jpg

Postojna Cave is mentioned by Einjährigfreiwilliger Marek in his story on inventing animals in his brief job as editor of Svět zvířat. The Postojna cave did, according to Marek, at a certain time extend all the way to Baltic Sea. See Khún for more information.

Background

Postojna Cave is a cave-system in Slovenia, one of the country's main tourist attractions.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.3] Měli do té doby přírodozpytci zdání o nějaké bleše inženýra Khúna, kterou jsem našel v jantaru a která byla úplně slepá, poněvadž žila na podzemním praehistorickém krtkovi, který také byl slepý, poněvadž jeho prababička se spářila, jak jsem psal, s podzemním slepým macarátem jeskynním z Postojenské jeskyně, která v té době zasahovala až na nynější Baltický oceán?

Also written:Postojenská jeskyně Hašek Postojnské jeskyně cz Adelsberger Grotte de Grotte di Postumia it Postojnska jama sl

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This is how Josef Lada imagined Hašek crossing the Baltic Sea in December 1920

Baltic Sea is mentioned by Einjährigfreiwilliger Marek in his story on inventing animals in his brief job as editor of Svět zvířat. The Postojna cave was, according to Marek, at a certain time supposed to have extended all the way to the Baltic Sea.

Background

Baltic Sea is an inland ocean located in Northern Europe, the largest brackwater area on the globe. It borders Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Russia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Germany.

Jaroslav Hašek and his Russian wife Alexandra Lvova spent five days on the steamer Kypros in December 1920, sailing from Reval (now Tallinn) to Stettin (now Szczecin). This was on their return from Russia. The trip lasted from 4 December to 8 December.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.3] Měli do té doby přírodozpytci zdání o nějaké bleše inženýra Khúna, kterou jsem našel v jantaru a která byla úplně slepá, poněvadž žila na podzemním praehistorickém krtkovi, který také byl slepý, poněvadž jeho prababička se spářila, jak jsem psal, s podzemním slepým macarátem jeskynním z Postojenské jeskyně, která v té době zasahovala až na nynější Baltický oceán?

Also written:Baltický oceán Hašek Baltské moře cz Ostsee de Балтийское море ru Östersjön se

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Václav Kudrnáč,1911

Podkrkonoší is mentioned by Einjährigfreiwilliger Marek when he relates about his time as editor of Svět zvířat. Bee-keeping in this region died out after Marek's writing.

Background

Podkrkonoší is a region below the Krkonoše mountains in the north-eastern part of Bohemia. The term is somewhat vague because the area isn't and has never been an administrative unit with defined borders. The main population centres are Lomnice nad Popelkou, Nová Paka, Hořice, Dvůr Králové nad Labem, and Jilemnice.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.3] Původ k tomu daly mé různé drobné zprávy o včelařství, drůbežnictví, kde jsem rozvinul své nové theorie, které způsobily pravé zděšení, poněvadž po mých jednoduchých radách ranila známého včelaře pana Pazourka mrtvice a vyhynulo včelaření na Šumavě i v Podkrkonoší.
Literature
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Frýdlant 1915

Frýdlant nad Ostravicí is mentioned when Einjährigfreiwilliger Marek on the train between Budějovice and Bruck relates the story of his time as editor of Svět zvířat. The theme is more precisely his row with Jos. M. Kadlčák, the editor of Selský obzor. Marek had sent an insolent letter to the editor, describing him as a dumb beast.

Background

Frýdlant nad Ostravicí is a town in the Beskydy mountains in Moravia, near the Polish and Slovak borders. This is where Jos. M. Kadlčák and lived at the time when Jaroslav Hašek was editor of Svět zvířat (1909 and 1910).

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.3] Než to jsou věci vedlejší, ač by zajisté nebylo na škodu, kdyby se váš redaktor ,Světa zvířat’ dříve přesvědčil, komu vytýká hovadinu, nežli nájezd vyjde z pera, třeba je určen na Moravu do Frýdlandu u Místku, kde byl do tohoto článku též odbírán váš časopis.

Also written:Frýdland Hašek Friedland an der Ostrawitza de

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mistek.jpg

Místek 1916

Místek is mentioned in connection with Einjährigfreiwilliger Marek's dispute with Jos. M. Kadlčák.

Background

Místek is a former town in the Beskydy mountains in Moravia, near the borders with Poland and Slovakia. The town was in 1943 merged with Frýdek and named Frýdek-Místek. Místek was situated on the border with Austrian Silesia.

Hašek in Frýdek

It is quite possible that Jaroslav Hašek visited Místek because he once found himself detained in its twin-town Frýdek. This was because he didn't carry the necessary travelling documents. On 6 August 1903 the police in Frýdek sent a letter to their colleagues in Prague to enquire about the identity of the wanderer. The letter was signed Jan Brotánek and addressed to dr. Záhoř[a].

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.3] Než to jsou věci vedlejší, ač by zajisté nebylo na škodu, kdyby se váš redaktor ,Světa zvířat’ dříve přesvědčil, komu vytýká hovadinu, nežli nájezd vyjde z pera, třeba je určen na Moravu do Frýdlandu u Místku, kde byl do tohoto článku též odbírán váš časopis.
References
aLidský profil Jaroslava HaškaRadko Pytlík1979
Havlíčkova třídann flag
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belehradska.jpg

Havlíčkova, 1922

havlickova81.png

Hašek, Havlíčkova, 1912

Pobytové přihlášky...

adamira.png

Adresář města Král. Vinohradů, 1912

Havlíčkova třída is mentioned in Švejk's story about some Mestek, the man who "discovered" a mermaid who he exhibited in i window in this street. The "mermaid" was a woman frå Žižkov who after finishing her daily duty as mermaid was seen soliciting in Táborská ulice. The woman didn't have a police book and when Polizeikommissar Drašner discovered this she was locked up and Mestek's mermaid business came to an end.

Background

Havlíčkova třída was the name of a long street (almost 2 km) in Vinohrady and Nusle, named after the writer and politician Karel Havlíček Borovský (1821-1856). In 1926 the street was given its present name: Bělehradská ulice.

Although Mestek actually exhibited "mermaids"[d] it has not been possible to verify that this activity took place in exactly this street. Nor has the rest of Švejk's story been verified.

Hašek in Havlíčkova

Jaroslav Hašek lived in no. 1097/81 for a period from 29 July 1912[a]. His host was Josef Alois Adamíra (1877-1953), a chemist who at the time was employed at the laboratory of Zemědelská rada (The Agricultural Council)[b]. It should also be noted that he was a prominent occultist[c] and as such may be served as an inspiration for Hašek's literary figure cook Jurajda.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.3] Jednou před lety byl v Praze nějakej Mestek a ten vobjevil mořskou pannu a ukazoval ji na Havlíčkově třídě na Vinohradech za plentou. Ve plentě byl otvor a každej moh vidět v takovej polotmě prachvobyčejný kanape a na něm se válela jedna ženská ze Žižkova.

Sources: Jaroslav Šerák, Břetislav Hůla

Literature
References
aHaškovi v PrazeJaroslav Šerák
bAdresář města Král. VinohradůJulius Janeček1912
cAdamíra Josef AloisKulturní adresář ČSR1936
dNoční PrahouKarel Ladislav Kukla1927
Táborská ulicenn flag
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taborska.jpg

Táborská ulice is mentioned in Švejk's story about a certain Mestek, the man who "discovered" a mermaid who he exhibited her in Havlíčkova třída. The prostitute who was on display was later seen plying Táborská ulice at night.

The street appears again in Švejk's tale related to Italy changing allegiance in 1915, here illustrated by merchant Hořejší, merchant Pošmourný and grocer Havlasa.

Background

Táborská ulice is the former name of Legerova ulice, a long street in Nové město which stretches along the border of Vinohrady.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.3] Házely se jí až na pupek jako utahanej flundře. V sedum hodin večer pak Mestek zavřel panorámu a řek: ,Mořská panno, můžete jít domů,’ vona se převlíkla a v deset večer už ji bylo vidět chodit po Táborskej ulici a zcela nenápadně každýmu pánovi, kterýho potkala, říkat: ,Hezoune, šel si to zafilipínkovat.’ Poněvadž neměla knížku, tak ji při šťáře s druhejma podobnejma myšema pan Drašner zavřel, a Mestek měl po kšeftě.“
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Okrouhlice in 1921

okrouhlice.png

Ottův slovník naučný,1902

Okrouhlice is mentioned by Švejk when he thinks aloud about the appropriateness of calling people with animal names, something he finds entirely acceptable.

Background

Okrouhlice is a village by the river Sázava in Vysočina, 10 km from Lipnice. The author had already moved to Lipnice (25 August 1921) when he wrote this part of the novel. Already in [II.2] themes from the area around start to appear, perhaps as early as in [I.14,6]. See butcher Pejchar.

Demography

According to the 1910 census Okrouhlice had 356 inhabitants of which 356 (100 per cent) reported that they used Czech in their daily speech. The judicial district was okres Německý Brod, administratively it reported to hejtmanství Německý Brod.

Source:Seznam míst v království Českém(1913)

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Okrouhlice were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 21 (Časlau) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 12 (Časlau).

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.3] Tak vidíte, pane kaprál, co může bejt z maličkýho a nepatrnýho nedorozumění, které nestojí ani za řeč. V Okrouhlicích byl zas jeden občan a ten se urazil, když mu řekli v Německém Brodě, že je krajta tygrovitá. Vono je víc takovejch slov, který nejsou naprosto trestný. Na příklad jestli bychom vám řekli, že jste ondatra. Mohl byste se za to na nás zlobit?“
Německý Brodnn flag
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havbrod.jpg

Praha a království České,1913

nembrod.png

Ottův slovník naučný,1891

Německý Brod is mentioned by Švejk when thinking aloud about the appropriateness of calling people with animal names.

Background

Německý Brod is the former name of Havlíčkův Brod, a town in Vysočina, 15 km from Lipnice (where this part of the novel were written). The town was renamed in 1945.

Jaroslav Hašek visited Německý Brod from 1st to 3 August 1922 where he also was present at a stage play based on The Good Soldier Švejk. The play was very well received and Hašek was very pleased as he personally received the applaus of the audience[a].

Demography

According to the 1910 census Německý Brod had 8,529 inhabitants of which 8,498 (99 per cent) reported that they used Czech in their daily speech. The judicial district was okres Německý Brod, administratively it reported to hejtmanství Německý Brod.

Source:Seznam míst v království Českém(1913)

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Německý Brod were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 21 (Časlau) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 12 (Časlau).

Radko Pytlík

Hašek pak osobně navštívil představení v Havlíčkově Brodě ve dnech l. a 2. a 3. srpna 1922 a byl velmi spokojen. Z úspěchu měl mimořádnou radost, jako autor byl potleskem několikrát vyvolán. Rozzářen vcházel na rampu a klaněl se. Po divadle uspořádal v hotelu U Černého orla velkou hostinu. Spatřoval v tom uměleckou satisfakci. Zdrželi se se Šurou a se Štěpánkem v Brodě tři dny a utratili mnoho peněz po nákupech a hostinách.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.3] Tak vidíte, pane kaprál, co může bejt z maličkýho a nepatrnýho nedorozumění, které nestojí ani za řeč. V Okrouhlicích byl zas jeden občan a ten se urazil, když mu řekli v Německém Brodě, že je krajta tygrovitá. Vono je víc takovejch slov, který nejsou naprosto trestný. Na příklad jestli bychom vám řekli, že jste ondatra. Mohl byste se za to na nás zlobit?“

Sources: Radko Pytlík

Also written:Deutschbrod de

Literature
References
aToulavé houseRadko Pytlík1971
Terezínnn flag
Wikipedia czdeenno MapSearch Švejkův slovník
terezin.jpg
terezin.png

Schematismus für das k.u.k. Heer (s. 549)1912

terezin1.png

Ottův slovník naučný,1906

Terezín features in Švejk's story from his time doing National Service in 1912. He had been accused of writing: "We'll shit on the war" on a wall by a munition dump. Švejk was taken to the Landgericht in Terezín because of this incident.

Background

Terezín is a town and former fortress in northern Bohemia, abroad better known under the name of Theresienstadt. It was constructed in the 18th century as one of several border forts to protect Austria against the increasingly powerful Prussia. Gavrilo Princip, the killer of Erzherzog Franz Ferdinand was imprisoned here until his death in 1918.

Terezín is notoriously known from the time of the Nazi occuptaion (1939-45) when it was converted to a ghetto and transit camp for prisoners who were destined for the death camps.

Two of the translators of Švejk; Grete Reiner and Ruth Bondi were interned in Terezín during World War II. Reiner was later murdered in Auschwitz (1944), whereas Bondi survived and now (2010) lives in Israel.

Demography

According to the 1910 census Terezín had 6,094 inhabitants of which 2,609 (42 per cent) reported that they used Czech in their daily speech. The judicial district was okres Litoměřice, administratively it reported to hejtmanství Litoměřice.

Source:Seznam míst v království Českém(1913)

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Terezín were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 42 (Leitmeritz) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 9 (Leitmeritz). Terezín was in 1912 the headquarter of 29. Infanteriedivision as well as 57. Infanteriebrigade. About half the population was employed by the armed forces. It also housed a Garnisonsgericht and a Landwehrgericht.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.3] Nešťastnou náhodou ještě nad tím nápisem byl jinej: ,My na vojnu nepůjdeme, my se na ni vyséreme’, a to bylo v roce 1912, když jsme měli jít do Srbska kvůli tomu konsulovi Procházkovi. Tak mě hned poslali do Terezína k landgerichtu.
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dvurk.jpg

Pohled na Neumannovu továrnu za povodně r. 1897. Tato povodeň tak zasáhla město, že byla iniciována stavba přehrady v Tešnově.

dvurk1.png

Ottův slovník naučný,1894

dvurk.png

Katolické listy,31.7.1897

Dvůr Králové nad Labem features in Švejk's story from his time doing military service in 1912. He was accused of writing: "e'll shit on the war" on a wall by a munition dump. When investigated by a military court (see Landgericht) he had to, amongst other things, write down a brief description of the floods here on 29 July 1897 in order to prove that the handwriting was not his.

Background

Dvůr Králové nad Labem is a town by the river Labe is eastern Bohemia, in the Hradec Králové region. The town is nowadays primarily known for its zoo.

The 1897 floods

The flood happened exactly on the date that is mentioned in The Good Soldier Švejk. It had been raining persistently for 14 days and when torrential rain occured the soaked soil could no longer absorb the water and the river flooded the valley[a].

Demography

According to the 1910 census Dvůr Králové nad Labem had 15,051 inhabitants of which 13,625 (90 per cent) reported that they used Czech in their daily speech. The judicial district was okres Dvůr Králové nad Labem, administratively it reported to hejtmanství Dvůr Králové nad Labem.

Source:Seznam míst v království Českém(1913)

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Dvůr Králové nad Labem were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 18 (Königgrätz) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 11 (Jičin).

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.3] ,Bylo 29. července 1897, kdy Králový Dvůr nad Labem poznal hrůzy prudkého a rozvodněného Labe’.

Also written:Dvůr Králové on the Elbe Parrott Králův Dvůr on the Labe Sadlon Königinhof an der Elbe de

Literature
References
aNičivá povodeň z roku 1897Přehrada Les Království
Elbenn flag
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labe.jpg

Labe (Elbe) in Hradec Králové, 14.10.2010

Elbe features in Švejk's story from his time doing military service in 1912. He was accused of writing: "we'll shit on the war" on a wall by a munition dump. See also Terezín.

Background

Elbe (cz. Labe) is a river that originates in the Czech Republic and flows through Germany on its way to the North Sea. The catchment area includes most of Bohemia and the eastern part of Germany. Several towns and cities along the river are mentioned in The Good Soldier Švejk: Dvůr Králové nad Labem, Jaroměř, Pardubice, Poděbrady, Nymburk, Podmokly and Hamburg.

The 1897 floods

The flood happened exactly on the date that is mentioned in The Good Soldier Švejk. It had been raining persistently for 14 days and when torrential rain occured the soaked soil could no longer absorb the water and the river flooded the valley[a].

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.3] ,Bylo 29. července 1897, kdy Králový Dvůr nad Labem poznal hrůzy prudkého a rozvodněného Labe’.

Also written:Labe cz

References
aNičivá povodeň z roku 1897Přehrada Les Království
Dalmatiann flag
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dalmatia.jpg

Budva, the southernmost garrison in the Dual Monarhcy.

Böhmerwalds Söhne im Felde,1924-1928

dalmatia.png

Ottův slovník naučný,1893

montenegro1.jpg

Southern Dalmatia towards Montenegro

Schematismus für das k.u.k. Heer ..., 1914

montenegro2.jpg

IR. 91, 1st Baon. by Cattaro.

Schematismus für das k.u.k. Heer ..., 1914

Dalmatia is mentioned in connection with the story Švejk tells abot soldiers killing their corporals, in this case Korporal Fiala who had his throat slit in Dalmatia.

Background

Dalmatia is a historical region on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea and is situated in current Croatia and Montenegro. Historically it was part of the Republikken Venice but became Habsburg territory after the Napoleonic Wars. It belonged to Cisleithanien until 1918. Important cities are Dubrovnik, Šibenik, Split and Zadar. The area was multilingual with Serbo-Croat as by far the largest. Italian was also an official language and military documents used Italian names, for instance Spalato (Split). The southernmost part is today ruled by Montenegro.

Dalmatia and k.u.k. Heer

Korpskommando Nr. 16 was located at Ragusa (Dubrovnik) which was the main garrison town in the border regions. Further there were army units stationed at Castelnuovo (Herceg-Novi), Trebinje, and Bileća. The latter two were in Hercegovina.

Of particular interest is Castelnuovo as it hosted the 47. Infanteriedivision. Assigned to this unit was also the 1st battalion of IR. 91 who had been garrisoned here since 1906 as part of 14. Gebirgsbrigade (14th Mountain Brigade). In 1907 and 1908 they were located in Budua (Budva), in 1909 and 1910 in Cattaro, in 1911 in Crkvice, in 1912 Perzagno (Prčanj), in 1913 and 1914 Teodo (Tivat)[1]. Individual units were at the outbreak of war scattered: Teodo, Kozmač, Sutomore, Castellastua (Petrovac). Staničičkaserne in Teodo was the main site of the battallion.

1. Years are according to from Schematismus and thus usually reflects the state of the previous year. When a unit is listed from 1907 it therefore means that they were moved here already in 1906.

Budva was actually the southernmost garrison in the entire empire. The former commander of IR. 91, 1. battalion, Franz Graf, later wrote that being sent there was like being exiled, having to "spend years away from women, beer and the domestic conviviality". Still, all who had been there agreed it was a beautiful place. The biggest problem was however the distance to home, and in the spring the soldiers from South Bohemia longed after some good beer. They could get hold of strong Dalmatian wine but it was often poisonous!

The battalion remained in the area also during the first month of the war but from 5 September 1914 they were transported by train to the front against Serbia further north. They joined the rest of the regiment as late as 1916, on the Italian front. At least one familiar name from The Good Soldier Švejk served in southern Dalmatia before the war: Josef Adamička. It is also possible that Jan Vaněk served here during the first month of the war. A more marginal figure from the novel, Oberleutnant Wurm, served here as commander of the battalion's machine gun unit.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.3] Jinej případ byl před léty v Dalmacii, tam kaprála podřezali a dodnes se neví, kdo to udělal. Zůstalo to zahalený v tajnosti, jen se ví tolik, že ten podřezanej kaprál se jmenoval Fiala a byl z Drábovny u Turnova

Also written:Dalmácie cz Dalmatien de Dalmacija hr

Literature
Drábovnann flag
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drabovna.jpg

Drábovna is mentioned when Švejk tells the story about Korporal Fiala from Drábovna by Turnov who had his throat slit by his own soldiers.

Background

Drábovna presumably refers to a rock formation by Malá Skála between Jablonec and Turnov.

It is not a populated place and nor was it inhabited before World War I either.

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Drábovna were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 94 (Turnau) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 10 (JungbuzlU).

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.3] Jinej případ byl před léty v Dalmacii, tam kaprála podřezali a dodnes se neví, kdo to udělal. Zůstalo to zahalený v tajnosti, jen se ví tolik, že ten podřezanej kaprál se jmenoval Fiala a byl z Drábovny u Turnova.
Literature
Turnovnn flag
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turnov.jpg
turnov.png

Ottův slovník naučný,1906

Turnov is mentioned when Švejk tells the story about Korporal Fiala from Drábovna by Turnov who had his throat slit by his own soldiers.

Background

Turnov is a town with appx. 15,000 inhabitants. It is situated in the Liberec district in the north of Czechia.

Demography

According to the 1910 census Turnov had 6,909 inhabitants of which 6,438 (93 per cent) reported that they used Czech in their daily speech. The judicial district was okres Turnov, administratively it reported to hejtmanství Turnov.

Source:Seznam míst v království Českém(1913)

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Turnov were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 94 (Turnau) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 10 (JungbuzlU). Turnov had some military significance with 551 persons employed by the armed forces. It was the seat of Ergänzungsbezirk and one battallion from Infanterieregiment Nr. 94 was garrisoned here.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.3] Jinej případ byl před léty v Dalmacii, tam kaprála podřezali a dodnes se neví, kdo to udělal. Zůstalo to zahalený v tajnosti, jen se ví tolik, že ten podřezanej kaprál se jmenoval Fiala a byl z Drábovny u Turnova
Madeirann flag
Wikipedia dadefrpt MapSearch
madeira.jpg

Почки в мадере

ledvinky.jpg

Kniha kuchařských předpisů,1925

Madeira is mentioned indirectly by the food-loving Feldoberkurat Lacina when he talks about kidneys à la Madeira on the train from Budějovice to Királyhida.

The night before he had been served this dish in the officer's casino in Budějovice and was very satisfied. The chef was a teacher from Skuteč and Lacina mentions this as an example of how preparing food requires intelligence.

On another occasion he had been served the same dish at the officer's dining room of k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 64 but there the chef was someone who in civilian life fed cattle at a large estate. The result corresponded.

Background

Madeira is an island in the Atlantic that belongs to Portugal but in The Good Soldier Švejk it is only indirectly referred to via a dish.

Kidneys in Madeira sauce

Kidneys in Madeira sauce is a Russian dish, mostly used as a starter[a]. The Russian name for it is Почки в мадере and a French variation is called Rognons de Veau. The Madeira sauce itself is of French origin and such named because Madeira wine is one of the ingredients.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.3] Bez inteligence může člověk žít v obyčejném nějakém zaměstnání a v životě, ale při kuchyni je to znát. Včera večer v Budějovicích v důstojnickém kasině podali nám mezi jiným ledvinky a la madeira. Kdo je dělal, tomu odpusť bůh všechny hříchy, to byl pravý inteligent, a také opravdu je v kuchyni tamější důstojnické menáže nějaký učitel ze Skutče. A tytéž ledvinky a la madeira jedl jsem v důstojnické mináži 64. landwehrregimentu. Dali do nich kmín, jako když se dělají v obyčejné hospodě na pepři. A kdo je dělal, čím byl ten kuchař v civilu? Krmič dobytka na jednom velkostatku.“
References
aKidneys in Madeira SauceAndrew Grygus
Skutečnn flag
Wikipedia czdeen MapSearch
skutec.jpg

Skuteč náměstí, 1912

skutec.png

Ottův slovník naučný,1905

Skuteč appears when Feldoberkurat Lacina reports in glowing terms about the excellent kidneys à la Madeira he had enjoyed at the officer's mess in Budějovice the day before. Such a great kidney dish, he insists, must have been prepared by a true intellectual, and it happened to a prepared by a teacher from Skuteč.

Background

Skuteč is a small town in the Pardubice region of Czechia, with around 5,000 inhabitants.

Demography

According to the 1910 census Skuteč had 4,345 inhabitants of which 4,330 (99 per cent) reported that they used Czech in their daily speech. The judicial district was okres Skuteč, administratively it reported to hejtmanství Vysoké Mýto.

Source:Seznam míst v království Českém(1913)

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Skuteč were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 98 (Hohenmauth) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 30 (Hohenmauth).

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.3] Bez inteligence může člověk žít v obyčejném nějakém zaměstnání a v životě, ale při kuchyni je to znát. Včera večer v Budějovicích v důstojnickém kasině podali nám mezi jiným ledvinky a la madeira. Kdo je dělal, tomu odpusť bůh všechny hříchy, to byl pravý inteligent, a také opravdu je v kuchyni tamější důstojnické menáže nějaký učitel ze Skutče. A tytéž ledvinky a la madeira jedl jsem v důstojnické mináži 64. landwehrregimentu.

Also written:Skutsch de

Hodonínnn flag
Wikipedia czdeen MapSearch
hodonin.jpg

Hodonín, 1912

hodonin.png

Ottův slovník naučný, 1897

Hodonín appears in a verse Švejk sings for Feldoberkurat Lacina on the train journey to Bruck. The theme is some Marína, a priest and a keg of wine. The field chaplain does not get angry despite the verse's suggestion of immorality amongst the clergy.

Background

Hodonín is a town in Moravia, best known as the birthplace of Professor Masaryk, from 1918 president of Czechoslovakia. It is situated in the south-eastern corner of Moravia, on the border with Slovakia.

See Marína for information about the song where the town is mentioned.

Demography

According to the 1910 census Hodonín had 12 197 inhabitants. The judicial district was okres Hodonín, administratively it reported to hejtmanství Hodonín.

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Hodonín were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 3 (Kremsier) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 25 (Kremsier).

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.3] Ide Marína od Hodonína, za ní pan farář s bečicú vína.

Also written:Göding de

Emmentalnn flag
Wikipedia czdeen MapSearch
emmental.jpg
emmental_adv.png

Danzers Armee-Zeitung,20.5.1915

emmental.png

Na vojně v Karpatech a Haliči, Ondřej Kypr,1917

Emmental is first mentioned indirectly by Feldoberkurat Lacina through the term Emmental cheese. On the train to Bruck, shortly before Vienna, he isnstructs Švejk om how to pick the best pieces.

In [III.2] the cheese plays a more prominent rile as in Budapest the men were promised 15 decagrammes of cheese that was to be handed out in Gödöllő. Hauptmann Ságner is requesting this, on behalf of his men, from the commander of the military railway station in Budapest, a major.

Background

Emmental is a valley in the Bern canton in Switzerland, named after the river Emme. It is best known for a hard cheese made from cow milk.

Emmental was not a protected denomination so the cheese in question probably came from Austria-Hungary. In the advert to the right 30 decagrammes are on offer, so durable that it can even be dispatched by Feldpost.

Hašek and Emmentaler

Jaroslav Hašek introduced Emmental cheese already in his poem Road to the battlefield from 1915. It was written down by Jan Vaněk in his diary and first published by Jan Morávek after the war[a]. Here Hašek reveals that his march battalion were given Emmental cheese in Pest, unlike Švejk's who were promised it here but had to wait.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.3] Bude-li se fasovat ementálský sýr, tak se postarejte, aby vám nedali z kraje, a uherský salám, tak žádnou špičku, pěkně ze středu, aby byl vláčný.
[III.2] „Pane majore,“ otázal se hejtman Ságner velitele vojenského nádraží, „dle rozkazů pluku, dle maršrúty jedeme do Gödölö. Mužstvo má zde dostat 15 deka ementálského sýra. Na poslední zastávce mělo mužstvo dostat 15 deka uherského salámu. Ale nedostalo ničeho.“

Sources: ÖNB, Morávek, wikipedia.de

Also written:Ementál cz

References
aJaroslav Hašek - dobrý voják ŠvejkVečerní České Slovo12.9.1924
Pohořelecnn flag
MapSearch
pohorelec.jpg

Pohled na jižní stranu náměstí Pohořelec s domy čp. 146, 147, 148, 149, 150...(zprava) na Hradčanech, 21.7.1929

pohorolec.png

Krásná vyhlídka indicated.

Orientáční plan hl. města Prahy,1909-1914

Pohořelec is mentioned when Švejk retells a story he had heard from a soldier who had reported sick by Przemyśl. During a bayonet charge he faced a huge Russian with a drop under his nose. When seeing the nosedrop he felt unwell and was carried to Hilfsplatz. From here was dispatched to some cholera barracks in Pest where he actually contracted cholera! When recuperating in Prague the soldier told his story in the restarurant na Vyhlídce at Pohořelec and this is where Švejk picked it up.

Background

Pohořelec is a street in the upper part of Hradčany, previously classed as an area. It has its name because it burnt down twice in medieval times. The current street stretches from the former Landwehr barracks down to Loretánské náměstí.

The barracks here were most of the time used by k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 8. It can also be added that Karl Schlager, the real-life model of Oberst Schröder, was born at Pohořelec in 1859.

Memoriál Matěje Kuděje

Pohořelec is also the starting point of the oldest Švejk-related event in the Czech Republic. Memoriál Matěje Kuděje is a theme pub-crawl in the honor of both Zdeněk Matěj Kuděj and Jaroslav Hašek. The tradition goes back to 1994.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.3] „Někdy,“ řekl Švejk, „se zas v gefechtu člověku udělá špatně, člověk si něco zvoškliví. Vypravoval v Praze na Pohořelci na ,Vyhlídce’ jeden nemocnej rekonvalescent od Přemyšlu, že tam někde pod festungem přišlo k útoku na bajonety a proti němu se vobjevil jeden Rus, chlap jako hora, a mazal si to na něho s bajonetem a měl pořádnou kapičku u nosu. Jak se mu von podíval na tu kapičku, na ten vozdr, že se mu hned udělalo špatně a musel jít na hilfsplac, kde ho uznali zamořenýho cholerou a odpravili do cholerovejch baráků do Pešti, kde se taky vopravdu nakazil cholerou.“
Literature
Pestnn flag
Wikipedia czdehuno MapSearch
pest.jpg

Országház, the Hungarian Parliament, 1906.

pest1.png

Neues Wiener Abendblatt,23.9.1910

Pest is mentioned when Švejk retells a story he had heard from a soldier who had reported sick by Przemyśl. During a bayonet charge he faced a huge Russian with a drop under his nose. When seeing the nosedrop he felt unwell and was carried to Hilfsplatz. From here was dispatched to some cholera barracks in Pest where he actually contracted cholera! When recuperating in Prague the soldier told his story in the restarurant na Vyhlídce at Pohořelec and this is where Švejk picked it up.

Background

Pest is the part of Budapest located on the eastern bank of the Danube. It is the administrative centre of Hungary, newer and more densely populated than Buda on the western bank. Pest was in 1914, apart from Vienna, the most important centre of power in the Dual Monarchy. It was an autonomous city until it was merged with Buda and Óbuda in 1873.

Cholerabarracks

In 1910 it was decided to build a new cholera barrack in Budapest but it is not known if it was in Buda or in Pest[a]. During the war Nachricthen über Verwundete und Verletzte frequently referrred to cholera barracks in Miskolc but rarely elsewhere[b].

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Pest were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 32 (Budapest) or Honvédinfanterieregiment Nr. 1 (Budapest).

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.3] „Někdy,“ řekl Švejk, „se zas v gefechtu člověku udělá špatně, člověk si něco zvoškliví. Vypravoval v Praze na Pohořelci na ,Vyhlídce’ jeden nemocnej rekonvalescent od Přemyšlu, že tam někde pod festungem přišlo k útoku na bajonety a proti němu se vobjevil jeden Rus, chlap jako hora, a mazal si to na něho s bajonetem a měl pořádnou kapičku u nosu. Jak se mu von podíval na tu kapičku, na ten vozdr, že se mu hned udělalo špatně a musel jít na hilfsplac, kde ho uznali zamořenýho cholerou a odpravili do cholerovejch baráků do Pešti, kde se taky vopravdu nakazil cholerou.“

Also written:Pešť cz

References
aDie Cholera in UngarnNeues Wiener Abendblatt23.9.1910
bNr. 424Nachricthen über Verwundete und Kranke13.5.1915
Viennann flag
Wikipedia czdeennnno MapSearch Švejkova cesta Švejkův slovník
wien.jpg

K. k. Hofburg, Reichskanzleitrakt; Kaiser Franz-Monument, 1916

wiennetz.png

The railway network around 1905

ostbahn.jpg

Ostbahnhof, until 1914 Staatsbahnhof

wienstats.png

Allgemeines Verzeichnis der Ortsgemeinden und Ortsschaften Österreichs,1915

Vienna is mentioned 54 times in The Good Soldier Švejk.

Vienna appears several times in the story, and mentioned first in [I.1] during the conversation at U kalicha. The city is mentioned 8 times in the first chapter.

The plot briefly takes place here when the train with Ersatzbataillon IR. 91 stops at a railway station in Vienna on the way from Budějovice to Királyhida. Here Švejk finally gets back to Oberleutnant Lukáš after he has been permitted to leave the arrest wagon to provide food for the gluttonous Feldoberkurat Lacina. The narrative from Vienna contains some observations from the author where he relates how the atmosphere now has turned gloomy after the initial euphoria at the outbreak of war.

Background

Vienna is the capital of Austria and one of the nine states in the federation. In March 2004 the city had a population of more than 1.6 million. The river Danube flows through the northern outskirts of the city.

The city was the capital of Austria-Hungary during the whole existence of the Dual Monarchy. The Emperors of the House of Habsburg held court in the palaces of Hofburg and Schönbrunn and the declaration of war on Serbia was issued from Vienna.

IR. 91 through Wien

No station names are mentioned in The Good Soldier Švejk but Josef Novotný's diary reveals that Ersatzbataillon IR. 91 passed the city in late evening on 1 June 1915 on the way from Budějovice to Királyhida [a]. They were provided a meal at Franz-Josefs Bahnhof and they passed several stations after this. Only at 2 AM the next morning did they arrive in Bruck. More details are presented in the entry a railway station in Vienna.

The good soldier Švejk in captivity

In Dobrý voják Švejk v zajetí Vienna is mentioned because Švejk travels through on the way to the internment camp at Thalerhof by Graz. In Vienna some German women with sqeaky voices shouted: "Nieder mit den Serben!" Švejk also enjoyed a stay at some madhouse in the city. Vienna is mentioned 16 times (includes adjective forms). Otherwise Tegethoff is mentioned and also some Ryptaschek.[1]

Ve Vídni se s jich transportem přihodil malý omyl. Jejich vagón přidali v Benešově k vojenskému vlaku vezoucímu vojáky na srbské bojiště. Německé paní házely i do jejich vagónu květiny a písklavými hlasy křičely: "Nieder mit den Serben!"

Druhý den odvezli Švejka do Vídně k pozorování na psychiatrickou kliniku.

Demography

According to the 1910 census Vienna had 2 032 498 inhabitants. Thus it was by far the most populous city in the Dual Monarchy. It consisted of 21 Bezirke (districts)[b].

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Vienna were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 4 (Wien) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 1 (Wien). In addition to IR. 4 (Hoch- und Deutschmeister) Infanterieregiment Nr. 84 was also recruited from the capital. The city had a large garrison and obviously also housed superior institutions like k.u.k. Kriegsministerium and k.k. Ministerium für Landesverteidigung. In total the armed forces employed more than 26,000 in the city.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.3] Ve Vídni se s jich transportem přihodil malý omyl. Jejich vagón přidali v Benešově k vojenskému vlaku vezoucímu vojáky na srbské bojiště. Německé paní házely i do jejich vagónu květiny a písklavými hlasy křičely: "Nieder mit den Serben!"
[II.3] Druhý den odvezli Švejka do Vídně k pozorování na psychiatrickou kliniku.
[I.1] Civilní strážník Bretschneider definitivně umlkl a jeho zachmuřený výraz se zlepšil teprve příchodem Švejka, který, vstoupiv do hospody, poručil si černé pivo s touto poznámkou: „Ve Vídni dneska taky mají smutek.“
[I.2] „Mne vůbec žádná vražda nezajímá, ať je třebas v Praze, ve Vídni, v Sarajevu nebo v Londýně.
[I.7] A tak v době, kdy Vídeň si přála, aby všichni národové Rakousko-Uherska dávali nejskvělejší příklady věrnosti a oddanosti, předepsal doktor Pávek Švejkovi proti jeho vlasteneckému nadšení brom a doporučoval statečnému a hodnému vojínu Švejkovi, aby nemyslil na vojnu.
[I.8] Psali poslancům do Vídně, aby se jich ujmuli, a ti začali dávat interpelaci jednu za druhou, že je náš pan obršt zvíře a podobně. Nějakej ministr poslal k nám komisi, aby to vyšetřila, a nějakej Franta Henčlů ze Hluboký dostal potom dva roky, poněvadž to byl ten, co se vobrátil do Vídně k poslancům kvůli tý facce, kerou dostal na cvičišti od pana obršta.
[I.10.2] Počal se hlasitě smát, ale za chvíli zesmutněl a apaticky se díval na Švejka pronášeje: „Dovolte, pane, já vás již někde viděl. Nebyl jste ve Vídni? Pamatuji se na vás ze semináře.“
[I.11.2] Slavný polní oltář byl od jedné židovské firmy, Moritz Mahler ve Vídni, která vyráběla všemožné mešní potřeby a předměty náboženské, jako růžence a obrázky svatých.
[I.14.5] Turci se drží dobře," odpověděl nadporučík, uváděje ho opět ke stolu, "předseda turecké sněmovny Hali bej a Ali bej přijeli do Vídně.
[II.1] Landverák si odplivl: „U nás v Čáslavi byl jeden redaktor z Vídně, Němec. Sloužil jako fähnrich. S námi nechtěl česky ani mluvit, ale když ho přidělili k maršce, kde byli samí Češi, hned uměl česky.“
[II.2] Je profous doma? On spí, hochu, klidně, zde armády je těžiště, než nový befel přijde opět z Vídně, že ztraceno je celé bojiště.
[II.2] Mladý Dauerling po hrozném zápase s čtyřmi třídami nižší reálky, které vystudoval soukromě, přičemž předčasně zešedivěl a zblbl jeho domácí učitel a druhý chtěl skočit v zoufalství se svatoštěpánské věže ve Vídni, přišel do hainburské kadetní školy.
[II.2] Teď vydali ve Vídni ,Zápisník jednoročního dobrovolníka’ a tam je tento úchvatný verš v českém překladě:...
[II.3] "A teď si do Vídně ještě drobátko schrupnu," řekl vrchní polní kurát, "a přeji si, abyste mne probudili, jakmile přijedeme do Vídně.
[II.3] "Oběd bude až ve Vídni, pane feldkurát," přihlásil se ke slovu desátník.
[II.3] Blížili se k Vídni. Ti, kteří nespali, pozorovali z okna drátěné překážky a opevnění u Vídně, což vyvolalo patrně v celém vlaku pocit jisté stísněnosti.
[II.3] Vídeň je vůbec důležité město,“ pokračoval, „jenom co mají divokejch zvířat v tej schönbrunnskej menažerii. Když jsem byl před lety ve Vídni, tak jsem se nejradši chodil dívat na vopice, ale když jede nějaká osobnost z císařskýho hradu, tak tam nikoho nepouštěj přes kordon. Byl se mnou jeden krejčí z desátýho okresu a toho zavřeli, poněvadž chtěl mermocí ty vopice vidět.“.
[II.3] Jestli ozýval se ještě neustále z vagónů řev skopčáků od Kašperských Hor: "Wann ich kumm, wann ich kumm, wann ich wieda, wieda kumm," nyní umlkl pod nepříjemným dojmem ostnatých drátů, kterými byla Vídeň zadrátována.
[II.3] Uvítání ve Vídni sestávalo ze tří členkyň spolku Rakouského červeného kříže a ze dvou členkyň nějakého válečného spolku vídeňských paní a dívek, jednoho oficielního zástupce vídeňského magistrátu a vojenského zástupce. Na všech těch tvářích bylo vidět únavu. Vlaky s vojskem jezdily dnem i nocí, sanitní vozy projížděly s raněnými každou hodinu, na nádražích přehazovali s koleje na druhou kolej každou chvíli vozy se zajatci a při všem tom museli být členové těch všech různých korporací a spolků. Šlo to ze dne na den a původní nadšení měnilo se v zívání. Střídali se v té službě a každý z nich, který se objevil na některém vídeňském nádraží, měl týž unavený výraz jako ti, kteří očekávali dnes vlak s budějovickým plukem.
[II.3] „Zde v hotelích to nepůjde, budu ji muset zatáhnout do Vídně,“ pomyslil si ještě nadporučík; „vezmu si komandýrovku.“
[II.3] ... sestřenice z otcovy strany že se vrhla ve Vídni z šestýho patra ...

Also written:Vídeň cz Wien de Bécs hu

Literature
References
aZ mých válečných pamětíJosef Novotný (ed. Jan Ciglbauer)2021
bAllgemeines Verzeichnis der Ortsgemeinden und Ortsschaften ÖsterreichsK.K. Statistische Zentralkommission1915
1Dobrý voják Švejk v zajetíJaroslav Hašek1917
X. Bezirknn flag
Wikipedia czdeen MapSearch
favoriten.jpg

Wien, X/1., Laxenburgerstraße, vor 1907

favoriten1.jpg

Kalendář Čechů vídeňských,1896

X. Bezirk is mentioned by Švejk when he on the train to Királyhida offers his thoughts on the capital. Together with a tailor from this district he had visisted Schönbrunner Menagerie to look at the monkeys.

Background

X. Bezirk refers to Vienna's 10th district, also known as Favoriten, one of the capital's 21 districts[a]. It is located south of the centre and hosted the two railway stations Ostbahnhof and Südbahnhof, and also Heeresmuseum. The district administration was located at Keplerplatz 5[c].

The district is now the most populous in Vienna and around 10 prosent of it's inhabitants live here. Keplerplatz is historically regarded as the centre of Favoriten. The two mentioned railway stations were at the beginning of the 21st century demolished and replaced by the modern Hauptbahnhof.

Before World War I Favoriten had a strong Czech presence as 23,847 reported Czech as their day-to-day language (Umgangssprache). The real number was probably a lot higher[b].

Demography

According to the 1910 census X. Bezirk had 152 397 inhabitants. This made it the fourth most populous district behind after XVI. Ottakring, II. Leopoldstadt and III. Landstrasse.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.3] Vídeň je vůbec důležité město,“ pokračoval, „jenom co mají divokejch zvířat v tej schönbrunnskej menažerii. Když jsem byl před lety ve Vídni, tak jsem se nejradši chodil dívat na vopice, ale když jede nějaká osobnost z císařskýho hradu, tak tam nikoho nepouštěj přes kordon. Byl se mnou jeden krejčí z desátýho okresu a toho zavřeli, poněvadž chtěl mermocí ty vopice vidět.“.

Also written:10th District en 10. okres cz 10. distrikt no

Literature
References
aAllgemeines Verzeichnis der Ortsgemeinden und Ortsschaften ÖsterreichsK.K. Statistische Zentralkommission1915
bVídeň praktický rádce a průvodceAntonín Záruba1908
cLehmanns Wohnungs-Anzeiger WienAlfred Hölder1915
Királyhidann flag
Wikipedia deenhu MapSearch Švejkova cesta Švejkův slovník
bruckneudorf.jpg

Tábori útca/Lagerstrasse, 1907

kh_kafe.jpg

Ungarische Kaffeehaus in Királyhida

Királyhida is mentioned 23 times in The Good Soldier Švejk.

Királyhida plays a key role in the novel as roughly half the plot of Part Two and a little of the first chapter of Part Three takes place here and in Bruck an der Leitha, the twin town across the river. In total around one eight of the story in The Good Soldier Švejk is set in these twin towns.

The most famous episode occurs when Švejk and Sappeur Vodička botch an attempt to deliver a letter of admiration from Oberleutnant Lukáš to Etelka Kakonyi, the wife of an ironmonger in Soproni utca. The husband reads the letter and an almighty row erupts between Hungarians and Czechs. To protect his superior, Švejk first claims he has written the letter himself, and then swallows it to hide the evidence. It still turns into a major scandal, ending up in the local and national press, and with the ever unfortunate Švejk getting locked up once again.

The author also reveals his impressions both from the military camp and the twin towns: the omnipresent prostitution, the conditions for ordinary soldiers versus officers, widespread ethnic strife, rampant fraud, and a labyrinth of military bureaucracy.

Background

Királyhida is the Hungarian name of the town Bruckneudorf in the Austrian state of Burgenland. Only the river Leitha separates it from Bruck an der Leitha in Lower Austria. The river was before 1921 an even more important administrative divide; it separated the two parts of Austria-Hungary: Transleithanien and Cisleithanien. Bruckneudorf was founded around the railway station (1846) and later grew considerably. In 1867, the authorities established the military training ground Brucker Lager here. After Ausgleich in 1867 it was, like the rest of Burgenland, ruled from Hungary. The town was renamed Királyhida in 1898, in line with the general policy of "magyarisation".

Changed spelling
khida21.png

Osudy dobrého vojáka Švejka za světové války, Jaroslav Hašek, 1921

Jaroslav Hašek consistently wrote Király Hida, but this has been "corrected" in later revisions of the novel. The spelling Király-Hida however appeared, but the town's name in one word was far more common and no doubt the official spelling. There are several more cases in The Good Soldier Švejk where geographical names have been changed in subsequent editions.

Demography

According to the 1910 census Királyhida had 1 034 inhabitants. The judicial district was Nezsider, administratively it reported to vármegye Moson.

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Királyhida were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 76 (Sopron) or Honvédinfanterieregiment Nr. 18 (Sopron).

Tamás Herczeg, 4.11.2022
kiralyhida.png

Vasuti és közlekedési közlöny,15.1.1915

The official Hungarian name of Bruck an der Leitha was in 1915 Királyhida. Enclosed you will find a copy of the official Railway and transport gazette from 1915 (Királyhida vasút...). BUT! Hasek might be right, as some newspapers in German language mentioned Királyhida as Király hida or Király Hida. You can see one example of it in another enclosed document from 1915 that mentions Bartak Anton from Király hida among the names of fallen soldiers. kiralyhida.png

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.3] 3. ŠVEJKOVY PŘÍHODY V KIRÁLYHIDĚ
[II.3] Jednadevadesátý pluk se stěhoval do Mostu nad Litavou - Királyhidy.
[II.3] Most nad Litavou zářil, stejně jako na druhé straně za mostem svítila Királyhida, Cislajtanie i Translajtanie. V obou městech, uherském i rakouském, hrály cikánské kapely, zářily okna kaváren a restaurací, zpívalo se, pilo. Místní měšťáci i úřednictvo vodilo sem do kaváren a restaurací své paničky a dospělé dcery a Most nad Litavou, Bruck an der Leitha, a Királyhida nebyly nic jiného než jeden velký bordel.
[II.3] Major se opět vrátil k regimentu, když byla v Srbsku konstatována jeho úplná neschopnost na Drině. Mluvilo se o tom, že dal rozebrat a zničit pontonový most, když měl ještě půl svého batalionu na druhé straně. Nyní byl přidělen k vojenské střelnici v Királyhidě jako velitel a měl také co dělat s hospodářstvím v táboře.
[II.3] Ani jsem nečekal na kafe a hned jsem šel z baráku do Királyhidy, a z toho vzteku jsem na nic jinýho nemyslel než najít si v městě nějakou tichou putyku, vožrat se tam a udělat tam kravál, dát někomu přes držku a jít vybouřenej domů.
[II.4] Potom přijedu sem do Királyhidy a udělám tady takový binec, že to svět neviděl a že se budou lidi schovávat do sklepa, až se dozvědí, že jsem se přišel podívat na ty rošťáky v Királyhidě, na ty lumpy, na ty pacholky.

Sources: Josef Novotný, Jan Morávek, Bohumil Vlček, Klara Köttner-Benigni, Tamás Herczeg

Also written:Király Hida Hašek Bruckneudorf de

Literature
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bruck.jpg

Bruck an der Leitha, 1909

bruck1.jpg

Bruck an der Leitha, Hauptplatz, vor 1905

Bruck an der Leitha is mentioned 37 times in The Good Soldier Švejk.

Bruck an der Leitha plays a crucial role in the novel as roughly one eight of the plot takes place here and in the Hungarian twin town Királyhida.

Background

Bruck an der Leitha is a town by the river Leitha in Lower Austria. Only the river separates it from Bruckneudorf (until 1921 Királyhida) in Burgenland. The river was at that time an even more important administrative divide than now; it separated the two parts of the Dual Monarchy, Cisleithanien and Transleithanien.

The two towns are often confused, and for understandable reasons. It is and was one single conurbation and both Bruck-Királyhida pályaudvar and Brucker Lager were actually located in Királyhida. The latter was originally a mere suburb of Bruck but the two places became separated when Ausgleich resulted in a new state border between them.

IR. 91 and Hašek in Bruck-Királyhida

According to newspaper reports Ersatzbataillon IR. 91 was transferred to Bruck an der Leitha - Királyhida on 1 June 1915[a]. The staff of the replacement battalion was located in Schloss Prugg, and the men were lodged in wooden barracks in Brucker Lager across the Leitha in Királyhida[b].

Jaroslav Hašek was one of the soldiers who was transferred, exactly as described in the novel. He was assigned to the XII. Marschbataillon which consisted of four march companies. His company commander was Rudolf Lukas, the march battalion was commanded by Franz Wenzel. The march battalion departed for the front 30 June 1915, at 8:15 PM[a].

Hašek reportdely tried to avoid the departure and went missing for three days. During the month here he was often drunk and was from time to time arrested and brought to Hauptwache to sober up[c].

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Bruck an der Leitha were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 84 (Wien) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 1 (Wien).

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.3] Jednadevadesátý pluk se stěhoval do Mostu nad Litavou - Királyhidy.
[II.3] Místo něho odpověděl dobrácky Švejk: "Do Brucku nás vezou, jestli chtějí, pane obrfeldkurát, můžou ject s námi."
[II.3] Švejk přistoupil k páteru Lacinovi, obrátil ho ke stěně a znalecky řekl: "Ten bude chrnět až do Brucku," a vrátil se na své místo, provázen zoufalým pohledem nešťastného desátníka, který poznamenal: "Abych to šel snad oznámit".
[II.3] "Švejk Josef, poslušně hlásím, pane lajtnant " "Ehm, vy jste tedy ten známý Švejk," řekl doktor Mráz, "vy jste měl opravdu vyjít o jedenácté. Ale pan nadporučík Lukáš mne žádal, abych vás nepouštěl až v Brucku, je prý to bezpečnější, alespoň na cestě nic nevyvedete."
[II.3] Posadil se opět se slovy: "Kam to vlastně jedeme?" "Do Brucku, poslušné hlásím." "A proč jedeme do Brucku?" "Poslušné hlásím, že je tam přeloženej náš celej jednadevadesátej regiment". Páter počal opět úsilovně přemýšlet, co se to vlastně s ním stalo, jak se dostal do vagónu a proč vlastně jede do Brucku a právě s jednadevadesátým regimentem v průvodu nějaké eskorty.
[II.3] Nad vojenským táborem v Mostě panovalo noční ticho. V barácích pro mužstvo třásli se vojáci zimou a v důstojnických barácích otvírali okna, poněvadž bylo přetopeno. Od jednotlivých objektů, před kterými stály stráže, ozývaly se občas kroky hlídky, která si plašila chůzí spánek. Dole v Mostě nad Litavou zářily světla z c. k. továrny na masité konservy, kde se pracovalo dnem i nocí a zpracovávaly se různé odpadky. Poněvadž šel odtud vítr do alejí ve vojenském táboře, šel sem smrad z hnijících šlach, kopyt, paznehtů a kostí, které vařili do polévkových konserv.

Sources: Josef Novotný, Jan Morávek, Bohumil Vlček, Klara Köttner-Benigni, Wolfgang Gruber

Also written:Most nad Litavou cz Lajtabruck hu

Literature
References
aOdchod 91. plukuJihočeské listy2.6.1915
bZ mých válečných pamětíJosef Novotný (ed. Jan Ciglbauer)2021
cJaroslav Hašek - dobrý voják ŠvejkVečerní České Slovo - Jan Morávek1924
dVálečný deník Jana VaňkaJan Vaněk (ed. Jaroslav Šerák)2014
Leithann flag
Wikipedia czdeennn MapSearch Švejkova cesta Švejkův slovník
leitha.jpg

Cisleithanien to the left, Transleithanien to the right. 2010.

Leitha is part of the story as the larger part of the plot in Part Two takes part in Királyhida and Bruck, towns situated on opposite banks of the river.

Background

Leitha is a 180 km long river that flows through parts of Austria and Hungary. It empties into Danube near Mosonmagyaróvár.

The otherwise insignificant river gave in the times of Austria-Hungary rise to the expressions Cisleithanien and Transleithanien, a fact that Hašek explains in the novel. Seen from Vienna, Cisleithanien was the land this side of the Leitha, while Transleithanien was the land beyond. In daily speech the terms were synonymous with the Austrian and Hungarian parts of the monarchy respectively.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.3] Od opuštěného pavilónku, kde dřív za času míru fotografoval nějaký fotograf vojáky trávící zde mládí na vojenské střelnici, bylo vidět dole v údolí u Litavy červené elektrické světlo v bordelu „U kukuřičného klasu“, který poctil svou návštěvou arcivévoda Štěpán při velkých manévrech u Šoproně v roce 1908 a kde se scházela denně důstojnická společnost.
[II.3] Tam u řeky až mezi zahradami našel jsem vopravdu takovej lokál, tichej jako kaple, jako stvořenej pro kravál.
[II.3] A kdyby byl někdo v průjezdě a rozuměl česky, byl by zaslechl již že schodů hlasitěji pronesené Vodičkovo heslo "Ty Maďary neznáš...", heslo, ku kterému on došel v tichém lokále nad řekou Litavou, mezi zahradami slavné Királyhidy, obklopené vrchy, na které budou vojáci vzpomínat vždy s proklínáním při vzpomínkách na ty všechny übunky do světové války i za světové války, na kterých se cvičili teoreticky k praktickým masakrům a řežím.
[II.3] Co si troufá cizota v naší maďarské vlasti, o tom svědčí nejlépe případ v Királyhidé, maďarské výspě nad Litavou.
[II.4] Člověk míní, ale pánbůh mění. Tam u řeky až mezi zahradami našel jsem vopravdu takovej lokál, tichej jako kaple, jako stvořenej pro kravál.

Also written:Litava cz Lajta hu

Literature
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Királyhida Pándorfalui út

soproniutca.png

Die „Abenteuer des Braven Soldaten Schwejk” in Österreich1983

Soproni utca No. 16 in Királyhida is the scene of the famous and ill-fated attempt by Švejk and Sappeur Vodička to deliverer the letter of admiration from Oberleutnant Lukáš to the enchanting Etelka Kakonyi. In this street Mr. Kakonyi owned an ironmonger's shop and lived with his wife on the first floor.

Background

Soproni utca was according to the narrative in The Good Soldier Švejk some street in Királyhida. There is however no historical evidence that such a street existed so one must assume that Hašek invented the name or had another street in mind.

Whether an ironmonger's shop actually existed in Királyhida is not known, but in Bruck there was at least one such enterprise[a].

The good soldier Švejk in captivity

In the short novel Dobrý voják Švejk v zajetí (1917) he lets the Kakonyi couple live in Pozsony utca 13, another street that didn't exist. Here Mr. Kakonyi is the owner of a stationary shop. This there is every reason to believe that the author in both books invented both the street names and the numbers.[1]

Švejk nalévat koňak, který je tak důležitou oporou politické psychologie němectví. Pak Dauerling napsal nějaké psaní a odevzdal je Švejkovi s rozkazem, že musí hledět to psaní doručit za jakýchkoliv okolností a čekat na odpověď. Adresa zněla: Királyhida, Pozsony utca 13, Etelka Kakonyi.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.3] Švejk nalévat koňak, který je tak důležitou oporou politické psychologie němectví. Pak Dauerling napsal nějaké psaní a odevzdal je Švejkovi s rozkazem, že musí hledět to psaní doručit za jakýchkoliv okolností a čekat na odpověď. Adresa zněla: Királyhida, Pozsony utca 13, Etelka Kakonyi.
[II.3] Sedněte si, Švejku, a nechte si to ,dle rozkazu’. Držte hubu a dávejte dobrý pozor. Víte, kde je v Királyhidě Sopronyi utcza? Nechte si pořád to vaše: Poslušně hlásím, pane obrlajtnant, že nevím. Nevíte, tak řekněte nevím, a basta. Napište si na kousek papíru: ,Sopronyi utcza, č.16’. V tom domě je železářský krám.
[II.3] Obdržel informace od garderobierky, že jsou to manželé Kákonyiovi, pán že má na Sopronyi utcza čís. 16 železářský závod.
[II.3] Nadporučík zabalil se opět do deky, ze které ho Švejk vytáhl, a spal dál, zatímco Švejk putoval dál do Királyhidy. Najít Sopronyi utczu čís. 16 nebylo by bývalo tak těžké, kdyby ho náhodou nebyl potkal starý sapér Vodička, který byl přidělen k „štajerákům“, jejichž kasárna byla dole v lágru. Vodička bydlíval před léty v Praze na Bojišti, a proto při takovém setkání nezbylo nic jiného, než že oba zašli do hospody „U černého beránka“ v Brucku, kde byla známá číšnice Růženka, Češka, které byli všichni čeští jednoročáci, kteří kdy byli v lágru, nějaký obnos dlužni.
[II.3] Vodička po celé cestě do Sopronyi utcza čís. 16 projevoval ohromnou nenávist vůči Maďarům a vypravoval neustále, jak se všude s nimi pere, kde se všude a kdy s nimi sepral a co mu kdy a kde zabránilo, aby se s nimi nepopral.
[II.3] Za tohoto poutavého a poučného rozhovoru našel Švejk s Vodičkou konečně železářský krám pana Kákonyie na Sopronyi utcza čís. 16.

Sources: Klara Köttner-Benigni, Konrad Biricz

Also written:Sopronyi utcza/Šopronyi utcza Hašek

Literature
References
aDie „Abenteuer des Braven Soldaten Schwejk” in ÖsterreichKlara Köttner-Benigni - Konrad Biricz1983
1Dobrý voják Švejk v zajetíJaroslav Hašek1917
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parndorf.jpg

Parndorf, 13.7.1899

Pausdorf is mentioned by Sappeur Vodička when he tells Švejk that he was about to beat up a certain Landwehrsoldat Purkrábek from k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 16 because he mistook him for a Hungarian.

Background

Pausdorf is said to have been a village where the engineering soldiers went for wine. The only identified Pausdorf is however in Bavaria so this is probably a mix-up with Parndorf (hu. Pándorfalu), a town between Bruck an der Leitha and Neusiedler See. The town was at the time predominantly Croatian and was no typical wine village, so it's not entirely obvious.

Podersdorf is on the other hand a wine village and is phonetically more similar to Pausdorf but weighing against this hypothesis is that is is much further from Királyhida than Parndorf is.

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Parndorf were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 76 (Sopron) or Honvédinfanterieregiment Nr. 18 (Sopron).

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.3] „Jednou ti už takovýho kluka maďarskýho držím za chřtán v Pausdorfě, kam jsme šli my saperáci na víno, a chci mu dát jednu überšvunkem přes kokos v tý tmě, poněvadž jsme hned, jak to začlo, praštili láhví do visací lampy, a von najednou začne křičet: ,Tondo, dyť to jsem já, Purkrábek, vod 16. landwehr!’
Literature
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neusiedl.jpg

Neusiedler See, 16.6.1910

breitenbrunn.jpg

Breitenbrunn is a possible scene of the huge brawl between Czech and Hungarian soldiers by Neusiedler See.

neusiedl1.jpg

Světozor,17.11.1905

Neusiedler See is mentioned by Sappeur Vodička when he tells Švejk about a fight between Czechs and Hungarians in a village by the sea.

Background

Neusiedler See is a large shallow lake which straddles the border of Austria and Hungary. Jaroslav Hašek wrote several short stories from the area in 1905. At the time the whole sea was on Hungarian territory, today almost all of it is inside Austria.

Breitenbrunn

The village by the sea that Vodička refers to is not mentioned by name but Klara Köttner-Benigni presents a well-founded theory about what may have inspired Hašek when he wrote this sequence of The Good Soldier Švejk. In Breitenbrunn there was an inn that suits Vodička's description in an anecdote he tells Švejk in Királyhida. The place in question was the commmunity hall, also known as Großes Wirtshaus, now Die Prangerschenke[a] and is still operating (2023). Supporting this theory is that such large pubs were uncommon in the area and that Breitenbrunn is located quite cose to Brucker Lager. The neighbouring village Winden am See would also be a candidate.

On the web page of Prangerschenke it is stated that "it is assumed that this is where the big brawl in The Good Soldier Švejk took place"[b].

Die Prangerschencke

Es wird vermutet, dass sich auch die Wirtshausrauferei des „Braven Soldaten Schweik“ von Jaroslav Hasek in diesem ehrwürdigen Gemäuer abgespielt hat, in der die tschechischen Soldaten Ihre ungarischen Kameraden kopfüber aus den Fenstern hängen haben lassen.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.3] Málem by to byla bejvala mejlka. Zato jsme jim to tam, tajtrlíkům maďarským, vodplatili pořádně u Neziderskýho jezera, na který jsme se šli před třemi tejdny podívat. Leží tam ve vedlejší vsi nějaký oddělení strojních pušek nějakejch honvédů, a my jsme náhodou všichni zašli do jedný hospody, kde voni tančili ten svůj čardáš jako pominutý a roztahovali si držku na celý kolo se svým ,Uram, uram, biró uram’ nebo ,Láňok, láňok, láňok a faluba’.

Sources: Klara Köttner-Benigni

Also written:Lake Neusiedl en Neziderské jezero cz Fertő hu Neusiedlersjøen no

Literature
References
aDie „Abenteuer des Braven Soldaten Schwejk” in ÖsterreichKlara Köttner-Benigni - Konrad Biricz1983
bDie Geschichte der PrangerschenckeDie Prangerschenke
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cachtice.png

Hůla's unconvincing explanation

© LA-PNP

cachtice.jpg

Hašek's postcard from 1.9.1901

cachtice1.jpg

The text on Hašek's postcard

Lidský profil Jaroslava Haška, Radko Pytlík, 1978

Šaščín is mentioned indirectly through the term "the monster of Šaščín" in the story Švejk tells Sappeur Vodička about liquor trader Paroubek from Libeň.

Background

Šaščín is according to Břetislav Hůla the pilgrimage site Šaštín in the Nitra district in Slovakia but in an unconvincing manner he links it to the novel Šaščinká bestie by the Slovak author Jožo Nižnánsky. The catch is that this author never wrote any novel such named but rather one called Čachtická pani.

Elisabeth Báthory

The main character of the novel was the Hungarian duchess Elisabeth Báthory (hu. Báthori Erzsébet) (1560-1615) who is believed to have killed young women and then took baths in their blood to become beautiful. Nižnánsky's novel was however published in 1932 which is ten years after Hašek wrote this part of The Good Soldier Švejk. Despite all the confusion it is still obvious that both Břetislav Hůla and Švejk had Čachtice in mind.

Hašek in Čachtice

That Hašek was aware of Báthory is beyond doubt as he personally visited Čachtice. On 1 September 1901 he even dispatched a postcard from here where the bloodthirsty lady is pictured on the card and he also mentioned her directly.

Anna Darvulia from Šaštín

Jaroslav Šerák points to a study that reveals that Báthory didn't commit the misdeeds all on her own, that she had several women helping her. The most important of them was Anna Darvulia who actually was from Šaštín[a]. Despite being far less known than Báthory she was every bit as cruel and it may well be that Švejk knew about here and that she was his monster from Šaščín.

Eva Kozlová (2010)

Anna Darvuliová ze Šaštína (Darvulie) žila v Čachticích od roku 1594. Všichni svědci se shodli na tom, že právě ona na Alžbětu zhoubně působila, prý ji učila stále účinnější způsoby mučení. Zabývala se výrobou lektvarů, léčitelstvím a okultismem, praktikovala černou magii a údajně hraběnku léčila hypnózou. Stala se nejbližší rádkyní své paní, měla na ni obrovský vliv, byla jí neustále k dispozici a zajišťovala jí léčivé koupele, masáže a bylinné odvary, ale také přírodní drogy.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.3] Potom ještě řekl Paroubkovi, že je huncút a šaščínská bestie, tak ho milej Paroubek chyt, votlouk mu jeho pastě na myši a dráty vo hlavu a vyhodil ho ven a mlátil ho po ulici tyčí na stahování rolety až dolů na Invalidovnu a hnal ho, jak byl zdivočelej, přes Invalidovnu v Karlíně až nahoru na Žižkov, vodtud přes Židovský pece do Malešic, kde vo něj konečně tyč přerazil, takže se moh vrátit nazpátek do Libně.

Sources: Břetislav Hůla, Jaroslav Šerák, Eva Kozlová

Also written:Csejte hu

Literature
References
aObraz Alžběty Báthory v historických románechEva Kozlová2010
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Obrazový zpravodaj,13.2.1905

Židovské pece appears in the story Švejk tells Sappeur Vodička about the liquor trader Paroubek who chased a Slovak across Karlín and Žižkov all the way to Malešice.

Background

Židovské pece is a park in the eastern part of Žižkov, towards Malešice. At Hašek's time it was a rural area. The origin av the name is according to some sources that Jews hid there during pogroms around 1744, during the reign Maria Theresa.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.3] Potom ještě řekl Paroubkovi, že je huncút a šaščínská bestie, tak ho milej Paroubek chyt, votlouk mu jeho pastě na myši a dráty vo hlavu a vyhodil ho ven a mlátil ho po ulici tyčí na stahování rolety až dolů na Invalidovnu a hnal ho, jak byl zdivočelej, přes Invalidovnu v Karlíně až nahoru na Žižkov, vodtud přes Židovský pece do Malešic, kde vo něj konečně tyč přerazil, takže se moh vrátit nazpátek do Libně.

Also written:Jewish Furnaces Parrott Jewish Kilns Sadlon Judenöfen de Jødeomnane no

Neklanova ulicenn flag
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neklanova.jpg

Pohled do Neklanovy ulice směrem severozápadním, kolem 1930

Neklanova ulice is mentioned in connection with the story about locksmith Voborník who was such a good man that he brought a drinking companion home. His wife did not approve though. This is a story that Švejk tells Sappeur Vodička to encourage him to keep a low profile during his assignment to deliver the letter to Etelka Kakonyi.

Background

Neklanova ulice is a street in Vyšehrad that stretches along the railway line in the Botič valley.

A tragic event

In the autumn of 1909 newspapers reported a grotesque event that took place in a pub at No. 80 in this street. The young electro-installer Jindřich Stepien shot himself in the mouth with revolver in full view of his comrades and other pub guests. Amongst them were three men describes as technicians, including a certain Jaroslav Hašek.

It is however unlikely that it was the author Jaroslav Hašek who witnessed the tragedy. The witness Hašek is described as technician (or an engineering student), and it was reported that he lived in Ječná ulice. At the time the author officially resided above Klamovka. On the other hand Hašek socialised a lot with engineering students but it appears strange that he would give the police a false address and also lie about his occupation. In any case there is no connection between the anecdote in the novel and the tragic suicide.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.3] „Z toho tě, Vodičko, vyvedu. Víš, kde je na Vyšehradě Neklanova ulice? Tam měl dílnu zámečník Voborník. Byl to člověk spravedlivej a jednoho dne, když se vrátil domů z flámu, tak si s sebou přived ještě jednoho flamendra spát.
Literature
Michlenn flag
Wikipedia czen MapSearch
michle.jpg

Průhled ulicí U plynárny v Michli při úpravě kolejí. Kol. 1920.

Michle is mentioned by Sappeur Vodička when he tells Švejk about a fight he took part in on Růžový ostrov.

Background

Michle was until 1922 a town on the outskirts of Prague which that year was incorporated in the capital. It is located south east of the centre, mostly in Prague IV. Neighbouring districts are Nusle, Podolí and Záběhlice.

Demography

According to the 1910 census Michle had 8,287 inhabitants of which 8,252 (99 per cent) reported that they used Czech in their daily speech. The judicial district was okres Nusle, administratively it reported to hejtmanství Královské Vinohrady.

Source:Seznam míst v království Českém(1913)

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Michle were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 28 (Prag) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 8 (Prag).

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.3] Ale nebál jsem se celýho ,Růžovýho ostrova’. Byli tam známí z Vršovic a ty mně pomohli. Ztřískali jsme asi pět rodin i s dětma. Muselo to bejt slyšet až do Michle a potom to taky bylo v novinách o tej zahradní zábavě toho dobročinnýho spolku nějakejch rodáků ňákýho města.
Index Back Forward II. At the front Hovudpersonen

4. New afflictions

Debrecennn flag
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debrecen1.jpg
debrecen.jpg
debrecen2.jpg

Schematismus für das k.u.k. Heer und für die k.u.k. Kriegsmarine,1912

Debrecen is mentioned in the article in Pester Lloyd after the scandal about the letter to Etelka Kakonyi has broken. It refers to the lamentable behaviour of Czech soldiers from regiment N who were stationed there.

Further, deputy Barabás refers to the regiment's standard at the front. What happened to it we however dont' know as what followed was removed by censorship before it reached the columns of Pester Lloyd.

Background

Debrecen is the second largest city in Hungary, situated in the eastern part of the country, near the border with Romania. The number of inhabitants is currently (2022) around 200,000.

Debrecen (at the time written Debreczen) was an important garrison city both for k.u.k. Heer and Honvéd. From 1915 the replacement battallion of Infanterieregiment Nr. 75 was garrisoned here, so the city did had a Czech footprint. It is not known where Infanterieregiment Nr. 39, the city's Hausregiment, was transferred to.

The description of the unnamed Czech regiment N and it's standard indicates that Barabas has Infanterieregiment Nr. 28 in mind. This regiment actually had their standard taken away from them in April 1915. Their replacement battalion was however garrisoned in Szeged and not in Debrecen.

Turista Aratáš

Debrecen is also mentioned in the story Turista Aratáš that Hašek had published in Venkov in 1911[a]. The main protagonist, the quarrelsome tourist Sandor Aratas was on a trip to Venice. He was a land-owner from the city.

Demography

According to the 1910 census Debrecen had 92 729 inhabitants. The judicial district was Debreczen, administratively it reported to vármegye Máramaros.

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Debrecen were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 39 (Debreczen) or Honvédinfanterieregiment Nr. 3 (Debreczen). Debrecen also housed Honvéd-Husarenregiment Nr. 2 and brigades of both infantry and cavalry.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.4] Upozornili jsme již jednou na řádění pluku No ... v Debrecíně, jehož výtržnosti byly přetřásány i odsouzeny pešťskou sněmovnou a jehož plukovní prapor později na frontě byl - Konfiskováno

Also written:Debrecín cz Debrezin de

References
aTurista AratášVenkovJaroslav Hašek30.4.1911
Királyhida districtnn flag
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kirkreis.png

There was no such thing as a Királyhida district.

Klara Köttner-Benigni,1983

Királyhida district is mentioned by Sopronyi Napló where it was stated that the reprentative from the Királyhida district was going to raise an interpellation in the Pest Parlament regarding the scandal with Švejk and Sappeur Vodička. The representative for the districts was some deputy Savanyú.

Background

Királyhida district (Királyhidai járás) is no doubt a fictional entity. There was no such district, be it electoral, judicial or administrative. The judicial district was Nezsider (now Neusiedl am See) and the political district Moson. The electoral constituency that Királyhida belonged to was Zurány (now Zurndorf)[a]. Nor was it represented by any deputy Savanyú. Its MP from 1910 to 1918 was Károly Cserny (1863-1933)[b].

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.4] Jest to známý český šovinista Lükáš, o jehož řádění bude podána interpelace naším poslancem Gézou Savanyú, který zastupuje okres királyhidský.“

Also written:okres Királyhida cz Királyhidaer Kreis de Királyhida krets nn

References
aDie „Abenteuer des Braven Soldaten Schwejk” in ÖsterreichKlara Köttner-Benigni - Konrad Biricz1983
bCserny KárolySturm–féle országgyülési almanach 1910–1915
Pressburgnn flag
Wikipedia czdeennnnosk MapSearch
pressburg.png

Pressburg is mentioned because the newspapers in the city wrote about the scandal that erupted in Királyhida because of the amorous letter Oberleutnant Lukáš wrote to Etelka Kakonyi.

Background

Pressburg (hun. Pozsony) was in 1915 the capital of Upper Hungary, and has since 1919 been known as Bratislava. At the time more than 80 per cent of the population reported Hungarian or German as their spoken language. Pressburg was the capital of Hungary from 1541 until 1784, and the Hungarian parliament held its sittings here until 1848. The city is located by the Danube just a few miles from Bruck and is the capital of modern Slovakia.

From Karlín to Bratislava in 365 days
lanna8.png

LA-PNP,29.12.1921

karlin365.png

Tribuna,30.12.1921

This is a play that was written in 1921, presumably close to the end of the year. It is a farcical story about a roundabout journey from Prague to Bratislava with the steamer Lanna, along the waterways of Europe. The play was first advertised in Tribuna, Prager Presse and Rudé právo on 30 Desember 1921 and the authors were literally: E.E. Kisch, Rossenvelt pres. U.S.A., J. Hašek, Jules Werenes, E.A. Longen. It was performed at the theatre Adria, the same stage that from 1 November 1921 had hosted Emil Artur Longen's theatre version of The Good Soldier Švejk with Longen as director. In later adverts "Werenes"" and "Rossenvelt"" were for obvious reasons left out.

The manuscript reveals that the script was approved by the police on 29 Desember 1921 and that the censors had some objetions! Still, there were no major changes. Emil Artur Longen, Jaroslav Hašek and Egon Erwin Kisch are listed as authors[x].

Two names that are familiar from The Good Soldier Švejk feature prominently: Offiziersdiener Mikulášek and pubkeeper Rampa. Incidently these names appeared in the novel around the time when the play was written. In the play Mikulášek is a stoker and main character whereas Rampa is described much in the same way as in the novel. One of the scenes involves Mikulášek being drunk in Rampa's pub!

Demography

According to the 1910 census Pressburg had 78 200 inhabitants. The judicial district was Pozsony, administratively it reported to vármegye Pozsony.

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Pressburg were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 60 (Eger) or Honvédinfanterieregiment Nr. 10 (Eger). Moreover, Pozsony was an important garrison city and seat of 5. Korpskommando.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.4] „Stejně líbezně, pane nadporučíku,“ ozval se plukovník Schröder, „píše o vás též týdeník v Királyhidě a potom prešburské listy. To vás ale už nebude zajímat, poněvadž je to na jedno kopyto. Politicky dá se to odůvodnit, poněvadž my Rakušané, ať jsme Němci, nebo Češi, jsme proti Maďarům přece jen ještě hodně... Rozumíte mně, pane nadporučíku.

Also written:Prešburk cz Pozsony hu Prešporok sk

Literature
References
xZ Karlína do Bratislavy parníkem Lanna 8 za 365 dníE.E. Kisch - Jaroslav Hašek - E.A. Longen29.12.1921
Egernn flag
Wikipedia czdeenhunn MapSearch Švejkův slovník
eger.jpg

Eger város látképe,30.8.1907

Eger is mentioned by Oberst Schröder when he boasts to Oberleutnant Lukáš about his adventures with Hungarian ladies when he was on a three week measureing course here in his younger years.

Eger then reappears in [III.2] when there is talk of damaged material from the offensive "beyond Lwów". From this passage it even seems that the route of the march battalion was planned through Eger, despite it not being located on the railway from Budapest to Sanok.

Apart from the geographical inconsistency there is a time jump involved. Although the stay in Budapest explicitly takes place around the time of Italy's entry in the war on 23 May 1915, any offensive east of Lwów could only have been after 22 June, the day when the city was recaptured by the Central Powers.

Background

Eger is a town in northern Hungary, best known for its red wine and it's well-preserved historical centre. At the time of writing (2023) it has around 54,000 inhabitants and is the centre of Heves vármegye (county). During the times of the Dual Monarchy it was a garrison town so it is conceivable that military telemetry courses were held here.

Demography

According to the 1910 census Eger had 28 052 inhabitants. The judicial district was Eger, administratively it reported to vármegye Heves.

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Eger were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 60 (Eger) or Honvédinfanterieregiment Nr. 10 (Eger).

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.4] „Neříkejte, pane nadporučíku, že jste teprve začal korespondovat. Já, když jsem byl ve vašich letech, seděl jsem v Jágru na měřických kursech tři neděle, a měl jste vidět, jak jsem ty celé tři neděle nic jiného nedělal než spal s Maďarkami. Každý den s jinou. Mladé, svobodné, starší, vdané, jak to právě přišlo, žehlil jsem tak důkladně, že když jsem se vrátil k regimentu, sotva jsem pletl nohama.
[III.1] Také se rozšiřovalo po nádraží, že u Jágru srazil se jeden sanitní vlak s nemocnými a raněnými s vlakem vezoucím dělostřelectvo.

Also written:Erlau de Jáger sk

Jerichonn flag
Wikipedia czdeense Search Švejkův slovník
jericho.jpg

Anastatica hierochuntica, the real rose of Jericho

jericho.png

Ottův slovník naučný,1889

Jericho is mentioned by Švejk, although indirectly through the expression Rose of Jericho. The servant of painter Panuška explained to an old woman how to create a rose of Jericho. The recipe was to place dry cow cake, water it, and then it would spring to life.

Background

Jericho is a historic town in the Palestine, commonly regarded the oldest city in the world. It is also on the lowest altitude of any city, 250 metres below sea level.

The Rose of Jericho

Rose of Jericho is a name that is associated with two plant species that predominantly grow in dry parts of the world. They are also called resurrection plants as they are capable of surviving long periods of draught and spring to life when rain arrives[a].

Anastatica hierochuntica grows in the Middle East and North Africa and is also known as the "true rose of Jericho". Selaginella lepidophylla is native to North America and is also known as "the false rose of Jericho". In the context of The Good Soldier Švejk one must however assume that Švejk has the former in mind.

It is assumed that the connection with Jericho actually is the word "resurrection". The city that was repeatedly destroyed but rose from the ashes every time.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.4] „... potom dostaneš pár facek,“ ozval se starý sapér Vodička, „co si ten chlap všechno nevymyslí. Člověk má starosti s divisním soudem, a von chlap mizerná mně včera, když nás vedli k vejslechu, vykládal, co je to růže z Jericha.“
„To ale nebyla moje slova, to vykládal sluha malíře Panušky Matěj jedné staré bábě, když se ho ptala, jak vypadá růže z Jericha. Tak jí povídal: ,Vemte suchý kravský hovno, dejte ho na talíř, polejte vodou a vono se vám krásně zazelená, a to je růže z Jericha,“‘ bránil se Švejk, „já jsem si tu blbost nevymyslil a přeci jsme si vo něčem museli povídat, když jdeme k vejslechu. Já jsem tě chtěl, Vodičko, jen potěšit...“

Also written:Ārīḥā ar Jericho cz Jericho de

Literature
References
aRose of JerichoEncyclopaedia Britannica
Moravská Ostravann flag
Wikipedia czdeennn Search
ostrava.jpg

Moravská Ostrava, 1916

Moravská Ostrava is mentioned in an anecdote by Švejk, where he illustrates the importance of never admitting to anything in court. It is also revealed that this is one of the places where Švejk had worked.

Background

Moravská Ostrava was the Moravian part of current Ostrava, an important industrial and mining town that is located both in Moravia and Silesia. Modern Ostrava was created in 1924 by the merging of 7 municipalities, the largest of which was Moravská Ostrava itself.

There is no indication that Jaroslav Hašek ever visited Ostrava and the city is only mentioned once more in his entire literary output[a].

Demography

According to the 1910 census Moravská Ostrava had 36 754 inhabitants. The judicial district was okres Moravská Ostrava, administratively it reported to hejtmanství Moravská Ostrava.

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Moravská Ostrava were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 100 (Teschen) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 31 (Teschen).

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.4] Když jsem jednou pracoval v Mor. Ostravě, tak tam byl takovejhle případ: Jeden horník ztřískal tam inženýra mezi čtyřma vočima, takže to nikdo neviděl. A advokát, kerej ho hájil, pořád mu říkal, aby zapíral, že se mu nemůže nic stát, ale předseda senátu mu pořád klad na srdce, že přiznání je polehčující okolností, ale ten ved neustále svou, že se přiznat nemůže, tak byl osvobozenej, poněvadž dokázal svoje alibi. V ten samej den byl v Brně...“

Also written:Mährisch Ostrau de Morawska Ostrawa pl

Literature
Hamburgnn flag
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hamburg.jpg

Hamburg, gelaufen 1912.

Hamburg is mentioned in an anecdote by Švejk, where he explains the advantages of feigning retardedness. This story is about an intelligent professor of economy who claimed a tragic background and who subsequently got away with desertion.

Background

Hamburg is the second-largest city in Germany and the seventh-largest city in the European Union. The city is home to approximately 1.8 million people and has one of the largest ports in Europe. It is an important centre for trade and commerce.

Hašek and Hamburg

Hamburg is mentioned in several stories by Jaroslav Hašek although he likey never set foot in the city. One example is Gott strafe England where he mentions some merchant Feuselen who is said to have invented the propaganda slogan "God punish England" after the British had confiscated 10 sacks of coffee from him. In the same story he mentions Spatenbierhalle and the tobacco factory J.F. Schaffer[a]. None of these three entities are known to have existed.

In other stories Hašek mentions the city's famous zoo and animal trader Hagenbeck.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.4] Že jednou se probudil v Hamburku a podruhý zas v Londýně, a že nevěděl, jak se tam dostal. Otec že byl alkoholik a zemřel sebevraždou před jeho narozením, matka že byla prostitutkou a opíjela se a zemřela na delirium.

Also written:Hamburk cz

Literature
References
aGott strafe EnglandČeskoslovenský vojákJaroslav Hašek15.10.1917
Vyšehrad railway bridgenn flag
Wikipedia czen MapSearch
mostvys.jpg

Pohled na dokončený nový vyšehradský železniční most. V pozadí Smíchov a Palackého most, 1901

mostvys.png

Q(Nejnovější plán král. hlav. města Prahy, Karlína, Smíchova

Vyšehrad railway bridge is mentioned by Švejk in his long anecdote av Hauptwache about a professor of economy who claimed to have suffered an interminable sequence of family tragedies. On of them concerned his brother who had thrown himself off this bridge.

Background

Vyšehrad railway bridge refers to a bridge over Vltava by Vyšehrad. The bridge was opened in 1872, reconstructed in 1901, and connects Nusle with Smíchov. It is still (2023) in use and was recently renovated.

The bridge does not have an official name but maps have throughout the years come up with various terms.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.4] Mladší sestra že se utopila, starší že se vrhla pod vlak, bratr že skočíl z železničního mostu na Vyšehradě, dědeček že zavraždil svou ženu a polil se petrolejem a zapálil se, ...

Also written:Vyšehradský železniční most cz Vyšehrad jernbanebru nn

Literature
Berlin Westbahnhofnn flag
Wikipedia de MapSearch
berlinwest.png

Reiner's translation/correction

Arbeiterwille, 9.3.1927

nordbahnhof.png

Droschkenwegemesser von Berlin, 1884

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Verse from unspecified ladies toilet in Berlin, collected by F.W. Berliner.

Anthropophyteia. VII. Band, 1910.

Berlin Westbahnhof is mentioned in the description of Auditor Ruller, judge advocate at Brucker Lager, who is looking at drawings of male and female genitals, recorded at Berlin West railway station toilets, reproduced in a book by Fr. S. Kraus called Forschungen zur Entwicklungsgeschichte der geschlechtlichen Moral.

Background

Berlin Westbahnhof was according to the author a railway station in Berlin although a station carrying this name has never existed in the city.

Studying Krauss' Anthropophyteia, the book that Hašek refers to in the novel gives no further indication. If anything it seems that the author composed this passage by picking fragments from volume VII., then twisted them for literary purposes. Any specific railway station in Berlin has not been possible to identify in Anthropophyteia[a].

Reiner's correction

Grete Reiner's translation of the novel into German provides a clue though. Here it appears as Berlin Nordbahnhof so she presumably made an attempt to correct the author.

Nordbahnhof

This was one of the major railway stations in Berlin. Opened 1 Oktober 1877, in the beginning only for freight, it connected the capital to the north-eastern parts of Germany, mainly Stettin. This was probably the station at which Jaroslav Hašek and his wife arrived in December 1920, on their way from Russia to Czechoslovakia.

Until 1950 the station was however named Stettiner Bahnhof so this negates the hypothesis that this was the station that Reiner had in mind. On the other hand, there was nearby a smaller station called Nordbahnhof, later renamed Eberswalder Straße.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.4] Zadíval se na reprodukci naivních kreseb mužského i ženského pohlavního ústroje s přiléhajícími verši, které objevil učenec Fr. S. Krause na záchodcích berlínského Západního nádraží, takže neobrátil pozornost na ty, kteří vstoupili.

Sources: Hans-Peter Laqueur

Also written:Berlin West Railway Station en Berlín západní nádraží cz Berlin Westbahnhof de

References
aAnthropophyteia, I. - X. Band (1904-1913).Friedrich S. Krauss
Velké Popovicenn flag
Wikipedia czdeen MapSearch
kozel.jpg

Dark Kozel at U kalicha, on 22 May 2011.

kozel.png

České slovo,11.4.1909

Velké Popovice is mentioned by Švejk during the famous farewell scene in Királyhida. Sappeur Vodička asks what beer they have at U kalicha, and Švejk answers: "Velkopopovický".

Background

Velké Popovice is a town on the southern perimeters of Prague, known for its brewery. Velkopopovický beer is reported to have been a favourite of Jaroslav Hašek. The black variety is still served at U kalicha as it seems to have been also when Švejk frequented the pub. In contemporary Praha U černého vola (At the Black Ox) is a popular hospoda that pulls the pale variation in large quantities.

Big brewer

The brewery was established in 1871 by the business man and politician Franz Ringhoffer (1817-1873) and in 1874 production started. The breweries was modern for it's time and soon became one of the largest in Bohemia. In 1907 they ranked 4th with a production of more than 175,000 hectolitres[a]. The alternative name Kozel was used from the beginning and is still synonymous with beer from Velké Popovice.

War time production volumes

Here are some numbers which shows that hop trader Wendler had all reason to be worried. The production volumes at Velké Popovice from 1913 until 1919 were (in 1000 hectolitres): 230, 199, 181, 130, 37, 25, 38[b]. These figures put the term "economic crisis" into perspective. Production didn't reach pre-war volumes until 1924.

Pivovary.info

Pro velkopopovický pivovar znamenaly roky 1916 až 1918 pokles výroby až na osminu předválečného výstavu. Ekonomická ztráta však podnik vzhledem k vyšší válečné a poválečné výrobě Ringhofferovy vagónky neohrozila. Uvolnění trhu v roce 1921 umožnilo prudký nárůst výroby a již o tři roky později dosáhla produkce pivovaru 142 000 hl piva, čímž překonala nejúspěšnější roky předválečné.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.4] Potom se vzdálili a bylo slyšet zas za hodnou chvíli za rohem z druhé řady baráků hlas Vodičky: „Švejku, Švejku, jaký mají pivo ,U kalicha’?“ A jako ozvěna ozvala se Švejkova odpověď: „Velkopopovický.“ „Já myslel, že smíchovský,“ volal z dálky sapér Vodička. „Mají tam taky holky,“ křičel Švejk. „Tedy po válce v šest hodin večer,“ křičel zezdola Vodička.

Also written:Groß Popowitz de

Literature
References
aVedle těchto pivovarů ...Kvas1.8.1908
bPivovar Velké PopovicePivovary.info1.1.2000
Index Back Forward II. At the front Hovudpersonen

5. From Bruck on the Leitha toward Sokal

Frankfurtnn flag
Wikipedia czdeennnno MapSearch
frankfurt.jpg

Světem letem, Enrique Stanko Vráz,1896

frankfurt.png

Anna Drůbková,1913

Frankfurt (am Main) is mentioned indirectly when Oberleutnant Lukáš confronts Offiziersdiener Baloun after the latter had devoured his master's Frankfurter roast.

Background

Frankfurt is the fifth largest German city and an important centre of finance and transport. It is the location of the European Central Bank. The city had by the time of World War I become an important industrial centre.

Frankfurter Braten

Frankfurter roast is a traditional dish of unclear origin and varying ingredients. It appears to be based on beef, with sausage and bacon added[a]. The term seems to have been more widespread in Austria than in Germany and the dish still exists in Czech recipe books.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.5] Taky jsi sežral. Dva plátky frankfurtské pečeně. A přines jsi jen půl plátku, he? Dva kousky štrudlu! Kams ho dal? Nacpal jsi se, prase mizerný, ohavný. Mluv, kam jsi dal štrudl? Že ti upad do bláta? Ty prevíte jeden. Můžeš mně ukázat to místo, kde leží v blátě?

Also written:Frankfurt nad Mohanem cz

Literature
References
aMladá hospodyňkaAnna Drůbková1913
Dukla Passnn flag
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dukla.jpg

Das interessante Blatt,4.3.1915

Dukla Pass is first mentioned when Rechnungsfeldwebel Vaněk tells Oberleutnant Lukáš what he had experienced "below Dukla" when he was at the front with the 10. Marschkompanie.

In [III.1] the pass appears again when Švejk tells that before the departure from Királyhida they had been read out two well-known army orders that related to an event where two battalions from Infanterieregiment Nr. 28 that defected to the Russians, complete with officers and to the tunes of the regiment's orchestra. According to Švejk the incident happened on 3 April 1915. One order was signed by Kaiser Franz Joseph I., the other by Erzherzog Joseph Ferdinand.

Later in the chapter Rechnungsfeldwebel Vaněk tells yet another story about his experiences "below Dukla".

Background

Dukla Pass is the lowest mountain pass in the Carpathians. It is located south of Dukla in Poland and northeast of Prešov in Slovakia. The pass is strategically important and fierce fighting took place between Austro-Hungarian and Russian forces during the first winter and spring of World War I. In the first week of May 1915 the Russians were finally driven away from the area.

IR. 28 and Easter Saturday 1915

The two army orders that are reproduced in The Good Soldier Švejk concern the collapse of IR. 28 on 3 April 1915. The regiment lost as much as 80 per cent of its manpower and there is no doubt that the majority surrendered without offering serious resistance. The author of The Good Soldier Švejk gives a short explanation of the background for the army orders and even provides the correct date. Otherwise his version differs markedly from reality. The incident did not take place in the Dukla Pass but 30 kilometres to the west, at the front section north of Bardejov. Nor is there any evidence that two battalions with officers crossed over to the enemy to the tunes of the regiment's orchestra. That said, the total number of prisoners may have equalled two battalions, or at least two reduced battalions. See Infanterieregiment Nr. 28 for more about this theme.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.5] Účetní šikovatel si vzdychl: „Já bych byl toho náhledu, že v takové válce, jako je tahle, kdy je tolik vojska a taková dlouhá fronta, že by se spíš mohlo docílit víc jenom pořádným manévrováním nežli nějakými zoufalými ataky. Já to viděl pod Duklou při 10. marškumpačce. Tenkrát se to všechno odbylo úplně hladce, přišel rozkaz ,Nicht schießen’, a tak se nestřílelo a čekalo, až se Rusové přiblížili až k nám.
[III.1] Potom Švejk počal mluvit o známých rozkazech, které jim byly přečteny před vstoupením do vlaku. Jeden byl armádní rozkaz podepsaný Františkem Josefem a druhý byl rozkaz arcivévody Josefa Ferdinanda, vrchního velitele východní armády a skupiny, kteréž oba týkaly se událostí na Dukelském průsmyku dne 3. dubna 1915, kdy přešly dva bataliony 28. pluku i s důstojníky k Rusům za zvuků plukovní kapely.
[III.1] „Jedině mým přičiněním a zásluhou,“ řekl účetní šikovatel k Balounovi, „zůstal jste buršem u pana obrlajtnanta. Měl jste být přeložen k sanitě a odnášet raněné z gefechtu. Pod Duklou šli od nás saniteráci třikrát za sebou pro jednoho raněného fähnricha, který dostal bauchschuss před drahtindernissama, a všichni tam zůstali, samý kopfschuss. Teprve čtvrtý pár ho přines, ale než ho odnesli na hilfsplatz, byl fähnrich nebožtíkem.“

Also written:Dukelský průsmyk cz Duklapass de

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Statue of Švejk unveiled 20 May 2017

Kralupy is mentioned 7 times in The Good Soldier Švejk.

Kralupy is mentioned when Švejk asks Rechnungsfeldwebel Vaněk where he is from.

Background

Kralupy is an industrial town 20 km north of Prague, situated on the Vltava. It was here that Jan Vaněk lived and ran his drug store/pharmacy. His shop was located at the town square and is still functioning.

In 1913 Kralupy counted 5,848 inhabitants, and almost all of them were registered as Czechs. The town was part of the okres with the same name, hejtmanství Slány. Throughout the 20th century the town grew rapidly and is best known for the chemical industry that is operating to this day(2017). On 22 March 1945 the town was devastated in an Allied bomb raid.

Statue

On 20 May 2017 only the second statue of Švejk on Czech soil was unveiled (the first one was erected in Putim in 2014). The statue is modelled after actor Rudolf Hrušinský who played the good soldier in the Karel Steklý film from 1957.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.5] Čímpak vy jste v civilu, pane rechnungsfeldvébl?“ Účetní šikovatel Vaněk byl tak překvapen tím familierním sousedským tónem dobrého vojáka Švejka, že nedbaje své důstojnosti, kterou velice rád ukazoval před vojáky kumpanie, odpověděl, jako by byl Švejkův podřízený: „Já jsem takto drogista Vaněk z Kralup.“

Also written:Kralup an der Moldau de

Literature
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Na Perstyně and Martinksá with drogerie Kokoška.

Na Perštýně is mentioned by Švejk in his story from when he was a chemist's apprentice for Kokoška. The chemist's store was located in this street.

Background

Na Perštýně is a street in Staré město, Prague. In 1898 Jaroslav Hašek worked for a short period as an apprentice at drogerie Kokoška after prematurely ending his studies at the gymnasium.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.5] „Já jsem se taky učil materialistou,“ řekl Švejk, „u nějakýho pana Kokošky na Perštýně v Praze. To byl náramnej podivín, a když jsem mu jednou vomylem ve sklepě zapálil sud benzinu a von vyhořel, tak mne vyhnal a gremium mne už nikde nepřijalo, takže jsem se kvůli pitomýmu sudu benzinu nemoh doučit. Vyrábíte také koření pro krávy?“
Literature
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Kol.1910 • Pohled do Pobřežní ulice v Karlíně. Vlevo Vltava.

Pobřežní třída is mentioned in a conversation between Ordonnanz Braun and Švejk. The former was asked if he was a relative of hatter Braun from this street.

Background

Pobřežní třída is a street in Karlín, stretching along Vltava, running parallel to Královská třída.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.5] „Vaněk? Ten šel do regimentskanceláře. Kdo je u telefonu? Ordonanc od 11. marškumpanie. Kdo je tam? Ordonanc od 12. maršky? Servus, kolego. Jak se jmenuji? Švejk. A ty? Braun. Nemáš příbuznýho nějakýho Brauna v Pobřežní třídě v Karlíně, kloboučníka? Že nemáš, že ho neznáš... Já ho taky neznám, já jsem jen jednou jel kolem elektrikou, tak mně ta firma padla do voka. Co je novýho? - Já nic nevím. - Kdy pojedem? - Já jsem ještě s nikým vo odjezdu nemluvil. Kam máme ject?“
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Pardubice is mentioned because a staff sergeant has received a bribe from a farmer from Pardubice who had a son in Brucker Lager. The bribe was drinkable and had already gone to the staff sergeant's head.

The city is mentioned again in [III.3] when Švejk mentions a certain watchmaker Lejhanz when talking in his sleep in Humenné.

Background

Pardubice is a city in eastern Bohemia, and capital of the kraj of the same name. Jaroslav Hašek spent a week in quarantine here in December 1920, after returning home from Russia.

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Pardubice were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 98 (Hohenmauth) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 30 (Hohenmauth).

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.5] Štábní šikovatel byl již nemožný. Dopoledne přijel jeden statkář od Pardubic, který měl syna v lágru, a dal mu slušný úplatek a celé dopoledne ho hostil dole ve městě.
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Das interessante Blatt,10.9.1914

Komarów is mentioned in the author's introduction of cook Jurajda. He cooked so well that Leutnant Dufek who was mortally wounded at Komarów called out his name as he took his last breath.

Background

Komarów is a village by Zamość in Poland (then part of Russia), scene of a battle in August 1914 where Austria-Hungary was victorious. Even better known is the battle in the Polish-Soviet war in 1920, the last large cavalry battle in history.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.5] Plukovník Schröder měl ho rád jako zvláštnost u regimentu, neboť která důstojnická kuchyně mohla se pochlubit kuchařem okultistou, který nazíraje do záhad života a smrti, překvapil všechny takovou dobrou svíčkovou nebo s takovým ragout, že pod Komárovem smrtelně raněný poručík Dufek volal stále po Jurajdovi.

Also written:Komárovo cz Комаров ru

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Ardennes is mentioned by Oberst Schröder during an officers meeting before the departure to the front. He refers to experiences from the German withdrawal through the Ardennes, although it is hard to see how any such withdrawal could have taken place at the time.

Background

Ardennes is a low wooded range of hills in Belgium and north-eastern France which was the scene of fighting in both world wars.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.5] A přišlo mu to najednou k smíchu. Bylo to jako hysterický smích, kterým nakazil několik důstojníků, mezi kterými seděl, čímž vzbudil pozornost plukovníkovu, který právě přešel na zkušenosti získané při ústupu německých armád v Ardenách. Popletl si to všechno a skončil: „Pánové, to není k smíchu.“

Also written:Ardeny cz Ardennen de

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Letná is mentioned in the story about plynárník Zátka who worked at the gas works there. See Plynární stanice Letna.

Background

Letná is an area of Prague, north of the centre, which administratively belongs to Holešovice and Bubeneč.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.5] „Co se mý osoby týká, pane rechnungsfeldvébl, když jsem to slyšel, co vy jste vo těch outvarech povídal, tak jsem si vzpomněl na nějakýho Zátku, plynárníka; von byl na plynární stanici na Letný a rozsvěcoval a zas zhasínal lampy.

Also written:Belvedere de

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Dolní Bousov is mentioned in the same story as Rekrut Pech who was from there.

Background

Dolní Bousov is a small town between Mladá Boleslav and Jičín, about 100 km north east of Prague.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.5] ,Vy rekruti zelení, zatracení,’ povídá k nim, ,vy se musíte naučit vodpovídat jasně, přesně a jako když bičem mrská. Tak to začnem. Odkud jste, Pechu?’ Pech byl inteligentní člověk a vodpověděl: ,Dolní Bousov, Unter Bautzen, 267 domů, 1936 obyvatelů českých, hejtmanství Jičín, okres Sobotka, bývalé panství Kosť, farní chrám svaté Kateřiny ze 14. století, obnovený hrabětem Václavem Vratislavem Netolickým, škola, pošta, telegraf, stanice české obchodní dráhy, cukrovar, mlýn s pilou, samota Valcha, šest výročních trhů.’

Also written:Unter Bautzen de

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Jičín, Valdická brána, 2020.

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Schematismus für das K.u.k. Heer und für die K.u.k. Kriegsmarine 1912

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Das interessante Blatt,5.11.1896

Jičín is mentioned in the same story as Rekrut Pech who was from nearby Dolní Bousov in hejtmanství Jičín.

Background

Jičín is a town in the Hradec Králove region, located roughly 85 km north east of Prague. It is perhaps best known for its connection with the famous war-lord from the Thirty Years War: Albrecht von Wallenstein (Albrecht z Valdštejna). The town with its protected historical centre is attractive, and enjoys considerable tourism, partly due to its proximity to the popular recreation area Český ráj (Czech Paradise).

In 1913 Jičín had 10,199 inhabitants, of which 95 per cent declared Czech as their mother tongue. It was the centre of hejtmanství and okres of the same name. Hejtmanství had 69,166 inhabitants, okres 33,234. This was an unusually pure Czech district, in the entire hejtmanství only 545 declared themselves as German speakers (0.7 percent).

The garrison

No less than 882 persons in Jičín where associated with the army, of which 355 were Germans. This suggests that almost the entire German-speaking population was amde up of army personnel and their families. The town was the seat of Heeresergänzungsbezirk Nr. 74 so soldiers who served in k.u.k. Heer would belong to Infanterieregiment Nr. 74. The staff of the regiment was however located in Reichenberg (now Liberec) but the 4th battalion was garrisoned in Jičín.

This is still not enough to account for the relatively high army presence. The explanation is found in k.k. Landwehr who seem to have had a much higher footprint. Jičín was the seat of a Landwehr recruitment district, and also Landsturmbezirkskommando Nr.11, including k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 11. Staff and two battalions of the regiment were garrisoned in here.

Karl Kraus

Jičín is also known as the birthplace of writer Karl Kraus, although he lived here for only three years. Kraus was a distinguished satirist who like Jaroslav Hašek often poked fun at the Habsburg Empire and its institutions. His best known work is probably the play Die letzten Tage der Menschheit (The Last Days of Mankind) where he expresses himself ironically over World War I and the monarchy's subsequent collapse.

Václav Fuchs

A well-known character from our novel, the publisher, editor and dog breeder Václav Fuchs, was also linked to Jičín. In 1897 he and some colleagues founded the eventually popular animal magazine Svět zvířat here. This was a publication that Jaroslav Hašek (and his literary alter ego Einjährigfreiwilliger Marek) for a period edited, albeit much later. In Jičín Fuchs was however best known as a rabitt breeder. Already in 1898 he moved to Klamovka outside Prague where he continued to publish the magazine, now as sole proprietor.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.5] Dolní Bousov, Unter Bautzen, 267 domů, 1936 obyvatelů českých, hejtmanství Jičín, okres Sobotka, bývalé panství Kosť, farní chrám svaté Kateřiny ze 14. století, obnovený hrabětem Václavem Vratislavem Netolickým, škola, pošta, telegraf, stanice české obchodní dráhy, cukrovar, mlýn s pilou, samota Valcha, šest výročních trhů.’
Literature
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Sobotka, 2008

Sobotka is mentioned in the story about Rekrut Pech who was from nearby Dolní Bousov, in okres Sobotka.

Background

Sobotka is a small town between Mladá Boleslav and Jičín, see Dolní Bousov.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.5] Dolní Bousov, Unter Bautzen, 267 domů, 1936 obyvatelů českých, hejtmanství Jičín, okres Sobotka, bývalé panství Kosť, farní chrám svaté Kateřiny ze 14. století, obnovený hrabětem Václavem Vratislavem Netolickým, škola, pošta, telegraf, stanice české obchodní dráhy, cukrovar, mlýn s pilou, samota Valcha, šest výročních trhů.
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Kost is mentioned in the same story as Rekrut Pech who was from nearby Dolní Bousov.

Background

Kost was a former noble estate centred at the gothic castle of the same name near Sobotka and Dolní Bousov.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.5] Dolní Bousov, Unter Bautzen, 267 domů, 1936 obyvatelů českých, hejtmanství Jičín, okres Sobotka, bývalé panství Kosť, farní chrám svaté Kateřiny ze 14. století, obnovený hrabětem Václavem Vratislavem Netolickým, škola, pošta, telegraf, stanice české obchodní dráhy, cukrovar, mlýn s pilou, samota Valcha, šest výročních trhů.’

Also written:Kosť Hašek

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Dolní Bousov and Valcha, before 1869

Valcha is mentioned in the same story as Rekrut Pech from Dolní Bousov.

Background

Valcha was a remote dwelling just north of Dolní Bousov. It is mentioned under they key Bousov in Ottův slovník naučný. The wording here is almost identical to the quote from the novel.

Ottův slovník naučný

Bousov Dolní, Bohousov, Boužov (něm. Unter-Bautzen), město t., s 267 d., 1936 obyv. čes. (1880), hejtm. Jičín, okr. Sobotka (5 km jihozáp.), býv. panství Kosť, farní chrám sv. Kateřiny, pův. ze XIV. stol. obnovený od hr. Václava Vratislava Netolického), škola, pošta, telegraf, stanice české obchodní dráhy, 6 výročních trhů, cukrovar, mlýn s pilou, zv. Červený, a samota Valcha.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.5] Dolní Bousov, Unter Bautzen, 267 domů, 1936 obyvatelů českých, hejtmanství Jičín, okres Sobotka, bývalé panství Kosť, farní chrám svaté Kateřiny ze 14. století, obnovený hrabětem Václavem Vratislavem Netolickým, škola, pošta, telegraf, stanice české obchodní dráhy, cukrovar, mlýn s pilou, samota Valcha, šest výročních trhů.’

Sources: Jaroslav Hašek, Ottův slovník naučný

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Destroyed bridge over Bug in 1915.

© VHA

Bug is in the narrative when Oberst Schröder is about to show the officers the route to the front (Sokal by the Bug), but puts his finger in a pile of shit which a tomcat has messed up the battlefield map with.

Background

Bug (ukr. Буг - Buh) is a river in Ukraine, Belarus and Poland that for some time in 1915 formed the front. Infanterieregiment Nr. 91 with Jaroslav Hašek was stationed by Bug from 16 July to 27 August 1915.

Shifting events

This is one of the first examples in The Good Soldier Švejk of how the author moved events time-wise. At this stage the plot took place in Bruck so Švejk's unit wouldn't know that they were destined for Sokal. The order to go there was given on 20 July 1915, and this was only three days before they were in position in the trenches by Sokal. When they received the order they were already by the Bug, but further to the south, by Kamionka Strumiłowa.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.5] „Odtud, pánové, k Sokalu na Bug,“ řekl plukovník Schröder věštecky a posunul ukazováček po paměti ke Karpatům, přičemž zabořil jej do jedné z těch hromádek, jak se kocour staral udělat mapu bojiště plastickou. „Was ist das, meine Herren?“ otázal se s údivem, když se mu cosi nalepilo na prst. „Wahrscheinlich Katzendreck, Herr Oberst,“ odpověděl za všechny velice zdvořile hejtman Ságner.

Also written:Західний Буг ua

Literature
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Schloss Prugg is mentioned indirectly by Gefreiter Peroutka when he relates that he went to have a look at Count Graf Harrach's greenhouse.

Background

Schloss Prugg is a palace in Bruck which since 1625 has belonged to the Graf Harrach noble family. The mentioned greenhouse was destroyed at the end of the second world war.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.5] Vymlouval se, že chtěl před odjezdem prohlédnout známý skleník hraběte Harracha u Brucku a na zpáteční cestě že zabloudil, a teprve ráno celý unavený že dorazil k „Bílé růži“. (Zatím spal s Růženkou od „Bílé růže“.)
Literature
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Vysočany is mentioned in the anecdote involving Eduard Eduard Doubrava. It also appears when Švejk talks in his sleep after emptying the bottle of 'cognac' in Humenné.

Background

Vysočany is a suburb of eastern Prague, neighbouring Žižkov and Libeň. Until 1922 it was a separate town.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.5] Někdo je vám nedůtklivý až hrůza,“ pokračoval Švejk, zabořuje se opět ve vzpomínky. „Jednou jsem jel z Vysočan elektrikou do Prahy a v Libni k nám přised nějakej pan Novotný.
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Was Drážov the birthplace of Švejk?

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Verlustliste Nr. 106, 18.1.1915

Dražov is part of the anecdote on Eduard Doubrava, and if the anecdote is correctly interpreted it is the birthplace of Švejk.

Background

Dražov (de. Trossau) is a village in the western part of Czechia, near Cheb. At the time the novel was written, the area was mainly German-speaking and the place is not even listed in the official records of 1913. The only possibility is therefore Drážov near Strakonice, often written Dražov. The village was not in the recruitment district of Švejk's regiment (IR. 91), but rather that of Infanterieregiment Nr. 11, the neighbouring regiment from Písek.

One should however not attach too much importance to the connection between the birthplace of Švejk and the regiment he served in. It was the Heimatrecht that determined allocation to military units, and this was in many cases linked to the soldier's father (examples being Jaroslav Hašek and Zdeněk Matěj Kuděj) or even the grandfather (see Hans Bigler).

Dražov was in 1913 listed under hejtmanství Strakonice, okres Vodňany. The village had 239 inhabitants, and everyone declared Czech as their mother tongue. The parish was Dobrž, the post office located in Čestice.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.5] Někdo je vám nedůtklivý až hrůza,“ pokračoval Švejk, zabořuje se opět ve vzpomínky. „Jednou jsem jel z Vysočan elektrikou do Prahy a v Libni k nám přised nějakej pan Novotný. Jakmile jsem ho poznal, šel jsem k němu na plošinu a dal jsem se s ním do hovoru, že jsme oba z Dražova.
Literature
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Big Honza's Eatery in Montgomery, MN

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"Bidné dny", Zlatá Praha, 22.9.1911

Montgomery is part of the story of the Czech emigrant Eduard Doubrava who was back home visiting his relatives when Švejk mistook him for his old acquittance Josef Novotný from Dražov.

Background

Montgomery is the name of almost 20 places in the United States, the best known of them nowadays is the capital of Alabama.

Sergey Soloukh however points out that Montgomery in Minnesota has a strong Czech link so it is quite likely this place that the author had in mind. Zenny Sadlon adds that after World War I many Czechs returned to their homeland for various reasons and that Hašek might have heard about Montgomery from these.

The answer might even be found in the writings of his friend Zdeněk Matěj Kuděj who had spent three years in the United States before he met Jaroslav Hašek. In the story "Bidné dny" (Miserable days) (1911) he wrote that he spent a short while working on railway construction in Alabama, but there is no direct mention of Montgomery. He also visited Minnesota so there is no clean conclusion.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.5] Tak nás vysadili, vodvedli a na komisařství se ukázalo, že byl proto tak nedůtklivý, poněvadž vůbec se nejmenoval Josef Novotný, ale Eduard Doubrava a byl z Montgomery v Americe a zde byl navštívit příbuzný, ze kterých pocházela jeho rodina.“

Sources: Sergey Soloukh, Zenny Sadlon, Miloslav Kilián

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Pořící is part of the story of Šic, this is where he was from.

Background

Pořící is a district of Prague, between Staré město and Florenc along the Vltava.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.5] Sloužil se mnou nějakej poříckej Šic, hodnej člověk, ale nábožnej a bojácnej. Ten si představoval, že manévry jsou něco hroznýho, že lidi na nich padají žízní a saniteráci že to sbírají jako padavky na marši.
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Mníšek is part of the story of Šic.

Background

Mníšek is a small town in the district of Prague, south west of the city.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.5] Ten si představoval, že manévry jsou něco hroznýho, že lidi na nich padají žízní a saniteráci že to sbírají jako padavky na marši. Proto pil do zásoby, a když jsme vyrazili na manévry z kasáren a přišli k Mníšku, tak říkal: ,Já to, hoši, nevydržím, mě může zachránit jen sám pán bůh.’
Hořovicenn flag
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Hořovice is part of the story of Šic.

Background

Hořovice is a village in central Bohemia between Plzeň and Prague.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.5] Potom jsme přišli k Hořovicům a tam jsme měli dva dny rast, poněvadž to byla nějaká mejlka a my jsme šli tak rychle kupředu, že bychom byli s ostatníma regimentama, který šly s námi po flíglech, zajali celej nepřátelskej štáb, což by byla bejvala vostuda, poněvadž náš armádní sbor měl to prosrat a nepřítel vyhrát, poněvadž u nepřátel bylo jedno utahaný arciknížátko.
Prácheňskonn flag
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Prácheňsko is part of the story of Šic.

Background

Prácheňsko was until 1850 an administrative distrct in South Bohemia. The center was Písek but most of the region was located to west and encompassed parts of Šumava. The major part of Švejk's anabasis took place within the region. Some translations imprecisely interpretes it as the district around Prachatice (German - 1926, Danish - 1930).

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.5] Kde jsme lágrovali, tam vyhrával, až jsme přišli na Práchensko, leželi jsme v Drahenicích a von všechno sakumpak prohrál. Když jsme ráno vyrukovali, tak na hrušce u cesty visel svatej Jan Nepomuckej oběšenej. Tak, to je ta anekdota, a teď zas zavěsím sluchátko.“

Also written:Práchensko Hašek

Literature
Drahenicenn flag
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Drahenice is part of the story of Šic.

Background

Drahenice is a village in Central Bohemia, in the district of Příbram.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.5] Potom s ním sv. Jan Nepomuckej spal na slámě, nosil ho s sebou na marších v teleti a měl velký štěstí v kartách. Kde jsme lágrovali, tam vyhrával, až jsme přišli na Práchensko, leželi jsme v Drahenicích a von všechno sakumpak prohrál. Když jsme ráno vyrukovali, tak na hrušce u cesty visel svatej Jan Nepomuckej oběšenej. Tak, to je ta anekdota, a teď zas zavěsím sluchátko.“
Index Back Forward III. The famous thrashing Hovudpersonen

1. Across Magyaria

Custozann flag
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custoza.jpg

Custoza is mentioned in the field mass provided by Feldoberkurat Ibl in Királyhida. The battle he recounts stood there in 1848.

Background

Custoza is a town near Verona where a battle between Austria and Sardinia-Piedmont took place in 1848, securing Austrian control of Lombardy until the battle of Solferino in 1859. The Austrian forces were commanded by Marschall Radetzky. Historical sources often use the term Custozza (like the author did).

In 1866 a second battle was fought here. Again it ended with Austrian victory but it had no lasting consequences as Italy and their ally Prussia won the short war.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.1] „Milí vojáci,“ řečnil vrchní polní kurát Ibl, „tak tedy si myslete, že je rok osmačtyřicátý a že vítězstvím skončila bitva u Custozzy, kde po desetihodinovém úporném boji musil italský král Albert přenechati krvavé bojiště našemu otci vojínů, maršálkovi Radeckému, jenž v 84. roce svého života dobyl tak skvělého vítězství.

Also written:Custozza Hašek

Aspernnn flag
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aspern.jpg

Aspern was one of the battlefields where Fahnenführer Hrt had seen action. This was according to Feldoberkurat Ibl's speech before Švejk's march battalion left Királyhida.

Aspern is also on Kadett Biegler's sketches of battlefields that are revealed later in this chapter, now called Ašpry.

Background

Aspern is now a suburb of Vienna. In 1809 it was the scene of a battle here between Napoléon and an Austrian army led by Erzherzog Karl.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.1] Tento se napil, učiniv mocný doušek. ,Zaplať bůh tisíckrát,’ zvolal, namáhaje se políbiti ruku svému veliteli. ,Jak dlouho sloužíš?’ otázal se tento. ,Přes čtyřicet let, pane maršálku! U Ošper dobyl jsem zlaté medalie. Také u Lipska jsem byl, dělový kříž mám rovněž, pětkrát jsem byl smrtelně raněn, ale teď je se mnou dočista konec.

Also written:Ašper Hašek Ošpry cz

Voticenn flag
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votice.jpg

Votice was known by Offiziersdiener Baloun as he had been there on manouvres before the war. Logically Švejk and Oberleutnant Lukáš must have passed Votice on their fateful trip to Budějovice in [II.1].

Background

Votice is a town in okres Benešov, on the railway line to Tábor.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.1] „Kdyby bylo už jednou toho trápení konec,“ bědoval Baloun. „už jednou jsem měl na mále na manévrech u Votic. Tam jsme šli vo hladu a žízni, a když k nám přijel batalionsadjutant, tak jsem vykřik: ,Dejte nám vodu a chleba!’
Osijeknn flag
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IR. 91 Osijek

Böhmerwalds Söhne im Felde,1924-1928

Osijek is mentioned by telephone operator Chodounský when he relates from the trip to the front in Serbia. It is later talked about by Švejk in an encounter with Leutnant Dub (III,3), then in the colloquial form Vosek.

Background

Osijek is a city by the river Drava in eastern Croatia, in the region of Slavonia. The city was heavily damaged during the Yugoslav wars of the 1990's. Osijek was part of Hungary until 1920.

There seems to be a great deal of authenticity in telephone operator Chodounský's story. In the early days of August 1914 Infanterieregiment Nr. 91 travelled through Osijek on the way the front. The regiment continued to Gunja by the river Sava where they arrived on 4 August after a three day train journey from Budějovice.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.1] V Oseku v Charvatsku nám přinesli do vagonu dva páni od veteránů velký kotel pečeného zajíce, a to už jsme nevydrželi a vylili jsme jim to všechno na hlavu.

Also written:Osek Chodounský Essegg de Eszék hu Vosek Švejk

Literature
Croatiann flag
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Croatia is mentioned by telephone operator Chodounský when he relates from Osijek on the trip to the front in Serbia.

Background

Croatia was during the Dual Monarchy under Hungarian administration, officially the Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia. The area corresponded more or less to the current Croatia apart from Dalmatia and the Istria peninsula. The capital was Zagreb.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.1] V Oseku v Chorvatsku nám přinesli do vagonu dva páni od veteránů velký kotel pečeného zajíce, a to už jsme nevydrželi a vylili jsme jim to všechno na hlavu.

Also written:Chorvatsko cz Kroatien de Hrvatska hr

Kaposfalvann flag
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Kaposfalva is mentioned by telephone operator Chodounský when he relates from the trip to the front in Serbia.

Background

Kaposfalva is probably a town in southern Hungary, near the border with Croatia, not yet identified. It may well be meant Kaposvár, which is on the railway line south to Serbia. Kaposfalva was the Hungarian names for a couple of places in Slovakia but this doesn't fit with the story. A more plausible theory is that it was some place in Vojvodina in the current Serbia (which was Hungarian at the time).

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.1] Z těch jsme nic jiného nejedli než mozeček. V Kapošfalvě házeli nám Maďaři do vagonů celé kusy pečených prasat a jeden kamarád dostal celou pečenou vepřovou hlavou tak do lebky, že potom toho dárce honil s überschwunkem přes tři koleje. Zato už v Bosně jsme ani vodu nedostali.

Also written:Kapošfalva cz

Klárovnn flag
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Klárov and its Klárův ústav slepců (Institute of the Blind) was where the cook who replaced cook Jurajda in the officers mess at Királyhida hailed from.

Background

Klárov is part of Malá Strana in Prague, the area by Vltava above Manesův most. The area is named after the linguist Alois Klar.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.1] Toto psaní bylo vynuceno okolnostmi, když kuchař okultista nadobro si rozlil ocet s plukovníkem Schröderem, který mu dosud držel palec, ale na kterého se při večeři na rozloučenou s důstojníky maršbatalionu opět, nešťastnou náhodou, nedostala porce rolované telecí ledviny, a plukovník Schröder ho poslal s marškumpačkou do pole, svěřiv důstojnickou kuchyni pluku nějakému nešťastnému učiteli z ústavu slepců na Klárově.
Indiann flag
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India is mentioned by Švejk when he relates about an Indian emperor who becomes a pig my the migration of his soul.

Background

India was in 1914 a British crown colony who contributed sizeable forces (one million) to the British army in World War I. Apart from the current Republic of India it included modern Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Myanmar.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.1] Tak jsem si vzal sváteční šaty a šel jsem jednou do musejní knihovny a vypůjčil jsem si takovou jednu knížku o tom stěhování duší se svým kamarádem, a tam jsem se dočetl, že jeden indickej císař se proměnil po smrti v prase, a když to prase zapíchli, že se proměnil v opici, z opice stal se jezevcem a z jezevce ministrem.
Mosonnn flag
Wikipedia czdeenhunn MapSearch Švejkova cesta
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Moson. Mosonmagyaróvári pályaudvar, 17.12.1909

Moson was the first stop after Švejk's march battalion departed from Királyhida. It was only a brief stay, the only description is of a singing soldier from Kašperské Hory who is told to shut up as follows: "Halt Maul du Elender". Otherwise the author reveals that it was already late at night and that the soldiers were not allowed to leave the train.

Background

Moson was a town in Hungary near the Austrian border which in 1939 was joined with the neighbouring town to become Mosonmagyaróvár. The river Lajta (Leitha) flows through it.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.1] Vlak zastavil se na stanici Mošon. Byl již večer a nikoho nepouštěli z vagonů. Když se hnuli, ozval se z jednoho vagonu silný hlas, jako by chtěl přehlušit rachocení vlaku. Nějaký voják z Kašperských Hor v nábožné náladě večera opěval hrozným řevem tichou noc, která se blížila k uherským rovinám:
Gute Nacht! Gute Nacht! Allen Müden sei’s gebracht. Neigt der Tag stille zur Ende, ruhen alle fleiß’gen Hände, bis der Morgen ist erwacht. Gute Nacht! Gute Nacht!
„Halt Maul, du Elender,“ přerušil někdo sentimentálního zpěváka, který umlkl. Stáhli ho od okna.

Also written:Mošon Hašek Wieselburg de

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Sardinia is mentioned by Kadett Biegler when he shows off his historical knowledge during the episode with Die Sünden der Väter.

Background

Sardinia does not refer to the island, but to the kingdom of the same name that existed from 1720 until the unification of Italy in 1861. The kingdom consisted of Sardinia proper, Piedmont and the current French province of Savoie (Savoy), with Turin as capital. The kingdom was at war with Austria in 1848 and 1859; the famous battles at Custoza and Solferino were fought in these wars. The royal house of Sardinia continued as rulers of Italy even after unification.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.1] Znám systémy šifer, které byly používány ve válkách o Sardinii a Savojsko, v anglo-francouzské kumpanii u Sevastopolu, při povstání boxerů v Číně i za poslední rusko-japonské války. Systémy tyto byly předávány...“

Also written:Sardinie cz Sardinien de Sardaigne fr Sardegna it

Sevastopolnn flag
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Sevastopol is mentioned by Kadett Biegler when he shows off his historical knowledge during the episode with Die Sünden der Väter by Ludwig Ganghofer. He is referring to the Crimean War (1853-56).

Background

Sevastopol is an important naval port on the Crimea peninsula, in the current Ukraine. During the Crimean War it was subjected to a 12 month long siege by British, French, Sardinian and Turkish forces in 1854-55. The siege ended with an allied victory.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.1] Znám systémy šifer, které byly používány ve válkách o Sardinii a Savojsko, v anglo-francouzské kumpanii u Sevastopolu, při povstání boxerů v Číně i za poslední rusko-japonské války. Systémy tyto byly předávány...“

Also written:Sewastopol de Севастополь ru/uk

Chinann flag
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Allied forces in Peking in 1900

China is mentioned by Kadett Biegler when he shows off his historical knowledge during the episode with Die Sünden der Väter. He is referring to the Boxer rebellion in 1900.

Background

China was from 1912 a republic but politically fragmented. It did not take part in World War I. Kadett Biegler refers to the Boxer Rebellion (1899-1902), a nationalist rebellion against growing foreign influence. Eight imperialist powers intervened and crushed the rebellion, and here it is probably alluded to the Austro-Hungarian participation.

The current People's Republic of China has in 2010 the largest population on earth, the 4th largest area and is a major economic, military and political power with a permanent seat in the UN security council.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.1] Znám systémy šifer, které byly používány ve válkách o Sardinii a Savojsko, v anglo-francouzské kumpanii u Sevastopolu, při povstání boxerů v Číně i za poslední rusko-japonské války. Systémy tyto byly předávány...“

Also written:Kina cz China de

Saxonynn flag
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Saxony is mentioned by Kadett Biegler when he shows off his historical knowledge during the episode with Die Sünden der Väter.

Background

Saxony is a historic kingdom in Germany with an area slightly smaller than the current Freistaat Sachsen. It was created by Napoleón in 1806 and existed until 1918, from 1871 as part of Germany.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.1] Jest tam důkladně popsána, pane hejtmane, methoda, o které jste nám vypravoval. Vynálezcem jejím je plukovník Kircher, sloužící za Napoleona I. ve vojsku saském. Kircherovo šifrování slovy, pane hejtmane.

Also written:Sasko cz

Wiener Neustadtnn flag
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therak.jpg

Heerwesen, Hugo Schmid,1916

Wiener Neustadt is mentioned by Kadett Biegler when he shows off his historical knowledge after Hauptmann Ságner had embarrassed himself with using Die Sünden der Väter for his cryptographic keys.

Background

Wiener Neustadt is a city 50 km south of Vienna with around 40.000 inhabitants, and is the second largest city of Niederösterreich (Lower Austria). It is also the seat of Theresianische Militärakademie like Kadett Biegler says. The river Leitha flows through the eastern outskirts of the city.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.1] Každé slovo depeše se vykládá na protější stránce klíče. Methoda ta zdokonalena nadporučíkem Fleissnerem v knize ,Handbuch der militärischen Kryptographie’, kterou si každý může koupit v nakladatelství vojenské akademie ve Víd. Novém Městě. Prosím, pane hejtmane.“

Also written:Vídeňské Nové Město cz Bécsújhely hu

Győrnn flag
Wikipedia czdeenhunnno MapSearch Švejkova cesta
gyor.jpg

Széchenyi tér, August 2004

Győr is the scene of several incidents when the train makes a stop there. The first important event is the conversation between Oberleutnant Lukáš and Švejk where it is revealed how the two volumes of the Ludwig Ganghofer novel got mixed up. Švejk is told that he has done something so utterly awful that he won't even be allowed to know about it.

Then Hauptmann Ságner has his revenge on the zealous Kadett Biegler when he catches him with some notes which lists the books he plans to write on warfare. He titles himself k.u.k Offizier and this makes him an easy match for Ságner. Crushed and humiliated, Biegler throws the notes in the toilet and gets totally dunk with disastrous consequences on the train to Budapest.

One of the most macabre scenes in the novel is when a train with soldiers from the Deutschmeister Regiment passes and a man falls off it and spikes himself on a point lever. This incident illustrates the cynical traits in Švejk's character.

Background

Győr is one af the seven regional centres of Hungary and is situated between Vienna and Budapest, near the Danube.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.1] Hejtman Ságner mezitím počal ze zoufalství číst nešťastnou knihu Hříchy otců, a když vlak stanul na nádraží v Rábu, sklapl přečtené stránky a poznamenal: „Tenhle Ludwig Ganghofer nepíše špatně.“ Nadporučík Lukáš první vyřítil se, ze štábního vagonu a šel k vagonu, kde nalézal se Švejk.

Also written:Ráb cz Raab de

Bakonynn flag
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Bakony is part of the story about Róža Šavaňů which Švejk had read.

Background

Bakony is a forested area in Hungary north of Lake Lake Balaton, almost entirely in Veszprém county.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.1] „Já jsem byl, jak povídám,“ zněl na opuštěné koleji měkký hlas Švejkův, „taky téhož mínění. Jednou jsem koupil krvák vo Róžovi Šavaňů z Bakonskýho lesa a scházel tam první díl, tak jsem se musel dohadovat vo tom začátku, a ani v takovej raubířskej historii se neobejdete bez prvního dílu.

Also written:Bakonský les cz Bakonywald de

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Budivoj,31.7.1914

Zemun is mentioned in a song by the Deutschmeister Regiment as they pass the station in Győr.

Background

Zemun is a part of Belgrade which is separated from the city centre by the river Sava. It was part of Austria-Hungary until 1918. At the time half the population was Serbian. One of the first things that happended after declaration of war in 1914 was the Serbs blew up the bridge between Zemun and Belgrade (see newspaper clip from "Budivoj").

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.1] Als der Brucken war geschlagen, daß man kunnt’ mit Stuck und Wagen frei passier’n den Donaufluß, bei Semlin schlug man das Lager, alle Serben zu verjagen...

Also written:Semlin de Zimony hu Земун sr

Veronann flag
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verona.jpg

George Clarkson Stanfield "A View of Verona" 1848

Verona is mentioned in a song by the Deutschmeister Regiment from Kašperské Hory as they pass the station in Győr.

Background

Verona is a city in the Veneto province of Northern Italy. It is rich in architecture and culture and is a major tourist attraction. Verona belonged to Austria from the end of the Napoleonic Wars until 1866, when Veneto was lost to Italy after a six-week war. The song refers to the battle by the city during the first Italian war of independece in 1848. See Santa Lucia.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.1] In, Verona langes Hoffen, als mehr Truppen eingetroffen, fühlt und rührt der Held sich frei...
Anloynn flag
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anloy.jpg

Anloy is mentioned by Kadett Biegler when he informs Hauptmann Ságner where Udo Kraft died.

Background

Anloy is part of the Belgian community of Libin in the French-speaking part of Belgium. It is situated in the Ardennes.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.1] Mým vzorem je německý profesor Udo Kraft. Narodil se roku 1870, nyní ve světové válce přihlásil se dobrovolně a padl 22. srpna 1914 v Anloy. Před svou smrtí vydal knihu ,Sebevýchova pro smrt za císaře’.

Also written:Anloe wa

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Nördlingen is one of the battle sites in Kadett Biegler's little notebook.

Background

Nördlingen is a town in Germany, situated in Bavaria close to Baden-Württemberg. Nördlingen is one of three German cities which still has the city walls intact. The battle in question was fought during the Thirty Year War, on 6 September 1934. It was a crushing defeat for Sweden and its protestant allies against the imperial catholic forces.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.1] Od bitvy u Nördlingen 6. září 1634 přes bitvu u Zenty 11. září 1697, u Caldiera 31. října 1805, přes bitvu u Ašprů 22. května 1809 a bitvu národů u Lipska v 1813, přes St. Lucii v květnu 1848 a bitvu u Trutnova 27. června 1866 až po dobytí Sarajeva 19. srpna 1878. V schematech a nákresích plánů těch bitev nic se neměnilo. Všude nakreslil kadet Biegler obdélníčky na jedné straně prázdné, kdežto nepřítele znázorňovaly vyčárkované.
Sentann flag
Wikipedia czdeen MapSearch
senta.jpg

Senta is one of the battle sites in Kadett Biegler's little notebook.

Background

Senta is a town in the Vojvodina region of Serbia, from 1699 to 1918 it belonged to Austria and later Austria-Hungary. Eighty per cent of the population are ethnic Hungarians. A major a battle was fought here in 1697 between the Ottoman Empire and Austria. It was one of the worst defeats in Turkish history and confirmed the Austrian hegemony in Central Europe. Eugene of Savoy led the Habsburg forces.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.1] Od bitvy u Nördlingen 6. září 1634 přes bitvu u Zenty 11. září 1697, u Caldiera 31. října 1805, přes bitvu u Ašprů 22. května 1809 a bitvu národů u Lipska v 1813, přes St. Lucii v květnu 1848 a bitvu u Trutnova 27. června 1866 až po dobytí Sarajeva 19. srpna 1878. V schematech a nákresích plánů těch bitev nic se neměnilo. Všude nakreslil kadet Biegler obdélníčky na jedné straně prázdné, kdežto nepřítele znázorňovaly vyčárkované.

Also written:Zenta cz Zenta de Zenta hu Сента sb

Caldieronn flag
Wikipedia deenfrit MapSearch
caldiero.jpg

Caldiero is one of the battle sites in Kadett Biegler's little notebook.

Background

Caldiero is a town near Verona where a battle was fought between French and Austrian forces on 30 and 31 Oktober 1805. The French won the battle but with heavy losses.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.1] Od bitvy u Nördlingen 6. září 1634 přes bitvu u Zenty 11. září 1697, u Caldiera 31. října 1805, přes bitvu u Ašprů 22. května 1809 a bitvu národů u Lipska v 1813, přes St. Lucii v květnu 1848 a bitvu u Trutnova 27. června 1866 až po dobytí Sarajeva 19. srpna 1878. V schematech a nákresích plánů těch bitev nic se neměnilo. Všude nakreslil kadet Biegler obdélníčky na jedné straně prázdné, kdežto nepřítele znázorňovaly vyčárkované.
Santa Luciann flag
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stlucia.jpg

Santa Lucia is one of the battle sites in Kadett Biegler's little notebook.

Background

Santa Lucia is a district of Verona where a battle was fought between Sardinian and Austrian forces on 6 May 1848. Like Custoza this was a battle in the First War of Italian independence. The Austrians were commanded by Marschall Radetzky. Santa Lucia was in 1848 still a village outside the city walls.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.1] Od bitvy u Nördlingen 6. září 1634 přes bitvu u Zenty 11. září 1697, u Caldiera 31. října 1805, přes bitvu u Ašprů 22. května 1809 a bitvu národů u Lipska v 1813, přes St. Lucii v květnu 1848 a bitvu u Trutnova 27. června 1866 až po dobytí Sarajeva 19. srpna 1878. V schematech a nákresích plánů těch bitev nic se neměnilo. Všude nakreslil kadet Biegler obdélníčky na jedné straně prázdné, kdežto nepřítele znázorňovaly vyčárkované.

Also written:Santa Lucie cz

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trutnov.jpg

Trutnov is one of the battle sites in Kadett Biegler's little notebook.

Background

Trutnov is a city in the eastern part of Czechia below the Krkonoše montains. Trutnov was the scene of a battle between Prussia and Austria on 27 and 28 June 1866. This was the only battle where Austria prevailed during the short war.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.1] Od bitvy u Nördlingen 6. září 1634 přes bitvu u Zenty 11. září 1697, u Caldiera 31. října 1805, přes bitvu u Ašprů 22. května 1809 a bitvu národů u Lipska v 1813, přes St. Lucii v květnu 1848 a bitvu u Trutnova 27. června 1866 až po dobytí Sarajeva 19. srpna 1878. V schematech a nákresích plánů těch bitev nic se neměnilo. Všude nakreslil kadet Biegler obdélníčky na jedné straně prázdné, kdežto nepřítele znázorňovaly vyčárkované.

Also written:Trautenau de

Komáromnn flag
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komarno.jpg

The station in June 2010

Komárom is mentioned because a newspaper here claims that Oberleutnant Lukáš is said to have tried to rape Etelka Kakonyi by the dinner table. The town is mentioned again in [II.5]. According to staff plans, the train with the 91.regiment should pass it, but the plot has no further mention of Komárno. The station is located in the Hungarian part.

Background

Komárom was until 1920 a Hungarian town on both sides of the Danube, between Pressburg and Budapest, now split between Hungary and Slovakia.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.4] Rozumíte mně, pane nadporučíku. Je v tom jistá tendence. Spíš by snad vás zajímal článek v ,Komárenském večerníku’, kde se o vás tvrdí, že jste se pokoušel znásilnit paní Kakonyiovou přímo v jídelně při obědě u přítomnosti jejího manžela, kterého jste ohrožoval šavlí a nutil ho, aby zacpal ručníkem ústa své manželky, aby nekřičela. To je poslední zpráva o vás, pane nadporučíku.“

Also written:Komorn de Komárno sk

Heligolandnn flag
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helgoland.jpg

HMS Schwarzenberg and SMS Radetzky from the left

Heligoland is mentioned in connection with the war in 1864 between Denmark and the Prusso-Austrian alliance. On his way to Budapest Kadett Biegler dreams about a naval map of the islands from that war.

Background

Heligoland is a flat, windly group of islands in the North Sea. Heligoland passed from British to German rule in 1890. During World War I all the inhabitants were evacuated to the mainland.

The battle of Heligoland took place on 9 May 1864, and was a tactical Danish victory in the second war of Schleswig. The opponent was a fleet of mostly Austrian ships, amongst them the frigates "Schwarzenberg" and "Radetzky". The outcome had little political significance as the war was over five weeks later.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.1] Generál Biegler rozsvěcuje elektrickou lampičku. Vidí, že má štábní mapu na kolenou. Ale je to námořní mapa helgolandského pobřeží z roku 1864, ve válce rakousko-pruské proti Dánsku za Šlesvik.

Also written:Helgoland cz Helgoland de

Denmarknn flag
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danmark.jpg

Dybbøl is overrun and Danmark has lost the war of 1864

Denmark is mentioned in connection with Kadett Biegler's dream which touches on the war between Denmark and the alliance of Prussia and Austria in 1864.

Background

Denmark is a country in Northern Europe, spread over many islands and peninsulas between the North Sea and Baltic Sea. Denmark of today is a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary political system, a member of the European Union and NATO.

Until 1864 it included Schleswig-Holstein, but these ethnically mixed counties were ceded to Prussia and Austria after a short war the same year. This was the last war Austria won. Denmark was given back Northern Schleswig after World War I, a conflict in which the country was neutral.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.1] Generál Biegler rozsvěcuje elektrickou lampičku. Vidí, že má štábní mapu na kolenou. Ale je to námořní mapa helgolandského pobřeží z roku 1864, ve válce rakousko-pruské proti Dánsku za Šlesvik.

Also written:Dánsko cz Dänemark de

Schleswignn flag
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slesvig.jpg

Schleswig is mentioned in connection with the war between Denmark and Prussia/Austria in 1864, which Kadett Biegler dreams about on the train.

Background

Schleswig is a historical duchy, dissolved in 1864, since 1920 divided between Germany and Denmark. Denmark ruled both Schleswig and Holstein until 1864, the lost it to Austria and Prussia in the war that year.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.1] Generál Biegler rozsvěcuje elektrickou lampičku. Vidí, že má štábní mapu na kolenou. Ale je to námořní mapa helgolandského pobřeží z roku 1864, ve válce rakousko-pruské proti Dánsku za Šlesvik.

Also written:Šlesvik Hašek Šlesvicko cz Schleswig de Slesvig dk

Literature
Liebertwolkwitznn flag
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Liebertwolkwitz enters the dream of Kadett Biegler when he deals with the Battle of the Nations by Leipzig from 16 to 19 Oktober 1813.

Background

Liebertwolkwitz was a village in Saxony, now a suburb of Leipzig. Two days before the real Battle of the Nations started, a mounted battle took place in the area around Wachau and Liebertwolkwitz.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.1] „Znáte dějiny bitvy národů u Lipska?“ otázal se, „když polní maršálek kníže Schwarzenberg šel na Liebertkovice 14. října roku 1813 a když 16. října byl zápas o Lindenau, boje generála Merweldta, a když rakouská vojska byla ve Wachavě a když 19. října padlo Lipsko?“

Also written:Liebertkovice Hašek

Literature
Wachaunn flag
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wachau.jpg

Wachau 1813

Wachau enters the dream of Kadett Biegler when he deals with the Battle of the Nations by Leipzig in 1813.

Background

Wachau is a village in Saxony, now part of Markleeberg by Leipzig. Two days before the real Battle of the Nations started, a mounted battle took place in the area around Wachau and Liebertwolkwitz.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.1] „Znáte dějiny bitvy národů u Lipska?“ otázal se, „když polní maršálek kníže Schwarzenberg šel na Liebertkovice 14. října roku 1813 a když 16. října byl zápas o Lindenau, boje generála Merweldta, a když rakouská vojska byla ve Wachavě a když 19. října padlo Lipsko?“

Also written:Wachava Hašek

Lindenaunn flag
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lindenau.jpg

Ansicht von Lindenau nach der Völkerschlacht, 1815

Lindenau enters the dream of Kadett Biegler when he deals with the Battle of the Nations by Leipzig in 1813.

Background

Lindenau is a suburb in the western part of Leipzig, in 1813 a village. There was fighting here during the Battle of the Nations and Napoléon rested here during his withdrawal on 19 Oktober 1813.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.1] „Znáte dějiny bitvy národů u Lipska?“ otázal se, „když polní maršálek kníže Schwarzenberg šel na Liebertkovice 14. října roku 1813 a když 16. října byl zápas o Lindenau, boje generála Merweldta, a když rakouská vojska byla ve Wachavě a když 19. října padlo Lipsko?“
Literature
Betlehemnn flag
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betlehem.jpg

Betlehem is mentioned in Kadett Biegler's dream, through the expression "you swine of Betlehem".

Background

Betlehem er ein by i Palestina, kjend som fødestaden til Jesus. Den ligg 10km sør for Jerusalem, på den okkuperte Vestbreidda.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.1] Jeli kolem skupiny, kde rezavý kaprál-anděl měl právě jednoho nemotorného rekruta-anděla v parádě, mlátil mu pěstí do břicha a řval na něho: „Rozevři lepší svou držku, svině betlémská. Takhle se volá ,Alelujá’?

Also written:Betlém cz

Lebanonnn flag
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libanon.jpg

Lebanon is mentioned in Kadett Biegler's dream, through the expression "you cedar of Lebanon".

Background

Lebanon is a small country in the Middle East, bordering Syria and Israel. In 1914 it was part of Turkey. In 1920 the country became a French mandate, gaining full independence in 1943.

Libanese cedar (cedrus libani) that grovs in the mountain regikons of the inner Mediterranean Sea and is included as a symbol in the Lebanese flag.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.1] To bych rád věděl, který vůl tě sem, ty dobytku, pustil do ráje. Zkus to ještě jednou... Hlahlehluhja? Cože, bestie, ještě nám tady v ráji huhňáš... Zkus to ještě jednou, cedre libanonský.“

Also written:Libanon cz

Jordannn flag
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jordan.jpg

Das interessante Blatt,23.9.1915

Jordan is mentioned in Kadett Biegler's dream on the train to Budapest, through the expression "you Jordanian cow".

Background

Jordan is a river, a valley and a state in the Middle East, but as the state of Jordan didn't exist at the time, we must assume that the river Jordan is referred to here. The river plays a prominent role in the Bible and it was here Jesus was baptised according to Cristian faith.

The expression "Jordanian cow" seems to be commonly used in Czech but its origin is unclear.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.1] Ujížděli dál a za nimi ještě dlouho bylo slyšet úzkostlivé řvaní huhňavého anděla-rekruta „Hla-hle-hlu-hjá“a křik anděla-kaprála „A-le-lu-já, a-le-lu-já, ty krávo jordánská!“

Also written:Jordán cz

Danubenn flag
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donau1.jpg

The Danube by Belgrade

donau.jpg

The Danube in Budapest

Danube features in the same story by Sappeur Vodička as Běloun is part of. Bloated bodies are floating into the Danube from the Drina, whether they be Austrians or Serbs.

The Danube is mentioned again in the plot of Part Three when the Švejk's train approaches Budapest and searchlights can be seen above the river.

Švejk crossed the Danube at least twice, west of Vienna and in Budapest itself.

Background

Danube is the second largest river in Europe and connects Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova and Ukraine.

In 1914 it partly made up the border between Serbia and Hungary. Mentioned in The Good Soldier Švejk are also the tributaries Leitha and Tisza, as well as major cities like Vienna, Budapest, Bratislava, Belgrade, Győr and Linz. Hainburg and Komárom also figure, albeit marginally.

Vodička in deep waters

When it comes to geography the ill-tempered Sappeur Vodička is out of his debth with his claim that Drina empties into the Danube. It actually flows into the Sava but only downstream, by Belgrade, does the latter reach the Danube.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.4] „Ale kdo by na takový věci myslel,“ odpověděl Vodička, „my jsme svý udělali a vo věci ostatní jsme neměli žádnou starost. Tam to bylo úplně lehký. Každej den někdo zmizel, a ani už to z Driny nelovili. Plaval tam nadmutej čúžák vedle našeho rozflákanýho landveráka hezky po Drině do Dunaje. Někteří nezkušení, když to viděli ponejprv, tak dostali malinkou horečku.
[III.1] Nad Budapeští bylo již vidět záři světel a nad Dunajem přeskakoval reflektor.

Also written:Dunaj cz Donau de Duna hu

Linznn flag
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linz.jpg

Linz, 1911

Linz is one of the many places mentioned in Kadett Biegler's dream, he is defending Linz in the War of Austrian Succession. Interestingly Napoléon's forces figure in the dream - despite the fact that they operated in the area more than 60 years after the abovementioned war! Still, in dreams such messy sequenes may well appear.

Background

Linz is the third largest city of Austria, is situated on the Danube and is today the capital of Upper Austria.

The event the novel refers to is the French-Bavarian occupation of the city in 1741/42 which took place during the War of Austrian Succession.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.1] A kadet Biegler vrtěl sebou čím dál nepokojněji, a jeho nový sen byl velice fantastický. Obhajoval Linec ve válce o dědictví rakouské. Viděl reduty, retranchementy a palisády kolem města. Jeho hlavní stan byl proměněn v ohromnou nemocnici. Všude kolem váleli se nemocní a drželi se za břicho. Pod palisádami města Lince projížděli se francouzští dragouni Napoleona I.

Also written:Linec cz

Újbudann flag
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ujbuda.jpg

Újbuda was the part of the city where Kadett Biegler was carted off to the military isolation hospital suffering from "cholera" after his mishaps on the train to Budapest.

Background

Újbuda is an urban district in Budapest, south of the Gellert hill on the western bank of the Danube. It is currently the most densely populated district of the city.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.1] Tak se stalo, že statečný kadet Biegler byl odvezen do vojenské isolační nemocnice v Új Buda. Jeho podělané kalhoty ztratily se ve víru světové války.

Also written:Új Buda Hašek

Tarnovnn flag
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tarnow.jpg

From Tarnów, Galicia.

Das interessante Blatt,27.5.1915

tarnok.png

Székesfehérvári Hírlap, 9.8.1911

tarnok1.png

Nachrichten über Verwundete und Verletzte,29.6.1915

Tarnov and it's cholera barracks means the end of the war for Kadett Biegler, for the time being at least. He remains there until he gets rid of his "cholera germs" and returns to action in Part Four.

Background

Tarnov at first sight appears to refer to Tarnów, a city in Galicia that until 1918 was part of Austria-Hungary. Tarnów is situated on the railway line between Sanok and Kraków, on the eastern bank of Dunajec.

Tárnok by Budapest

Švejkologists like Milan Hodík, Břetislav Hůla and myself have so far assumed that the Polish city was where Kadett Biegler was placed in cholera-barracks. However, it would be nonsensical to transport a patient with a dangerous and contagious disease such a distance to isolate him.

The Hungarian švejkologist Tamás Herczeg has a more credible explanation. The author of The Good Soldier Švejk has rather had Tárnok in mind. This a village outside Budapest that actually had a hospital that treated epidemic diseases. It has not been possible to verify (based on Nachricthen über Verwundete und Kranke) that soldiers actually were hospitalized here, but this of course doesn't rule out that they weren't.

Tárnok utca

A weaker candidate is a military hospital in Tárnok utca 5 in Budapest[a]. Nachricthen über Verwundete und Verletzte shows that soldiers were treated here but this hospital didn't have isolation barracks (Herczeg). Regarding cholera: the abovementioned publication frequently refers to cholera barracks in Miskolc but rarely elsewhere.

Tamás Herczeg

[by e-mail] I try to identify places and items of Svejk adventure, and I found a Hungarian name "Tarnov" for a village near Budapest, where Cadet Biegler got for observation. "Tarnov" is written in the original czech version, as well, but I think Hasek had a little mistake here, as he missed a letter in the name: we do not have Tarnov in Hungary at all, but we have Tárnok! Even one of my friends, István Kludák, found evidence that Tárnok - as almost all settlements of Hungary in that time - had an epidemic hospital. Enclosed you will find a report in the Székesfehérvári Hírlap newspaper on the inspection of the epidemic hospital of Tárnok on 9 August, 1911. They found exemplary conditions in it. (So Cadet Biegler got to exemplary conditions at Tárnok.)

I found a complete compilation on several war hospitals ("hadikórházak" in Hungarian) in Budapest, the Edelsheim Gyulay war hospital in Tárnok street is also mentioned among them. You are perfectly right: these war hospitals existed only during the war. They were operated and maintained mostly by wealthy people in their own houses and relief associations like e.g. Red Cross, and different firms. It is important to note that these war hospitals did not deal with infectious patients, which were served by special, epidemiological hospitals. Thus, it is very unlikely that Cadet Biegler was in the Edelsheim Gyulay hospital in Tárnok street 5. of Buda Castle, rather he was admitted to the epidemiological hospital at Tárnok village.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.1] „Pište,“ řekl štábní lékař: „Kadet Biegler, 13. pochodový prapor, 11. pochodová setnina, 91. pluk, na pozorování do cholerových baráků v Tarnově. Nositel cholerových bacilů...“ A tak se stal z kadeta Bieglera, nadšeného bojovníka, nositel cholerových bacilů.

Sources: Tamás Herczeg

References
aNachrichten über Verwundete und KrankeNachricthen über Verwundete und Kranke29.6.1915
Index Back Forward III. The famous thrashing Hovudpersonen

2. In Budapest

Budapestnn flag
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Budapest is mentioned 13 times in The Good Soldier Švejk.

Budapest is the scene of the whole of [III.2]. The action takes place on the outskirts of the city in Újpest and Isatarcsa, on and around a military station on the Pest side of the Danube. It is a story of constant delays of the departure, of food that is promised but never arrives, of Švejk's first conflict with the Leutnant Dub, of Švejk being accused of stealing a hen. At the end of the stay Einjährigfreiwilliger Marek re-enters the story as battalion chronicler. The principal historical reference is Italy's war declaration on Austria-Hungary on 23 May 1915. The march battalion stays in Budapest for two days.

Background

Budapest was in 1914 capital of the kingdom of Hungary, one of the two constituent parts of the Austria-Hungary. Kaiser Franz Joseph I. was crowned king here in 1867 under the name I Ferenc Jószef. The city has since 1918 been capital of the republic of Hungary. Budapest has today around 1.7 million inhabitants and is by far the largest city in the country. It is situated on both sides of the Danube, with Buda as the old part on the west bank, and Pest as the administrative and political centre on the east bank.

Jaroslav Hašek passed the city with his XII. Marschbataillon around 1 July 1915. According to the poem Cestou na bojiště (The Road to the Battlefield) they arrived here in the morning, just like in the novel. It was surely the day after the departure from Királyhida, but they seem to have travelled onwards quickly: through Rakos, Aszód and Hatvan. It is also known that Hašek visited Budapest in the summer of 1903, on the way to Balkans.

Cestou na bojiští - Jaroslav Hašek (Večerní Česke Slovo, 1924)

Když nad Dunajem rozbřesklo se ráno,
my k Pešti drkotali přes Komárno
a v Pešti potom bez vši velké slávy,
my napili se trochu černé kávy
a že tak brzo nebude snad mír,
my soudili už z toho,
že nám k tomu dali ementálský sýr.
Také jsme shledávali k svému bolu,
že tam prodávali vše bez alkoholu.

Quote(s) from the novel
[II.2] Všichni měli naději, že válka musí za měsíc, dva skončit. Měli představu, že Rusové už jsou za Budapeští a na Moravě. Všeobecně se to v Putimi povídá.
[III.2] Matušič přinesl na vojenském nádraží v Budapešti hejtmanovi Ságnerovi z velitelství telegram, který poslal nešťastný velitel brigády dopravený do sanatoria. Byl téhož obsahu, nešifrován, jako na poslední stanici: „Rychle uvařit menáž a pochodem na Sokal.“ K tomu bylo připojeno: „Vozatajstvo začíslit u východní skupiny. Výzvědná služba se zrušuje. 13. pochodový prapor staví most přes řeku Bug. Bližší v novinách.“

Also written:Budapešť cz

Gödöllőnn flag
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godollo.jpg
godollo.png

Illustrovaný svět,3.6.1904

Gödöllő is mentioned by Hauptmann Ságner just after the train arrives in Budapest. The company was supposed to get 15 decagrams of Emmental cheese per soldier there. The company must have travelled past Gödöllő on the way to the front but there is not further mention of it.

Background

Gödöllő is a town north of Budapest which in the times of the Dual Monarchy was a summer residence of the Hungarian king (Kaiser Franz Joseph I.). It was even more frequently visited by the queen (Sissi) and was a popular place amongst the upper layers of society.

Jaroslav Hašek and his 12th march battalion no doubt passed through on the way to the front, most likely on 1 July 1915 (they left Bruck the previous evening).

In a short story

Gödöllő is mentioned already in 1904 in one of Hašek's short stories and the author may well have visited the town already then. The neighbouring town of Hatavn is mentioned in the same story. Na svazích Hegyalye (Illustrovaný svět, 3 June 1914).

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.2] „Pane majore,“ otázal se hejtman Ságner velitele vojenského nádraží, „dle rozkazů pluku, dle maršrúty jedeme do Gödölö. Mužstvo má zde dostat 15 deka ementálského sýra. Na poslední zastávce mělo mužstvo dostat 15 deka uherského salámu. Ale nedostalo ničeho.“

Also written:Gödölö Hašek

Literature
Berounnn flag
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beroun.jpg

Beroun is mentioned together with Na Zderaze, Tábor, Příbram and Mladá Boleslav when Švejk reels off for Oberleutnant Lukáš the cases of liver paté poisonings he has read about.

Background

Beroun is an industrial town 30 km south-west of Prague, situated by the river Berounka.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.2] Já jsem čet několikrát v novinách, že se celá rodina votrávila játrovou paštikou. Jednou na Zderaze,jednou v Berouně, jednou v Táboře, jednou v Mladé Boleslavi, jednou v Příbrami. Všichni tej votravě podlehli. Játrová paštika, to je nejhorší prevít...“

Also written:Beraun de

Mladá Boleslavnn flag
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mboleslav.jpg

Mladá Boleslav is mentioned together with Na Zderaze, Tábor, Příbram and Beroun when Švejk reels off for Oberleutnant Lukáš the liver paté poisonings he has read about.

Background

Mladá Boleslav is a city in Central Bohemia, on the left bank of the Jizera river about 60 km northeast of Prague. It is known for the Škoda car factory.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.2] Já jsem čet několikrát v novinách, že se celá rodina votrávila játrovou paštikou. Jednou na Zderaze,jednou v Berouně, jednou v Táboře, jednou v Mladé Boleslavi, jednou v Příbrami. Všichni tej votravě podlehli. Játrová paštika, to je nejhorší prevít...“

Also written:Jungbunzlau de

Literature
Příbramnn flag
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pribram.jpg

Příbram is mentioned together with Na Zderaze, Tábor, Mladá Boleslav and Beroun when Švejk reels off for Oberleutnant Lukáš the liver paté poisonings he has read about.

Background

Příbram is a city in the western part of Bohemia. It has around 35,500 inhabitants and is situated about 60 km south west of Prague.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.2] Já jsem čet několikrát v novinách, že se celá rodina votrávila játrovou paštikou. Jednou na Zderaze, jednou v Berouně, jednou v Táboře, jednou v Mladé Boleslavi, jednou v Příbrami. Všichni tej votravě podlehli. Játrová paštika, to je nejhorší prevít...“

Also written:Pibrans de

Canisiusgassenn flag
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canisius3.jpg

Canisiusgasse is referred to by the author as the street where the Commission for War Graves is located.

Background

Canisiusgasse is a street in Vienna. Komitee für die Kriegsgräber-fürsorge in Österreich was located in Canisiusgasse no. 10, not in number 4 as the author claims.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.2] Místo patnácti dekagramů ementálského sýra, který měl zde být rozdán, dostal každý po škatulce zápalek a jednu pohlednici, kterou vydalo komité pro válečné hroby v Rakousku (Vídeň XIX/4, Canisiusgasse).
Literature
Siedliskann flag
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siedliska.jpg

War cemetery number 152

Siedliska and the local war graves was depictied on the postcard from the War Grave Commission in Canisiusgasse.

Background

Siedliska is a village in Western Galicia, south of Tarnów. In November 1915 it was decided to build a memorial complex of war graves here. It currently consists of 378 cemeteries with a total of 60,000 graves. sculptor Scholz was project architect and technical supervisor for many of the war cemeteries. The memorial was often photographed, paintings were made and sculptures created.

Note that the author here surely has used printed material from the War Grave Commission as source. He has ignored the fact that this war grave complex by Siedliska did not yet exist when this episode in the novel took place (end of May 1915).

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.2] Místo patnácti dekagramů ementálského sýra měl každý v ruce západohaličský hřbitov vojínů v Sedlisku s pomníkem nešťastných landveráků, zhotovených ulejvákem-sochařem, jednoročním dobrovolníkem šikovatelem Scholzem.

Also written:Sedlisko Hašek

Vicenzann flag
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vicenza.jpg

Vicenza is one of the battle grounds mentioned in the telegram from the brigade as the news of Italy's declaration of war breaks.

Background

Vicenza is a city in the Veneto province of Italy, situated between Verona and Venice. The battle referred to took place on 10 June 1848 during the First Italian War of Independence. The Austrian army was commanded by Marschall Radetzky.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.2] V to důvěřujeme pevně, že s pomocí boží brzy nadejde den, kdy roviny italské opět uvidí vítěze od Santa Lucia, Vicenzy, Novary, Custozzy. Chceme zvítězit, musíme zvítězit, a jistě zvítězíme!
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Novara is one of the battle grounds mentioned in the telegram from the brigade as the news of Italy's declaration of war breaks.

Background

Novara is a city in Piedmont, situated 50 km west of Milan. The battle referred to took place on 23 March 1849 during the First Italian war of independence. Other battles in this war (mentioned in Švejk) took place by Santa Lucia, Vicenza, and Custoza. The Austrian army was commanded by Marschall Radetzky and their victory led to Sardinia asking for peace.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.2] V to důvěřujeme pevně, že s pomocí boží brzy nadejde den, kdy roviny italské opět uvidí vítěze od Santa Lucia, Vicenzy, Novary, Custozzy. Chceme zvítězit, musíme zvítězit, a jistě zvítězíme!
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Světem letem, Enrique Stanko Vráz,1896

venezia.png

Venkov,30.4.1911

Venice had been honoured by a visit from cook Jurajda who could inform his fellow soldiers that everything was "porco" in Italy, even the pope and Maria.

Background

Venice is a city in the north-eastern part of Italy which until 1797 was the capital of the Venetian Republic. After the Napoleonic wars it was ruled by Austria until it was ceded to Italy in 1866.

Turista Aratáš

Venice is also the theme in the story Turista Aratáš that Hašek had published in Venkov in 1911, on his 28th birthday[a]. In the story many of the city's buildings and landmarks are mentioned, amongst them Fondaco dei Turchi, Palazzo Pesaro, Palazzo Grimani, Palazzo Contarini delle Figure, Canal Grande, Ponte di Rialto, Palazzo Manin, Bacino Orseola.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.2] „Cožpak Italie, to je pěkná země,“ prohodil kuchař Jurajda, „já sem byl jednou v Benátkách a vím, že Talián nazve každého prasetem. Když se rozčílí, je u něho každej porco maladetto. I papež je u něho porco, i ,madonna mia e porco’, ,papa e porco’.“

Also written:Benátky cz Venedig de Venezia it

References
aTurista AratášVenkovJaroslav Hašek30.4.1911
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Krameriova ulice is mentioned in Švejk's urine analysis story. The pub where the story started was in this street.

Background

Krameriova ulice was the name of a street in Vinohrady, named after the author and publister Václav Kramerius. The current name of this street Americká in the lower part and Kopernikova in the upper.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.2] „Vono se řekne,“ usmál se Švejk, „pomstít se. Někdo myslí, že se pomstí, a nakonec to vodnese ten, koho si jako takovej člověk vybral za nástroj svý pomsty. Když jsem bydlel před lety na Vinohradech, tak tam bydlel v přízemí domovník a u toho na bytě byl jeden takovej malej ouředníček z ňáký banky, a ten chodil do jednoho výčepu v Krameriově ulici a pohádal se tam jednou s jedním pánem, kerej měl takovej ňákej ústav na Vinohradech pro analysu moče.
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The Hašek family lived here from 1901 to 1906.

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Police report, 20 June 1904

Čelakovského ulice is mentioned in Švejk's urine analysis story. The ill-tempered custodian Korporal Málek chases the urine-analysis man through this street and on down Havlíčkova třída, but in the end got arrested.

Background

Čelakovského ulice was the name of a current Ulice Jana Masaryka in Vinohrady. According to a police report that Břetislav Hůla discovered, Jaroslav Hašek lived in no. 29. The report is dated 20 June 1904. The official population register (konskripce) gives more information of the address of his mother: on 19 August 1901 she is registered with domicile Weinberge 281, i.e. Čelakovského No. 24. Jaroslav is noted on the same sheet, and this was their official address until 8 March 1906.

The theme of urine analysis is a re-use from the story Analysa moče (The Urine Analysis) that was printed in Kopřivy 4 July 1912. The story has much in common with the anecdote in the novel, but here the main character is some Mašek. The author fell out with him when they both worked as apprentices at drogerie Průša, located in the same area. In the story Hašek even provides the address Čelakovského 24. Thus the address from the police report is definitely wrong - the error may originate from the police themselves or it could have crept in during transcription.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.2] Když ho vytáh z almary, popad bejkovec a už ho hnal dolů v kaťatech Čelakovskýho ulicí, a ten ječel, jako když šlápneš psovi na vocas, a na Havlíčkově třídě skočil do elektriky, a domovníka chyt strážník, sepral se s ním, a poněvadž byl domovník v kaťatech a všechno mu lezlo ven, tak ho kvůli takovýmu pohoršení hodili do košatinky a vodvezli na policii, a von ještě z košatinky řval jako tur: ,Vy pacholci, já vám ukážu mně analysovat moč.’

Sources: Hůla, Jaroslav Šerák

Literature
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Habsburg has incredibly enough not been mentioned directly until now, but finally the name of the ruling house enters the story through the author's introduction of Leutnant Dub. The latter is a teacher of Czech in civilian life and is very loyal to the Imperial house. He frequently gave his pupils assignments on the Habsburgs.

Background

Habsburg was a place in the Aarau canton of Switzerland which gave its name to the royal house which were to rule large parts of Europe from the 15th century until 1918. At one time or another the Habsburgs ruled todays Austria, Bohemia, Moravia, Hungary, parts of the Balkans, Spain, Belgium, Netherlands, Switzerland, Italy, Poland, Ukraine and Germany.

Austria-Hungary was their last possession, World War I meant the final nail in the coffin as a royal house. Over the years they expanded their possessions both by warfare and royal alliances and marriages. Bohemia came under Habsburg rule in 1526 as the Czechs elected Ferdinand of Habsburg as their king. Hungary became part of the Habsburg dominions the same year.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.2] „Je pravdou,“ pokračoval již mírnějším tónem, „že se ve většině případech i ve školních úlohách zapomínalo na náš bývalý poměr s Italií, na ony veliké dny slavných vítězných armád i v roce tisíc osm set čtyřicet osm, i v roce tisíc osm set šedesát šest, o kterých se mluví ve dnešních příkazech po brigádě. Já jsem však ale vykonal vždy svou povinnost a ještě před ukončením školního roku, takřka na samém začátku války, dal jsem svým žákům slohový úkol: ,Unsere Helden in Italien von Vicenza bis zur Custozza, oder...’“ A blbeček poručík Dub slavnostně dodal: „...Blut und Leben für Habsburg! Für ein Österreich, ganz, einig, groß!“...

Also written:Habsburk cz Habsburgo es Asburgo it

Most císaře Františka Josefa I.nn flag
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Most císaře Františka Josefa I. is mentioned in the description of Leutnant Dub, who had punished a pupil who had written in an assignment that the Emperors greatest achievement was to build this bridge in Prague. It has already been mentioned by Švejk who used the popular name Eliščin most.

Background

Most císaře Františka Josefa I. was the name of the bridge in Prague that was demolished in 1947. The current Štefánikův most was built on the same spot.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.2] e vyšších třídách byla ta themata ovšem spletenější, jako kupříkladu úloha pro septimány: „Císař František Josef I., podporovatel věd a umění“, kteráž práce vynesla jednomu septimánovi vyloučení ze všech středních škol říše rakousko-uherské, poněvadž napsal, že nejkrásnějším činem tohoto mocnáře bylo založení mostu císaře Františka Josefa I. v Praze.
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Tripoli is mentioned by Leutnant Dub when he pontificates to the officers about the background for Italy declaring war on its formal ally Austria-Hungary. He also touches on the war between Turkey and Italy about Tripoli.

Background

Tripoli is a city in North Africa, now the capital of Libya. It was under Ottoman rule until 1912. Italian supremacy was established that year after a year of armed conflict.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.2] „Celkem vzato mě naprosto nepřekvapilo vystoupení Italie. Čekal jsem to již před třemi měsíci. Je jisté, že Italie značně zpyšněla poslední dobou následkem vítězné války s Tureckem o Tripolis. Kromě toho příliš spoléhá se na své loďstvo i na náladu obyvatelstva v našich přímořských zemích a v jižním Tyrolsku.

Also written:Tripolis cz Tripolis de

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Merano (Meran), now in Italy.

South Tyrol is mentioned by Leutnant Dub when he pontificated to the officers about the background for Italy declaring war on Austria-Hungary.

Background

South Tyrol was part of Austria until 1919 when it was annexed by Italy. The province still has a German speaking majority.

Milititarily the area was very important for Austria-Hungary because Italy made claims to it. The enormous system of fortresses aropund Trento was the pivot of the defence but garrisons existed also elsewhere. Prague's Infanterieregiment Nr. 28 was at times garrison here, and several om Hašek's friends served with the regiment in this location.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.2] „Celkem vzato mě naprosto nepřekvapilo vystoupení Italie. Čekal jsem to již před třemi měsíci. Je jisté, že Italie značně zpyšněla poslední dobou následkem vítězné války s Tureckem o Tripolis. Kromě toho příliš spoléhá se na své loďstvo i na náladu obyvatelstva v našich přímořských zemích a v jižním Tyrolsku.

Also written:Jižní Tyrolsko cz Süd-Tirol de Alto Agide it Sør-Tirol nn

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Szatmár is mentioned through archbishop Archbishop Géza ze Szatmár-Budafalu.

Background

Szatmár is a historical Hungarian county. After the Treaty of Trianon most of the area was ceded to Romania, including the city the county is named after, contemporary Satu Mare.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.2] Kromě toho přinesly ustarané, utahané dámy veliký balík vytištěných dvou modliteb sepsaných budapešťským arcibiskupem Gézou ze Szatmár-Budafalu. Byly německo-maďarské a obsahovaly nejstrašnější prokletí všech nepřátel. Psány byly tyto modlitbičky tak vášnivě, že tam jenom na konci scházelo řízné maďarské „Baszom a Krisztusmárját!“

Also written:Satu Mare ro

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Budafalu is mentioned through archbishop Archbishop Géza ze Szatmár-Budafalu.

Background

Budafalu is a Hungarian name of the village Budeşti in Maramureş County in north-western Romania. It was also referred to as Budfalu or Budfalva. Budfalu is the name used on the Austro-Hungarian Miltary Survey map from 1910.

Budfalu is also mentioned in one of Hašek's short stories and the additional information he provides leaves no doubt that this is the place in question[a]. The author has probably visited on one of his many wanderings. The area was ceded to Romania in 1921.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.2] Kromě toho přinesly ustarané, utahané dámy veliký balík vytištěných dvou modliteb sepsaných budapešťským arcibiskupem Gézou ze Szatmár-Budafalu. Byly německo-maďarské a obsahovaly nejstrašnější prokletí všech nepřátel. Psány byly tyto modlitbičky tak vášnivě, že tam jenom na konci scházelo řízné maďarské „Baszom a Krisztusmárját!“

Also written:Wynzdorf de Budfalva/Budfalu hu Budeşti ro

References
aBabámovy archeologické snahyJaroslav Hašek1920
Újpestnn flag
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Újpest is mentioned when the author tells how a group of Bosnians have been stranded for a few days and having to beg for food in Újpest. The military railway station where the plot takes place may have been nearby Rákosrendező.

Background

Újpest is a suburb of Budapest, the name means "New Pest". It is situated north of the centre, on the east bank of the Danube. In 1915 it was still a separate town.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.2] Bosňáci již dva dni nefasovali mináž a chodili žebrat chleba po Nové Pešti. Také nebylo nic jiného slyšet nežli rozčilený hovor ztracených Bosňáků, živě gestikulujících, kteří vyráželi neustále ze sebe: „Jeben ti boga - jeben ti dušu, jeben ti majku.“

Also written:Nové Pešt cz Neu-Pest de

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Prešov is mentioned by Rechnungsfeldwebel Bautanzel when he relates about his experiences at the front in the Carpathians.

Background

Prešov is a city in the Šariš region in eastern Slovakia, then ruled from Hungary. Today, it is with 100,000 inhabitants, the third largest city in the country.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.2] Panečku, než jsme přijeli tenkrát do Prešova, tak jsme měli haldy všeho, na co si člověk pomyslil. Měl jsem schováno deset tisíc memfisek, dvě kola ementálského sýra, tři sta konserv, a potom, když už se šlo na Bardějov do zákopů, Rusové od Mušiny odřízli spojení na Prešov, potom se dělaly obchůdky.

Also written:Eperies de Eperjes hu

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Bardejov is mentioned by Rechnungsfeldwebel Bautanzel when he relates about his experiences at the front in the Carpathians.

Background

Bardejov is a city in eastern Slovakia, nort of Prešov, near the Polish border. The city is on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.2] Panečku, než jsme přijeli tenkrát do Prešova, tak jsme měli haldy všeho, na co si člověk pomyslil. Měl jsem schováno deset tisíc memfisek, dvě kola ementálského sýra, tři sta konserv, a potom, když už se šlo na Bardějov do zákopů, Rusové od Mušiny odřízli spojení na Prešov, potom se dělaly obchůdky.

Also written:Bardějov Hašek Bartfeld de Bartfa hu

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Muszyna is mentioned by Rechnungsfeldwebel Bautanzel when he relates about his experiences at the front in the Carpathians. The Russians came from here to cut the connection between Prešov and Bardejov.

Background

Muszyna is a small town in the Carpathians, situated in Poland just west of Bardejov. The town was strategically important because of the railway line across the mointains.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.2] Panečku, než jsme přijeli tenkrát do Prešova, tak jsme měli haldy všeho, na co si člověk pomyslil. Měl jsem schováno deset tisíc memfisek, dvě kola ementálského sýra, tři sta konserv, a potom, když už se šlo na Bardějov do zákopů, Rusové od Mušiny odřízli spojení na Prešov, potom se dělaly obchůdky.

Also written:Mušina Hašek

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Podolínec is mentioned by Rechnungsfeldwebel Bautanzel when he relates about his experiences at the front in the Carpathians. The Russians had reached it and were now threatening Bardejov from the west.

Background

Podolínec is a town in Slovakia, on the southern side of the Carpathians near the border with Poland.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.2] Za tu celou dobu, co jsme stáli pod Bardějovem, jsem si při nákupu dobytka neušetřil víc než něco málo přes dvanáct set korun, a to jsme ještě většinou namísto peněz dávali poukázky se štemplem batalionu, zejména poslední dobou, když jsme věděli, že Rusové na východ od nás jsou v Radvani a na západ v Podolíně.

Also written:Podolín Hašek Pudlein de Podolin hu Podoliniec pl

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Illustrovaný svět, 3.6.1904

Hatvan is mentioned as the railway line there was blocked by a train of wounded. This delayed the departure from Budapest with 4 hours. The battalion is promised bread there because the previous transport didn't get anything. The company must have travelled past Hatvan on the way to the front but there is not further mention of it. Hatvan also appears in the header of [III.3].

Background

Hatvan is a town and railway junction north-east of Budapest, on the line to Miskolc.

Jaroslav Hašek and his XII. Marschbataillon no doubt passed through on the way to the front, most likely on 1 July 1915 (they left Bruck the previous evening).

Hatvan is mentioned already in 1904 in one of Hašek's short stories and the author may well have visited the town already then. The neighbouring town of Gödöllő is mentioned in the same story[a].

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.2] Potom přišla zpráva, že se pojede ještě až za čtyři hodiny. Trať nahoře na Hatvan že je zastavena vlaky s raněnými. Také se rozšiřovalo po nádraží, že u Jágru srazil se jeden sanitní vlak s nemocnými a raněnými s vlakem vezoucím dělostřelectvo. Z Pešti že tam jedou pomocné vlaky.
References
aNa svazích HegyalyeIllustrovaný světJaroslav Hašek3.6.1904
Subotištěnn flag
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Szabadka in 1914.

Subotiště is mentioned by the latrine general in Budapest when he tells the officers about the logistical mess when delivering gulash and potatoes in Bosnia.

Background

Subotiště can not be identified with certainty as there is no railway station carrying this name in southern Bosnia. The general is therefore probably talking about "the station Subotica on the South Hungarian Railway". This city is an important railway hub on the line between Budapest and Belgrade, and many troop transport trains passed through it early in the war. Since 1920 the city has been part of Serbia, but the majority of the population are still etthnic Hungarians.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.2] Při revisi stanice Subotiště na jižní dráze bosenské zjistil jsem, že šest ešalonů nedostalo večeři, poněvadž o ni zapomněli velitelé ešalonů žádat. Šestkrát se na stanici vařil guláš s brambory, a nikdo o něj nežádal.

Also written:Subotiště Hašek Sabatka Reiner Maria-Theresiopel de Szabadka hu Суботица sr

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Břetislav Hůlas's fanciful hypothesis

© LA-PNP

Watian is mentioned at the station in Budapest when the "latrine-general" goes to the station command to investigate why the soldiers have not been given goulash. The answer is that the march battalion at least will be given bread at the station in Watian.

Background

Watian is not the name of any Hungarian town and has by near certainty appeared as the result of an error during dictating, transcription or typesetting. It seems inconceivable that Hašek (who knew some Hungarian) would use a name that sounds anything but Hungarian. To judge by the topographical context of this part of the novel it is surely Hatvan that is meant, an assumption shared by the Hungarian translation of The Good Soldier Švejk.

To make the matter entirely obvious: a few paragraphs further down the "latrine general" says that two days ago the soldiers of a military transport that rolled through Hatvan didn't get bread "but you will get it issued there".

Still, there has been at least one attempt to locate "Watian". Břetislav Hůla claimed that it was a station between Győr and Budapest but such a place didn't exist nor does it fit with the plot. Waitzen, the German name for the town of Vác in northern Hungary, is possible in a pure syntactical sense but again it doesn't fit the itinerary of Švejk's march battalion.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.2] Pokud se týká chleba, obdrží mužstvo ve Watianě na stanici po půl vece.
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Rákospalota is mentioned as Švejk knew the way all the way from the station to there.

Background

Rákospalota is a district of Budapest, situated east of Újpest.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.2] „Poslušně hlásím, pane obrlajtnant, že už se vypravil,“ rozjasněně hlásil Baloun. „Řekl, že pan obrlajtnant bude spokojen a že panu obrlajtnantovi budou všichni závidět. Šel někam z nádraží a říkal, že to tady zná až za Rákošpalotu. Kdyby snad vlak bez něho odjel, že se přidá k automobilové koloně a dohoní nás na nejbližší stanici automobilem.

Also written:Rákošpalota Hašek

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Aszód is mentioned when it, after another delay, is announced that the battalion is moving on to Gödöllő-Aszód at two o´clock in the afternoon. The company must have travelled past Aszód on the way to the front but there is not further mention of it.

Background

Aszód is a town nort-east of Budapest, on the railway line between Gödöllő and Hatvan.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.2] Přinesli zprávu z kanceláře velitelství, že se pojede až odpůldne ve dvě hodiny na Gödöllö-Aszód a že se fasuje pro důstojníky na nádražích po dvou litrech červeného vína a láhev koňaku. Říkalo se, že je to nějaká ztracená zásilka pro Červený kříž.
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Gumpoldskirchen is mentioned as there appears a shipment of cognac and Gumpoldskirchen wine. The shipment was for the Red Cross but had got lost, but now benefited the officers, particularly hejtman Hauptmann Ságner.

Background

Gumpoldskirchen is a wine-producing town in the district of Mödling in Lower Austria, south of Vienna.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.2] Říkalo se, že je to nějaká ztracená zásilka pro Červený kříž. Ať se to mělo jak chce, spadlo to přímo s nebe a ve štábním vagoně bylo veselo. Koňak měl tři hvězdičky a víno bylo známky Gumpoldskirchen.
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Isatarcsa is the scene of Švejk's alleged hen-theft. This, as many of our hero's little accidents, happens when he wants to please his obrlajtnant. He is arrested by some Honvéd soldiers and led back to the railway station, giving Oberleutnant Lukáš another headache. Švejk describes the village as consisting of thirteen streets.

At the end of the chapter, the train disappears behind Isatarcsa as Feldwebel Nasáklo is left at the station (in Budapest) haggling with a prostitute.

Background

Isatarcsa with near certainty refers to Kistarcsa, a small town outside Budapest. This goes well with the description of the rest of the stay in Budapest. The Hungarian translator makes the same assumption and has "corrected" the text accordingly. A map from 1910 confirms that there was a railway line and a station here[a] and it is very likely that the transport with Hašek's XII. Marschbataillon passed through on 1 July 1915.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.2] Nezbývalo již nic jiného než koupit slepici. Šel jsem tedy za nádražím do Išatarči. Je to vlastně vesnice, jako by to nebylo žádný město, ačkoliv je tam napsáno v první ulici Išatarča vároš. Projdu jednu ulici se zahrádkami, druhou, třetí, čtvrtou, pátou, šestou, sedmou, osmou, devátou, desátou, jedenáctou, až v třinácté ulici na samém konci, kde za jedním domkem už začínaly trávníky, páslo se a procházelo stádo slepic.

Also written:Išatarča Hašek

References
aMagyarország általános térképe (foktérkép) 1910 körül (1:200 000)Arcanum Adatbázis Kft.
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Transylvania is mentioned by Švejk; from the hen there will be made such good chicken soup that it can be smelt all the way to Transylvania.

Background

Transylvania is an area of Romania that until 1920 belonged to Hungary. It was at the time ethnically more mixed than today; large groups spoke Hungarian and German. The area covers most Romania west of the Carpathians.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.2] Tak vidíte, pane obrlajtnant, že se dá všechno urovnat,“ řekl Švejk k nadporučíkovi Lukášovi, „nejlepší je, když se všechno obejde bez skandálu, bez velkých ceremonií. Nyní s Balounem vám uvaříme takovou slepičí polévku, že ji bude cítit až do Sedmihradska.“

Also written:Sedmihradsko cz Siebenbürgen de Erdély hu Transilvania ro

Philippinn flag
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philippi.jpg

Philippi is invoked by Leutnant Dub as threat against Švejk: "At Philippi we will meet". Švejk interprets this as a place where homosexuals meet and has thus classed Dub as such.

Background

Philippi was a city of ancient Greece. The quote Leutnant Dub uses may be from "Julius Caesar" by William Shakespeare, alluding to Caesar's killer, Brutus, who was amongst the loosers at the battle of Philippi in 42 BC.

Plutarch famously reported that Brutus experienced a vision of a ghost a few months before the battle. One night he saw a huge and shadowy form appearing in front of him; when he calmly asked, "What and whence art thou?" it answered "Thy evil spirit, Brutus: I shall see thee at Philippi." He again met the ghost the night before the battle.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.2] „Pro nás, poslušně hlásím, pane lajtnant. Podívejte se, co má sádla.“ Poručík Dub odcházel bruče: „U Filippi se sejdeme.“ „Cože ti říkal?“ obrátil se k Švejkovi Jurajda. „Ale dali jsme si schůzku někde u Filipy. Voni tihle vznešení páni bejvají obyčejně buseranti.“

Sources: Wikipedia

Also written:Filippi cz

Praha II.nn flag
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Praha II. is mentioned in Švejk's story about two abandoned sluts who raped a 100-year old man by Roztoky.

A great number of the places mentioned in the novel are located within the district, amongst them U kalicha. The plot of the first seven chapters of the book almost exclusively takes place here.

Background

Praha II. is an administrative district of Prague which includes all of Vyšehrad and parts of Vinohrady, Nové město and Nusle.

Until 1922 Prague II. was much smaller than today, and was identical to Nové město. It was in this district Jaroslav Hašek was born, grew up, went to school and completed his higher education. As an adult he lived here in long periods until the end of 1914.

Demography

According to the 1910 census Prague II. had 81,760 inhabitants of which 71,761 (87 per cent) reported that they used Czech in their daily speech.

Source:Seznam míst v království Českém(1913)

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.2] “Vona je to holt vášeň, ale nejhorší je to, když to přijde na ženský. V Praze II byly před léty dvě vopuštěný paničky, rozvedený, poněvadž to byly coury, nějaká Mourková a Šousková, a ty jednou, když kvetly třešně v aleji u Roztok, chytly tam večer starýho impotentního stoletýho flašinetáře a vodtáhly si ho do roztockýho háje a tam ho znásilnily. Co ty s ním dělaly!

Also written:Praha II cz Prag II de Praha II nn

Literature
Roztokynn flag
Wikipedia czdeen MapSearch
roztoky.jpg

Roztoky er is mentioned in Švejk's story about two abondoned sluts Mourková and Šousková who raped a 100-year old here.

Background

Roztoky is a small town by the Vltava just north of Prague.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.2] “Vona je to holt vášeň, ale nejhorší je to, když to přijde na ženský. V Praze II byly před léty dvě vopuštěný paničky, rozvedený, poněvadž to byly coury, nějaká Mourková a Šousková, a ty jednou, když kvetly třešně v aleji u Roztok, chytly tam večer starýho impotentního stoletýho flašinetáře a vodtáhly si ho do roztockýho háje a tam ho znásilnily. Co ty s ním dělaly!
Pečkynn flag
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pecky.jpg

Pečky station in 1924

Pečky is essential in the anecdote Švejk tells in Budapest about train number 4268 which was left standing at track 16 here. This long story completely crushed the brutal Feldwebel Nasáklo.

Background

Pečky is a minor town in the Kolín district east of Prague. It is situated on the railway line between Praha and Brno. The town has a railway station but it is questionable if it had 16 tracks as it is a very small town and it is not a railway junction.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.2] Švejk si mezitím prohlížel číslo na ručnici a ozval se: „4268! Takový číslo měla jedna lokomotiva v Pečkách na dráze na šestnácté koleji. Měli ji odtáhnout do depot v Lysý nad Labem, ku správě, ale vono to tak lehce nešlo, poněvadž, pane šikovateli, ten strojvůdce, který ji tam měl odtáhnout, měl velmi špatnou paměť na čísla.
Literature
Lysá nad Labemnn flag
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lysa.jpg

Lysá nad Labem is part of Švejk's anecdote about train number 4268 which was going to the depot her. See Pečky.

Background

Lysá nad Labem is a town by the Labe (Elbe) north-east of Prague.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.2] Švejk si mezitím prohlížel číslo na ručnici a ozval se: „4268! Takový číslo měla jedna lokomotiva v Pečkách na dráze na šestnácté koleji. Měli ji odtáhnout do depot v Lysý nad Labem, ku správě, ale vono to tak lehce nešlo, poněvadž, pane šikovateli, ten strojvůdce, který ji tam měl odtáhnout, měl velmi špatnou paměť na čísla.
Klokotynn flag
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klokoty.jpg

Klokoty is mentioned by Offiziersdiener Baloun who went there on a pilgrimage trip to beg the Lord to relieve him from his voracity.

Background

Klokoty is a pilgrimage site a short walk west of Tábor. Klokoty is now part of the city district.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.2] Baloun zaúpěl, že už ztratil důvěru v pána boha, poněvadž už kolikrát se modlil, aby mu dal tolik síly a nějak mu ten jeho žaludek sescvrknul. „To se nedatuje vod týhle vojny,“ zabědoval, „to už je stará nemoc, tahle moje žravost. Kvůli ní chodila žena s dětma na pouť do Klokot.“ „To znám,“ poznamenal Švejk, „to je u Tábora a mají tam bohatou panenku Marii s falešnejma briliantama, a chtěl ji vokrást jeden kostelník vodněkud ze Slovenska. Moc nábožnej člověk.
Madridnn flag
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Plaza Mayor.

Madrid is mentioned by Einjährigfreiwilliger Marek when refererring to the commander of the Madrid fortress who ate his servant during the Napoleonic wars. This story has similarities with information the author gave in Part One, see Fernando and Toledo.

Background

Madrid is the capital av Spain and the country's largest city with 3.2 million inhabitants. It is the third largest city in the EU. Madrid was from 1808 to 1813 occupied by French troops and Napoléon's brother, Joseph was installed as king. The Madrid uprising on May 2 1808 is the best known event from this period, and the date is a national holiday.

The information given in the novel is dubious. Madrid did not experience any long siege during the Napoleonic Wars, nor did Toledo. The most likely historical event referred to is one of the two sieges of Zaragoza.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.2] „My vás proto neodsuzujeme,“ řekl jednoroční dobrovolník, „naopak je vidět, že z vás bude dobrý voják. Když Francouzi za napoleonských válek obléhali Madrid, tu španělský velitel Madridu, než by vydal pevnost z hladu, snědl svého adjutanta bez soli.“
Index Back Forward III. The famous thrashing Hovudpersonen

3. From Hatvan to the borders of Galicia

Laborecnn flag
Wikipedia deennosk MapSearch Švejkova cesta
laborec.jpg

Laborec by Brestov

Laborec is mentioned in the very start of the chapter: the battalion was to march from here to the front via Eastern Galicia. They will eventually arrive by the Laborec without the river being mentioned explicitely anymore. Humenné is the largest city along the river, but mentioned later are also Brestov nad Laborcom, Radvaň nad Laborcom, Čabiny, and Medzilaborce.

Background

Laborec is a river in Eastern Slovakia, then part of Hungary. During the winter of 1914/15 the russians pushed forward down the Laborec valley, which is evident from passages later on in the novel.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.3] Po celou dobu železniční přepravy batalionu, který měl sklízet válečnou slávu, až projde pěšky od Laborce východní Haličí na front, vedly se ve vagonu, kde byl jednoroční dobrovolník a Švejk, opět podivné řeči, víceméně velezrádného obsahu; v menším měřítku, ale můžeme říct povšechně, dělo se tak i v jiných vagonech, ba i ve štábním vagonu panovala jakási nespokojenost, poněvadž ve Füzesabony přišel rozkaz po armádě od pluku, ve kterém se porce vína snižovala důstojníkům o jednu osminku litru.

Also written:Laborc hu

Literature
Füzesabonynn flag
Wikipedia deenhusk MapSearch Švejkova cesta
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Füzesabony is a place where the battalion stopped as it was discovered that a company had left their field kitchen behind in Bruck. Further bad news was that the wine portion for the officers and the sago ration for the men had been reduced. They thought they were finally having goulash and potatoes served, but were to discover that the whole goulash-story was just training for the front as they had to get used to suddenly give up meals.

Background

Füzesabony is a minor town in the Heves-province of Nortern Hungary, most notable as a railway junction.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.3] Ve Füzesabony přišlo se také na to, že jedna kumpanie ztratila polní kuchyni, poněvadž konečně se měl na této stanici vařit guláš s bramborama, na který kladl velký důraz „latrinengenerál“. Pátráním vyšlo najevo, že nešťastná polní kuchyně vůbec s sebou z Brucku nejela a že asi dodnes tam stojí za barákem 186, opuštěná a vychladlá.
Miskolcnn flag
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miskolc.jpg

Miskolc was worth a short stop to finally get the goulash but this was impossible as the tracks were blocked by Russian railway carriages.

Background

Miskolc is a city in north eastern Hungary, and with 180,000 inhabitants the third largest in the country after Budapest and Debrecen. Miskolc was hit hard by a cholera epidemic during World War I.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.3] Tohle byla tedy jakási průprava, ne tak do důsledků tragická, ale přece jen poučná. Když totiž se měl již guláš rozdávat, přišel rozkaz „Do vagonů!“ a už se jelo na Miškovec. Ani tam se nerozdal guláš, poněvadž na trati stál vlak s ruskými vagony, proto se mužstvo nepustilo ven z vagonů a ponechalo se mužstvu volné pole k fantasii, že se bude guláš rozdávat, až se vyleze už v Haliči z vlaku, kde bude uznán guláš zkysaným, k požívání neschopným, a pak že se vyleje.

Also written:Miškovec cz

Tiszalöknn flag
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Tiszalök is a place the train of Švejk's march company passes, but no goulash was served here either.

Background

Tiszalök almost certainly refers to Tiszalúc, a town in north eastern Hungary by the river Tisza. It is on the railway line between Miskolc and Sátoraljaújhely.

Tiszalök is also a place but because it is not on the railway line, so Hašek surely meant the former.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.3] Potom vezli guláš dál na Tiszalök, Zombor, a když už nikdo nečekal, že se bude guláš rozdávat, zastavil se vlak v Novém Městě pod Šiatorem, kde se znova rozdělal oheň pod kotli, guláš se ohřál a byl konečně rozdán.
Zombornn flag
Wikipedia deenhu MapSearch Švejkova cesta
zombor.jpg

Zombor is a place the train of Švejk's march company passes, but no goulash was served here either.

Background

Zombor almost certaily refers to Mezőzombor, a town in north eastern Hungary on the railway line between Miskolc and Sátoraljaújhely.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.3] Potom vezli guláš dál na Tiszalök, Zombor, a když už nikdo nečekal, že se bude guláš rozdávat, zastavil se vlak v Novém Městě pod Šiatorem, kde se znova rozdělal oheň pod kotli, guláš se ohřál a byl konečně rozdán.
Sátoraljaújhelynn flag
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sator.jpg

Sátoraljaújhely sees a short stay by the march battalion as the goulash and potatoes are finally distributed. The stay in Sátoraljaújhely starts with a description of how Hungarian Honvéd Hussars abuse a group of Polish Jews. Then another conflict erupts between Švejk and Leutnant Dub: the foolish reserve lieutenant claims that destroyed weaponry is Russian even though it clearly has inscriptions identifying it as Austrian. Then Švejk pulls an incredibly long anecdote for Oberleutnant Lukáš to the effect that the obrlajtnant makes the following comment: "I’m coming to the conviction that you don’t respect your superiors at all".

Finally there is an episode that illustrates the linguistic diversity of the multi-ethnic empire: a Polish soldier creates confusion because he is unable to understand and reproduce the password.

Background

Sátoraljaújhely is a town in the north-eastern corner of Hungary, right on the border with Slovakia. The Trianon-treaty of 1920 split the town between Hungary and Czechoslovakia. At the railway station there is a memorial plaque to Švejk. The suburb Kisújhely with the other important railway station is part of Slovakia and is now called Slovenské Nové Mesto. Maps from 1910 reveal that there was only one railway station in the town. Thus it can with near certainty be concluded that the plot took place on current Hungarian territory.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.3] Potom vezli guláš dál na Tiszalök, Zombor, a když už nikdo nečekal, že se bude guláš rozdávat, zastavil se vlak v Novém Městě pod Šiatorem, kde se znova rozdělal oheň pod kotli, guláš se ohřál a byl konečně rozdán. tanice byla přeplněna, měly být napřed odeslány dva vlaky s municí, za nimi dva ešalony dělostřelectva a vlak s pontonovými oddíly. Vůbec možno říct, že zde se shromáždily vlaky s trupami všech možných částí armády.

Also written:Nové Město pod Šiatorem Hašek New Town under the Šiator Sadlon Neustadt am Zeltberg de Nové Mesto pod Šiatrom sk

Literature
Na Poříčínn flag
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Na Poříčí is mentioned in the anecdote about Oberst Fliedler.

Background

Na Poříčí is a street in Praha II., starting by Prašná brána and ending by Florenc.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.3] Tak jak šli přes Poříč, kolem Rozvařilů, Železný skočil do průjezdu a ztratil se mu průchodem a zkazil Kaučukovýmu dědkovi tu velikou radost, až ho bude sázet do arestu.

Also written:Porschitz Reiner

Dolní Královicenn flag
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Dolní Královice is mentioned in the interminable anecdote about Oberst Fliedler, in the part where Švejk virtually declare him a saint. He let his soldiers drink empty the brewery in Dolní Královice.

Background

Dolní Královice is a village in the eastern part of the Benešov district, not far from Lipnice. The village was moved in the seventies because a water-reservoir for Prague was built in the Želivka valley. The brewery was closed in 1957.

During the summer of 1922 Jaroslav Hašek visited the village. This was his last major excursion before his untimely death six months later.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.3] Když jsme přišli do Dolních Královic, tak dal rozkaz vypít celej dolnokrálovickej pivovar na jeho útraty, a když měl svátek nebo narozeniny, tak dal pro celej regiment navařit zajíce na smetaně s houskovejma knedlíkama. Von byl takovej hodnej na manšaft, že vám jednou, pane obrlajtnant

Sources: Radko Pytlík

Literature
Kołomyjann flag
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kolomyja1.jpg

The battle of Chorupan2021

Kołomyja was the home town of a Pole who for some mysterious reason served with Infanterieregiment Nr. 91. He didn't grasp the field password due to linguistic mix-ups. This incident happended during the stay Sátoraljaújhely.

Background

Kołomyja is the Polish name of Коломия (Kolomyja) in Galicia, now in the Ivano-Frankivsk oblast in Ukraine. Until 1918 it belonged to Austria, like the rest of the region. The Russians occupied the city in september 1914, but were driven out the next year. At the time nearly half the population were Jewish.

The mysterious Pole

There is little doubt that this Pole is inspired by Sylwester Turczyński who was an officer's servant at the staff of Infanterieregiment Nr. 91 at the time when Jaroslav Hašek served in the regiment. The two were even taken prisoners under the same circumstances, during the battle by Chorupan 24 September 1915[a]. If the episode that is described in The Good Soldier Švejk actually took place, it would rather have been in the field than in Sátoraljaújhely, a town far behind the front.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.3] Ten den byl feldruf: „Kappe“ a losung: „Hatvan“. Post, který si to měl u telefonních aparátů pamatovat, byl nějaký Polák z Kolomyje, který nějakou divnou náhodou se dostal k 91. regimentu. Kdepak, aby věděl, co je to „Kappe“, ale poněvadž měl v sobě nějaký zárodek mnemotechniky, tak si přece jen zapamatoval, že to začíná s „k“, a hrdě odpověděl poručíkovi Dubovi, který měl „batalionku“ a ptal se ho, přibližuje se k němu, na heslo ode dne: „Kaffee.“ Bylo to ovšem velice přirozené, poněvadž Polák z Kolomyje pořád ještě vzpomínal na ranní a večerní kávu v táboře Brucku. A když zařval ještě jednou „Kaffee“, a poručík Dub se neustále k němu přibližoval, tu on, pamětliv na svou přísahu a na to, že je na stráži, zvolal hrozivě: „Halt!“, a když poručík Dub udělal k němu ještě dva kroky a stále chtěl na něm feldruf, namířil na něj ručnici, a neznalý dokonale německého jazyka, užil podivné směsi polštiny s němčinou, křiče: „Benže šajsn, benže šajsn.“ Poručík Dub pochopil a počal couvat nazpátek, křiče: „Wachkommandant, Wachkommandant!“ Objevil se četař Jelínek, který Poláka zaváděl na stráž, a ptal se ho sám po heslu, potom poručík Dub, na kteréž otázky odpovídal zoufalý Polák od Kolomyje křikem, který se rozléhal po nádraží: „Kafe, kafe.“ Co tam bylo ešalonů, počali z nich vojáci vyskakovat s esšálkama a byla hrozná panika, která skončila tím, když odzbrojeného poctivého vojáka odvedli do arestantvagonu.

Also written:Kolomyje Hašek Коломия ua

References
aThe battle of ChorupanJomar Hønsi2021
Lastovcenn flag
Wikipedia enhusk MapSearch Švejkova cesta
lastovce.jpg

Lastovce in June 2010

Lastovce is passed through by the battalion on the way from Sátoraljaújhely to Trebišov. This happened after midnight and there is no description of any stay here.

Background

Lastovce is almost certainly what the author had in mind with Ladovce. It is a small place just south of Trebišov in the far east of Slovakia. The region was part of Hungary until 1920.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.3] Po půlnoci vlak se hnul na Ladovce a Trebišov, kde ho ráno uvítal na stanici veteránský spolek, poněvadž si tenhle maršbatalion spletl s maršbatalionem 14. honvédského maďarského pluku, který projel stanicí hned v noci.

Also written:Ladovce Hašek Lasztóc hu

Trebišovnn flag
Wikipedia deenhusk MapSearch Švejkova cesta
trebisov.jpg

Trebišov railway station in 2010.

Trebišov is passed through by the march battalion on the way from Sátoraljaújhely to Humenné. This happened early in the morning and the soldiers on the train were woken up by members of a Hungarian veterans association who thought they were greeting a march battalion of the 14th Honvéd regiment. The stay at the station lasted only five minutes.

Background

Trebišov is a town in the Zemplín region of Eastern Slovakia. The area was in 1915 still ruled by Hungary.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.3] Po půlnoci vlak se hnul na Ladovce a Trebišov, kde ho ráno uvítal na stanici veteránský spolek, poněvadž si tenhle maršbatalion spletl s maršbatalionem 14. honvédského maďarského pluku, který projel stanicí hned v noci. Jisto bylo, že veteráni byli namazaní, a svým řevem: „Isten áld meg a királyt“ probudili ze spaní celý transport. Několik uvědomělejších naklonilo se z vagonů a odpovědělo jim: „Polibte nám prdel. Éljen!“

Also written:Tőketerebes hu

Tiszann flag
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tisza.jpg

Tisza and the Tisza Valley is mentioned when the author describes the first signs of war damage as the train moves north towards Humenné. This journey was along the river Laborec, a tributiary to Tisza.

Background

Tisza is a river flowing from the Ukrainian Carpathinas and enters the Danube in the Vojvodina region of Serbia. Cities and towns along the river include Sighetu Marmaţiei, Čop, Tokaj, Szolnok and Szeged.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.3] Za pět minut jel vlak dál na Humenné. Zde již byly jasně a zřetelně znát stopy bojů, když Rusové táhli do údolí Tisy. Po stráních táhly se primitivní zákopy, tu a tam bylo vidět vypálenou usedlost, kolem které narychlo zbudovaná bouda znamenala, že se majitelé opět vrátili.

Also written:Tisa cz Theiß de Tisa sk Тиса sr Тиса ua

Humennénn flag
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humenne2.jpg
humenne.jpg

Humenné is mentioned 7 times in The Good Soldier Švejk.

Humenné was the scene of an eventful break which must have lasted a couple of hours. The train arrived around noon, two days after the departure from Budapest, thus the date is 26 May 1915. The author notes that the station area is damaged by fighting.

There is a grim episode when the arriving troops observe how Hungarian gendarmes mistreat members of the Ruthenian population (called Hungarian Russians by the author). This is generally condemned by the officers, except for the despicable Leutnant Dub who reacts approvingly. This episode leads directly to Oberleutnant Lukáš wanting to get drunk to forget his Weltschmerz. We know how it all ended; Švejk gets caught by Dub when buying booze from a local Jew and has to drink the whole bottle in one go to protect himself and his superior. He narrowly gets away with, and all in all the stay here was troublesome for Dub. He suffers further humiliation when a Hungarian soldier recognizes him as Czech and mockingly holds his hands in the air (alluding to the Czechs alleged lack of willingness to fight).

Background

Humenné is a town of the Laborec Valley in eastern Slovakia with around 35,000 inhabitants. There is a statue of Švejk at Humenné station, the first ever in the world. It was unveiled in October 2000[a].

Humenné was until 1921 still Hungarian and the population was ethnically mixed with Hungarians as the largest group. Russian forces briefly occupied the town at the end of November 1914 so the war damgage that is described in The Good Soldier Švejk surely hails from this period.

Wien, 29. November, mittags

In den Karpathen wurden die auf Homonna vorgedrungenen Kräfte geschlagen und zurückgedrängt. Unsere Truppen machten 1500 Gefangene.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.3] Za pět minut jel vlak dál na Humenné. Zde již byly jasně a zřetelně znát stopy bojů, když Rusové táhli do údolí Tisy. Po stráních táhly se primitivní zákopy, tu a tam bylo vidět vypálenou usedlost, kolem které narychlo zbudovaná bouda znamenala, že se majitelé opět vrátili. Potom, když k polednímu přišla stanice Humenné, kde nádraží jevilo také zbytky bojů, vykonány byly přípravy k obědu a mužstvo transportu zatím mohlo nahlédnout do veřejného tajemství, jak úřady po odchodu Rusů jednají s místním obyvatelstvem, které bylo řečí i náboženstvím příbuzné ruským vojskům.

Also written:Homonna hu

Literature
References
aPo Švejkových (a Haškových) stopách v HaličiIkarosJosef Schwarz2006
Strašnicenn flag
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Strašnice, 1925.

strasnice1.jpg

Strašnice is mentioned in the anecdote about gardener Kalenda who from the local pub U remisy sets out on his legendary pub crawl across Prague.

Background

Strašnice is an area of eastern Prague, bordering Vinohrady, Žižkov, Vršovice, Záběhlice and Michle. The former town became part of the capital in 1922.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.3] Nedal se však tím odstrašit, poněvadž se vsadil předtím ten večer v Strašnicích v hospodě ,U remisy’ s jedním řídičem vod elektriky, že udělá pěšky cestu kolem světa za tři neděle. Počal se tedy dál a dál vzdalovat vod svýho domova, až se přivalil do ,Černýho pivovaru’ na Karlově náměstí, a vodtamtuď šel na Malou Stranu k Sv. Tomáši do pivovaru a odtamtud přes restauraci ,U Montágů’ a ještě vejš přes hospodu ,U krále brabanskýho’, pak na ,Krásnou vyhlídku’, odtud do Strahovskýho kláštera do pivovaru.
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Průhled Korunní ulicí. V pozadí kostel sv. Ludmily na Vinohradech (kol. 1910)

Korunní třída was the street where gardener Kalenda started to get home-sick on his journey around the world, after having visited several hospody on the way.

Background

Korunní třída is a long street in Vinohrady, leading from Strašnice to Náměstí Míru. Vinohradská vodárna is located in this street.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.3] Strašnickej zahradník, nějakej Josef Kalenda, ten se taky jednou vzdálil z domova, šel ze Strašnic na Vinohrady, stavil se ,Na zastávce’ v hospodě, ale to mu ještě nic nebylo, ale jakmile přišel do Korunní třídy k vodárně, bral v Korunní třídě až za kostel svaté Ludmily hospodu za hospodou a cítil už malátnost.
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Loretánské náměstí was the final stop on the odyssey of gardener Kalenda. He broke down on the pavement due to homesickness, coughed and spat on his world tour.

Background

Loretánské náměstí is a square at Hradčany, right by the Loreta Church and the Černín palace. The latter is used by the Ministry of Foregn Affairs. Loretánské náměstí is very close to the garrison prison where Švejk was detained when Feldkurat Katz "discovered" him.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.3] Dostal se až na Loretánský náměstí a tam dostal najednou takový stesk po domově, že sebou praštil na zem, počal se válet po chodníku a křičel: ,Lidičky, já už dál nepůjdu. Já se na cestu kolem světa,’ s dovolením, pane obrlajtnant, ,vykašlu.’
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Kamýk nad Vltavou is mentioned when Švejk tells Leutnant Dub that the cognac he illicitely bought for Oberleutnant Lukáš is water rich in iron, just like the blacksmith in Kámyk got after throwing a horse-shoe in the well.

Background

Kamýk nad Vltavou is a place by the Vltava south of Prague. It is situated in okres Příbram.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.3] V Kamýku nad Vltavou jeden hostinskej dělal pro svý letní hosty.železitou vodu takovým způsobem, že do studny házel starý podkovy.“
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Don in the Voronezh oblast

Don is mentioned by Einjährigfreiwilliger Marek when he sists in the staff carriage at Humenné station and invents the battalions history, where the Don-regiment is involved. Meanwhile Švejk is sleeping off the effect of the bottle of cognac.

Background

Don is one of the major rivers of Russia. It rises in the town of Novomoskovsk 60 kilometres southeast from Tula, southeast of Moscow, and flows for a distance of about 1,950 kilometres to the Sea of Azov. From its source, the river first flows southeast to Voronezh, then southwest to its mouth. The main city on the river is Rostov-na-Donu, and the main tributary is Donets.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.3] Ku př. zde líčím, jak náš batalion, to snad bude asi za dva měsíce, málem překročí ruské hranice, velice silně obsazené, řekněme donskými pluky nepřítele, zatímco několik nepřátelských divisí obchází naše posice.

Also written:Дон ru

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Wallsee is mentioned by Einjährigfreiwilliger Marek when he writes about the Imperial family party at Schönbrunn. Erzherzogin Marie Valerie travels to Schönbrunn for the single purpose of taking part in the celebration of Marek's heroic battalion.

Background

Wallsee was from 1895 the home Erzherzogin Marie Valerie and her family. The castle is located by the Danube in the Amstetten district of Upper Austria.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.3] Představuji si to tak, jak vidíte v mých poznámkách, že arcivévodská rodina Marie Valérie přesídlí kvůli tomu z Wallsee do Schönbrunnu.
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Padua is mentioned by Einjährigfreiwilliger Marek when he prepares a heroic death for telephone operator Chodounský and cook Jurajda in his pre-written history of the battalion. See Karl von Österreich-Teschen.

Background

Padua is a major city in the Veneto region of Italy. It is situated between Verona, Vicenza and Venice. Like the rest of Veneto, Padua belonged to Austria between 1815 and 1866.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.3] Mohu vám přečíst výňatek z armádního rozkazu, který bude čten po všech oddílech armády, který se velice podobá onomu rozkazu arcivévody Karla, když stál se svým vojskem roku 1805 před Paduou a den po rozkazu dostal slušný nátěr.

Also written:Padua Hašek Padova cz Padua de Padova it

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Postcard from 1914

Jindřichův Hradec is mentioned when Švejk talks in his sleep, still strongly hit by the bottle of cognac he had to gulp down. In this dream an unidentified self-killer from this town resembled Piskora, watchmaker Lejhanz and Mr. Jaroš. The town also features in one of Švejk's final anecdotes, about the sausage-maker Josef Josef Linek who puts insect powder in his sausages.

Background

Jindřichův Hradec is a town in South Bohemia situated in a flat aera with many fish ponds. The historical centre is protected as heritage.

The town was also the seat of recruitment district No. 75 and the replacement battalion of Infanterieregiment Nr. 75. The regiment staff was also located here in periods and the regiment was always present with at least one regular battalion.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.3] Z místa, kde ležel Švejk, ozvalo se zívnutí a bylo slyšet, jak Švejk mluví ze spaní: „To mají pravdu, paní Müllerová, že jsou si lidi podobný. V Kralupech stavěl pumpy nějaký pan Jaroš a ten se podobal hodináři Lejhanzovi z Pardubic, jako když mu z voka vypadne, a ten zas byl tak nápadně podobnej jičínskýmu Piskorovi a všichni čtyři dohromady neznámýmu sebevrahovi, kterýho našli voběšenýho a úplně zetlelýho v jednom rybníku u Jindřichova Hradce, zrovna pod dráhou, kde se asi vrhnul pod vlak.“

Also written:Neuhaus de

Literature
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Český svět, 25.9.1908

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Prager Tagblatt,18.9.1908

veszprem.png

Český svět, 25.9.1908

Veszprém is mentioned in Švejk's excuse for not having woken up when Leutnant Dub dropped by the carriage to investigate if he reeked of cognac. He couldn't sleep because he had been thinking of the times when he took part in manouvres by Veszprém. He mentioned the strategical operations that involved the first, second, third and fourth army corps. He also spoke about other places where the manouvres took place: Styria, Vienna, Danube, Osijek, Lake Balaton and Pressburg.

Background

Veszprém is a Hungarian city situated north of Lake Balaton. It is one of the oldest cities of Hungary and one of the first to get a university. Veszprém was in 1914 a garrison town, and was home to Honvédinfanterieregiment Nr. 13.

Kaisermanövern 1908

Švejk's answer to Leutnant Dub was no doubt about the manoeuvres by Veszprém in 1908. That year western Hungary and some surrounding areas hosted the annual Kaisermanövern and staff headquarters was located in Hajmáskér, very close to Veszprém. The newspapers reported on the event and reveal that many luminaries attended: Kaiser Franz Joseph I., Erzherzog Franz Ferdinand, Erzherzog Karl Franz Joseph, Feldmarschall Conrad, Erzherzog Friedrich etc. Franz Ferdinand headed the manoeuvres that took place from 15 to 18 September 1908. The emperor and his entourage stayed in the bishop's residence in Veszprém proper.

Švejk's answer and the newspapers

Švejk is remarkably precise in his description of the manoeuvre's geographical extent and even on which army units took part. The troop movements themselves are reasonably accurately described. Indeed it is close enough to a summary printed in the weekly Český svět 25 September 1908 (right) to make one suspect that Hašek had this or a similar text at hand when he wrote Part Three of The Good Soldier Švejk in 1922. Or did his excellent memory served him so well that he remembered such details 14 years later? Austrian dailies had printed similar but more in-depth texts a week earlier, so the inspiration could also have been from one of them.

Note that Švejk's answer to Leutnant Dub surely was a trick to fend him off: the eight army corps that Švejk's IR. 91 belonged to didn't participate in these manouvres.

The manouvres had already been mentioned in [II.3] but referred to indirectly as the "great manoeuvres by Sopron in 1908". See Erzherzog Stephan for more on the context.

Imperial manoeuvres

Kaisermanövern were annual large-scale military exercises where the emperor usually was present, joined by additional members of the upper echelons of society. It also happened that foreign heads of state were invited. The manoevres included various branches of the armed forces and almost always took place in September. They usually stretched over four days.

In The Good Soldier Švejk at least three of the manoeuvres are mentioned and Švejk took part in all of them. These are, in the order they appear in the novel: Písek in 1910, Veszprém and Velké Meziříčí. In addition, the author mentions an large exercise by Sopron in 1908 but historical circumstances dictate that these were the same as those by Veszprém. Despite what Švejk told Wachtmeister Flanderka: there were no imperial exercises by Písek in 1910, instead they were arranged in South Bohemia, including the Písek region, in 1905 and 1913. The 1910 Imperial exercises were actually planned for Upper Hungary (Slovakia) but were cancelled due to a regional outbreak of a horse disease.

South Bohemia did however in 1910 host the manoeuvres of 8. Korps, centred around Týn nad Vltavou but activities also took place around Písek. In these the 4th battalion of Infanterieregiment Nr. 91 participated so Švejk could hypothetically have been there.

Kaisermanövern 1905-1913

Jahr Datum Bereich Bemerkung
1905 3.9 - 7.9 Südböhmen Štěkeň
1906 4.9 - 7.9 Schlesien Teschen
1907 2.9 - 7.9 Kärnten Klagenfurt
1908 14.9 - 18.9 West-Ungarn Veszprém
1909 8.9 - 11.9 Mähren Groß Meseritsch
1910 12.9 - 16.9 (abgesagt) Oberungarn, Komitat Zemplen Stropko, Felsövizköz
1911 12.9 - 15.9 Oberungarn und West-Galizien, Karpathen Bartfa, Felsövizköz
1912 9.9 - 11.9 Südungarn Mezöhegyes
1913 15.9 - 17.9 Südböhmen Chotowin

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.3] „Já jsem, poslušně hlásím, pane lajtnant, celou noc nespal, poněvadž jsem si vzpomínal na ty doby, když jsme ještě dělali manévry u Vesprimu. Tenkrát suponovanej první a druhej armádní sbor šel přes Štyrsko a západníma Uhrama vobklíčil náš čtvrtej sbor, kterej byl na lágru ve Vídni a v okolí, kde jsme měli všude festunky, ale voni vobešli nás a dostali se až na most, kterej dělali pionýři z pravýho břehu Dunaje. My jsme měli dělat ofensivu a nám na pomoc měly přijít vojska vod severu a potom taky vod jihu vod Voseka. To nám četli v rozkaze, že nám táhne na pomoc třetí armádní sbor, aby nás nerozbili mezi tím Blatenským jezerem a Prešpurkem, až budeme forikovat proti druhýmu armádnímu sboru. Ale nebylo to nic platný; když jsme měli vyhrát, tak se vodtroubilo a vyhráli to s bílejma páskama.“

Also written:Vesprim cz Wesprim/Weißbrunn de Vesprim hr

Literature
Lake Balatonnn flag
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A Balaton tudományos tanulmányozásának eredményei, 1897

veszprem.png

Český svět, 25.9.1908

Lake Balaton is mentioned in Švejk's excuse for not having woken up when Leutnant Dub dropped by the carriage to investigate if he reeked of cognac. He couldn't sleep because he had been thinking of the times when he took part in manoeuvres by Veszprém. In this context he also mentioned Lake Balaton.

Background

Lake Balaton is located in western Hungary and measured by area the largest lake in Central Europe.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.3] „Já jsem, poslušně hlásím, pane lajtnant, celou noc nespal, poněvadž jsem si vzpomínal na ty doby, když jsme ještě dělali manévry u Vesprimu<. Tenkrát suponovanej první a druhej armádní sbor šel přes Štyrsko a západníma Uhrama vobklíčil náš čtvrtej sbor, kterej byl na lágru ve Vídni a v okolí, kde jsme měli všude festunky, ale voni vobešli nás a dostali se až na most, kterej dělali pionýři z pravýho břehu Dunaje. My jsme měli dělat ofensivu a nám na pomoc měly přijít vojska vod severu a potom taky vod jihu vod Voseka. To nám četli v rozkaze, že nám táhne na pomoc třetí armádní sbor, aby nás nerozbili mezi tím Blatenským jezerem a Prešpurkem, až budeme forikovat proti druhýmu armádnímu sboru. Ale nebylo to nic platný; když jsme měli vyhrát, tak se vodtroubilo a vyhráli to s bílejma páskama.“

Also written:Balaton cz

Literature
Michalovcenn flag
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Michalovce is a place the train must have passed already as it is commented before Medzilaborce that the Germans from Kašperské Hory were still singing, but that their enthusiasmn had vained after they had seen the war cemeteries and the torn pieces of uniform in the devastated Laborec Valley.

Background

Michalovce is, to judge by plot, itinerary and timing, surely what the author thinks of when he writes Milovice. The nearest Milovice is a place near Nymburk which had a Soviet military base from 1968 to 1991. In 1914 more than half the population of Michalovce were Hungarians and the author has probably translated the name from old maps which still used Hungarian names.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.3] Němci od Kašperských Hor, kteří seděli v zadních vagonech a ještě v Milovicích na stanici hulákali při vjezdu: „Wann ich kumm, wann ich wieda kumm...“, od Humenného silně ztichli, poněvadž nahlíželi, že mnozí z těch, jejichž čepice jsou na hrobech, zpívali totéž o tom, jak to bude pěkné, až se opět vrátí a zůstane pořád doma se svou milou.

Also written:Milovice Hašek Großmichel de Nagymihály hu Michalovce sk

Brestovnn flag
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Brestov, 2010

Brestov is mentioned by the narrator as the train moves on from Humenné towards Medzilaborce. The village has been burnt down during earlier fighting.

Background

Brestov is a village by the river Laborec in Slovakia. The population count is just 66, 49 of them Ruthenians. It is situated two km south of Radvaň nad Laborcom. When Jaroslav Hašek wrote the novel, the name of the village was Zbudský Brestov.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.3] Za čtvrt hodiny se jelo dál na Novou Čabynu přes vypálené vesnice Brestov a Veliký Radvaň. Bylo vidět, že zde to již šlo do tuhého. Karpatské stráně a svahy byly rozryty zákopy jdoucími z údolí do údolí podél trati s novými pražci, po obou stranách veliké jámy od granátů. Někde přes potoky tekoucí do Laborce, jehož horní tok dráha sledovala, bylo vidět nové mosty a ohořelé trámy starých mostových přechodů.

Also written:Laborcbér hu Берестів над Лабірцём rue Берестiв над Лабiрцем ua

Radvaň nad Laborcomnn flag
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radvan.jpg

German troops in the Laborec-vally

Radvaň nad Laborcom is mentioned by the narrator as the train moves on from Humenné towards Medzilaborce. The village has been burnt down during earlier fighting. The village had already been mentioned in Budapest by Rechnungsfeldwebel Bautanzel as he related his experiences at the front in the Carpathians.

Background

Radvaň nad Laborcom is a village between Humenné and Medzilaborce by the Laborec river. From 1920 to 1964 the place were two separate villages, called Vyšná Radvaň and Nižná Radvaň. By Veliký Radvaň Hašek presumably meant the former which was on the railway line. On the military survey map from 1910 the Hungarian name Laborcradvány shown.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.3] Za čtvrt hodiny se jelo dál na Novou Čabynu přes vypálené vesnice Brestov a Veliký Radvaň. Bylo vidět, že zde to již šlo do tuhého. Karpatské stráně a svahy byly rozryty zákopy jdoucími z údolí do údolí podél trati s novými pražci, po obou stranách veliké jámy od granátů. Někde přes potoky tekoucí do Laborce, jehož horní tok dráha sledovala, bylo vidět nové mosty a ohořelé trámy starých mostových přechodů.

Also written:Radvaň/Veliký Radvaň Hašek Laborcradvány hu Радвань над Лабiрцем ua

Čabinynn flag
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cabiny.jpg

Čabiny is mentioned by the narrator as the train moves on from Humenné towards Medzilaborce. The village has been burnt down during earlier fighting.

Background

Čabiny is a village in the Laborec valley between Humenné and Medzilaborce. The place was destroyed during the Russian winter offensive in 1914-15. The village is quite spread out and there are two railway stations: Nišné Čabiny and Vyšné Čabiny. These were separate communities until 1964.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.3] Za čtvrt hodiny se jelo dál na Novou Čabynu přes vypálené vesnice Brestov a Veliký Radvaň. Bylo vidět, že zde to již šlo do tuhého. Karpatské stráně a svahy byly rozryty zákopy jdoucími z údolí do údolí podél trati s novými pražci, po obou stranách veliké jámy od granátů. Někde přes potoky tekoucí do Laborce, jehož horní tok dráha sledovala, bylo vidět nové mosty a ohořelé trámy starých mostových přechodů.

Also written:Nová Čabyna Hašek Nagy-Czaba Reiner Csebény hu

Medzilaborcenn flag
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medzilaborce.jpg

Medzilaborce witnesses a short stay by the march battalion. The main part is a description on how the army went about billetting from the local population. A farmers family had to let go of three pigs but they had few alternatives. The destruction wreaked on the town by recent fighting is described in some detail.

Background

Medzilaborce is a town in the Laborec valley of eastern Slovakia, near the Polish border and the Łupków Pass. In February 1915 Russian forces occupied the town but were driven out in May. This happended only a few weeks before Švejk and his march batallion arrived, so the traces of fighting described in the novel were very fresh.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.3] V Medzilaborci byla zastávka za rozbitým, vypáleným nádražím, z jehož začouzených stěn vyčnívaly zkroucené traversy. Nový dlouhý barák ze dřeva, namísto vypáleného nádraží rychle postavený, byl pokryt nalepenými plakáty ve všech řečích: „Upisujte rakouskou válečnou půjčku!“ V jiném dlouhém baráku byla i stanice Červeného kříže, odkud vyšly s tlustým vojenským lékařem dvě sestřičky a smály se na celé kolo tlustému vojenskému lékaři, který k jich obveselení napodoboval různé zvířecí zvuky a nepodařeně chrochtal.

Also written:Mezőlaborc hu Меджилабірці rt

Literature
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Dolní Zahájí is mentioned by Offiziersdiener Baloun as he admits to his sins, one of them being that he battered the chaplain here.

Background

Dolní Zahájí can not be identified from a modern map but Baloun is probably talking about Zahájí by Mydlovary in South Bohemia, the district he is from.

Early story

In 1911 Hašek wrote a story centred around Mydlovary and Zahájí: Vislingská aféra v Mydlovarech. It was first printed in Karikatury 7 March 1911 and soon after it appeared in Šípy in Chicago![a]

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.3] Baloun s naprostým zoufalstvím začal vyznávat generální zpověď: „Já jsem se vám rouhal svatejm i světicím božím, na Malši v hospodě a v Dolním Zahájí ztřískal jsem kaplana. V boha jsem ještě věřil, to nezapírám, ale o svatým Josefovi jsem pochyboval.
References
aVislingská aféra v MydlovarechŠípyJaroslav Hašek22.4.1911
Palotann flag
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palota.jpg

Palota is mentioned in passing when it's said that the troops are having lunch in the Łupków Pass, beyond Palota.

Background

Palota is a village on the Slovak side of the Łupków Pass, about 10 km north of Medzilaborce. There is no railway station here anymore, although the railway line from Medzilaborce to Sanok goes through the village.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.3] Mužstvu bylo oznámeno, že oběd bude za Palotou v Lupkovském průsmyku, a také vyšli do obce Medzilaborce batalionní účetní šikovatel s kuchaři od kumpanií a poručíkem Cajthamlem, který měl na starosti hospodářství batalionu. K nim byli přiděleni čtyři mužové jako patrola.

Also written:Палота rue Полата uk

Łupków Passnn flag
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lupkow.jpg

Eine Bilderreihe aus den Kampfgebieten der 25. Reserve-Division 1914-1916,1917

Łupków Pass was a stop-over for one of the march battalion's lunch breaks, the scene was surely the railway station. The author mentions a monument that Germans from das Reich hurriedly had erected on a rock behind the station, in honour of their fallen heroes from Brandenburg. It bore the inscription Den Helden von Lupkapaß[*] (To the heroes from the Lupka Pass).

The grotesque way food is distributed is revealingly described. Officers of course get most, then the distribution is on the discretion of the cooks who carefully dish out to those they believe they need to be on good terms with. The only person who openly reacts against this practice is Einjährigfreiwilliger Marek.

Otherwise Švejk has another clash with Leutnant Dub, ending with the lieutenant pulling his revolver. Finally there is an episode where Švejk reports Dub for having slapped Offiziersdiener Kunert. Here Oberleutnant Lukáš observes a hitherto unknown side to his servant, a far cry from the affable person he has got used to.

Background

Łupków Pass is a mountain pass in the Carpathians, on the current border between Slovakia and Poland. The tunnel and the associated railway line were finished in 1874 and linked Galicia to the rest of the Austro-Hungarian Empire across the mountains. The pass was one of the strategically important Carpathian passes that were bitterly contested during the battles of 1914 and 1915. The railway tunnel was damaged and repaired multiple times during both world wars.

War Memorial
lupkow1.jpg

Stary Łupków, pozostałości pomnika I wojny światowej

© Henryk Bielamowicz, 2017

There is still a monument on a small hill behind the station but it was in 2017 in disrepair and it is difficult to judge what it may have looked like originally. Hašek with IR. 91's XII. Marschbataillon travelled through the pass on or shortly after 2 July 1915 (they stopped in Humenné that day) so the description of it in the novel may largely be true. There is obviously no longer any sign of a bronze eagle at the top, nor any inscription "To the heroes from the Łupków Pass".

The Good Soldier Švejk is as far as known the only source that mentions the monument so we can not be fully sure that it is the one on the picture. It has not been independently established when it was erected and by whom. Still it is entirely possible that the monument was erected by soldiers from Brandenburg. The German Beskidenkorps drove the Russians away from the pass less than two months earlier so that it was built by German troops is overwhelmingly likely (assuming that it indeed was erected in 1915).

Excavations
lupkow3.jpg

Excavations in 2020

© Archeologia Żywa, 2020

In 2020 a team of archaeologists led by Dr. Marcin Czarnowicz from Kraków's Uniwersytet Jagielloński discovered two war cemeteries in the area and also investigated the monument. They do however date it to 1916, in which case it can't be the one mentioned in the novel. The archeologists also discover a grave beneath the monument. Three German officer's were supposed to have been buried there but it was discovered that the remains had been exhumed some time after 1943.

* Correct: Den Helden vom Lupkowpaß.

Archeologia Żywa

Zwrócił też uwagę na dodatkowe odkrycie nieopodal stacji kolejowej w Łupkowie, gdzie znajduje się pomnik opisywany przez Jaroslava Haska w „Przygodach dobrego wojaka Szwejka czasu wojny światowej”. „U podnóża obelisku miały znajdować się groby oficerów niemieckich, którzy zginęli podczas forsowania przełęczy. Okazało się jednak, że ciała poległych zostały ekshumowane, ale stało się to nie wcześniej niż w 1943 roku, o czym świadczą łuski znalezione w zasypisku grobu” – wyjaśnił Czarnowicz.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.3] Hejtman Ságner dal již též rozkaz týkající se důstojnické kuchyně: „Vepřové na kmíně; vybrat to nejlepší maso, aby to nebylo příliš tučné!“ A tak se stalo, že když v Lupkovském průsmyku rozdávala se mužstvu menáž, v každém vojenském kotlíku ve své porci polévky našel jednotlivec dva malé kousíčky masa, a ten, který se narodil ještě na horší planetě, našel jenom kousek kůže.
[III.3] Za nádražím na skále pospíšili si již Němci z říše postavit pomník padlým Brandeburákům s nápisem: „Den Helden von Lupkapaß“, s velikou říšskoněmeckou orlicí vylitou z bronzu, přičemž na podstavci bylo výslovně podotčeno, že ten znak je vyroben z ruských děl ukořistěných při osvobození Karpat říšskoněmeckými pluky.

Sources: Alex Webber, Marcin Czarnowicz

Also written:Lupkovský průsmyk cz Łupków-passet nn Przełęcz Łupkowska pl Lupkovský priesmyk sk

Literature
Brandenburgnn flag
Wikipedia deennopl MapSearch
brandenburg.jpg

Kaserne des Dragoner-Regiments Nr. 12 in Gnesen, vor 1919 gelaufene Postkarte.

brandenburg.png

Österreich-Ungarns letzter Krieg, Band II, Beilage

Brandenburg enters the plot when the author informs that Germans from the Reich in a hurry had erected a monument behind the station in Łupków Pass, honouring fallen Brandenburgers. On the top was posted a bronze German eagle, and the inscription on the plaque was: Den Helden von Lupkapaß[*]. It was also added that the symbol was made from cannons captured as war booty by German regiments during the liberation of the Carpathians.

Background

Brandenburg is a historic province in Prussia that existed until 1945. It does not correspond to the current German state, as old Brandenburg included areas that are now part of Poland. The capital was Potsdam.

Beskidenkorps

The soldiers who erected the mentioned monument would have belonged to Beskidenkorps, a German unit that was formed in the Laborec valley in late March and early April 1915.

The troops who made up Beskidenkorps were mainly recruited from these provinces: Hesse (25. Reservedivision), East Prussia (35. Reservedivision) and Pomeriana (4. Division). The only possible Brandenburgers in this army corps appear to be Dragoner-Regiment „von Arnim“ (2. Brandenburgisches) Nr. 12, allocated to 4. Division. In peace time they were garrisoned in Gnesen (now Gniezno), actually in the province of Posen.

From 5 to 7 May Beskidenkorps fought a fierce battle against Russian forces who defended the Łupków Pass to cover the retreat of the 3rd army that was threatened by encirclement further west in the Carpathians. The Germans ultimately emerged victorious from the battle and the Russians withdrew northwards to positions by the river San. It would have been the destruction caused during this battle that Švejk observed during the break in the Łupków Pass.

* Correct: Den Helden vom Lupkowpaß.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.3] Za nádražím na skále pospíšili si již Němci z říše postavit pomník padlým Brandeburákům s nápisem: „Den Helden von Lupkapaß“, s velikou říšskoněmeckou orlicí vylitou z bronzu, přičemž na podstavci bylo výslovně podotčeno, že ten znak je vyroben z ruských děl ukořistěných při osvobození Karpat říšskoněmeckými pluky.

Sources: Österreich-Ungarns letzter Krieg

Also written:Brandenburgia pl

Literature
Csapnn flag
Wikipedia czdeenhuskuk MapSearch
chop.jpg

Csap is mentioned in a confused telegram from brigade staff indicating that the company were to move east towards the front already from Sátoraljaújhely.

Background

Csap is the Hungarian name of border town Чоп (Chop) between Ukraine, Slovakia and Hungary, until 1921 part of Hungary. It is now located on Ukrainian territory and is an important railway junction and border crossing.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.3] Zprávy byly tak nejasné, že to vypadalo asi tak, že by ani neměli do Lupkovského průsmyku přijeti a měli jeti zcela jiným směrem od Nového Města pod Šiatorem, poněvadž v telegramech byla nějaká řeč o místech: Csap - Ungvár, Kis-Berezna - Uzsok.

Also written:Čop cz Tschop de Csap hu Čop sk Чоп ua

Ungvárnn flag
Wikipedia czdeenhunoruskuk MapSearch
uzhorod.jpg

Vídeňské illustrované noviny, 4.2.1915

Ungvár is mentioned in a confused telegram from brigade staff indicating that the regiment were meant to move east to the front already at Sátoraljaújhely.

Background

Ungvár is the Hungarian name of Ужгород (Uzhhorod), a city now on the border between Ukraine and Slovakia. Until 1921 it was part of Hungary, and until 1938 it belonged to Czechoslovakia. It located just inside Ukrainian territory and is an important railway junction. The city has a university and some industry. It is also a quite popular tourist destination. The city sports a bronze miniature statue of Švejk, mounted on the railings by the river.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.3] Zprávy byly tak nejasné, že to vypadalo asi tak, že by ani neměli do Lupkovského průsmyku přijeti a měli jeti zcela jiným směrem od Nového Města pod Šiatorem, poněvadž v telegramech byla nějaká řeč o místech: Csap - Ungvár, Kis-Berezna - Uzsok.

Also written:Užhorod cz Ungvár hu Ужгород ru Užhorod sk Ужгород ua

Kisbereznann flag
Wikipedia czhuruskuk MapSearch
kizberezna.jpg

Kisberezna is mentioned in a confused telegram from brigade staff indicating that the regiment were to move east already at Sátoraljaújhely.

Background

Kisberezna is the Hungarian name of Малий Березний (Malyj Bereznyj), a village on the western side of Carpathians north of Užhorod. Until 1921 it was Hungarian, in the inter-war years it belonged to Czechoslovakia, from 1945 the Soviet Union and from 1991 Ukraine. In 1914 more than 70 per cent of the population were Rusyns.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.3] Zprávy byly tak nejasné, že to vypadalo asi tak, že by ani neměli do Lupkovského průsmyku přijeti a měli jeti zcela jiným směrem od Nového Města pod Šiatorem, poněvadž v telegramech byla nějaká řeč o místech: Csap - Ungvár, Kis-Berezna - Uzsok.

Also written:Kisberezna hu Малый Берёзный ru Malá Berezná sk Малий Березний ua

Uszoknn flag
Wikipedia czdehupluk MapSearch
uzhok.jpg

Das interessante Blatt,8.4.1915

Uszok is mentioned in a confused telegram from brigade staff indicating that the march batallion were to move east already at Sátoraljaújhely.

Background

Uszok (now Užok/Ужok) is a village in Ukraine, near the source of the river Už. It is best known through the mountain pass which it has given its name to. There was heavy fighting in the Uszok pass in 1914-15. From early May 1915 the pass was finally on Austro-Hungarian hands.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.3] Zprávy byly tak nejasné, že to vypadalo asi tak, že by ani neměli do Lupkovského průsmyku přijeti a měli jeti zcela jiným směrem od Nového Města pod Šiatorem, poněvadž v telegramech byla nějaká řeč o místech: Csap - Ungvár, Kis-Berezna - Uzsok.

Also written:Użok pl Užok sk Ужok ua

Munkácsnn flag
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mukacevo.jpg

Munkács is mentioned in a confused telegram from brigade staff indicating that the march batallion were to move east already at Sátoraljaújhely.

Background

Munkács is the Hungarian name of Мукачеве, a city in the Ukrainian Carpathians. One of the three railwat tracks across the Carpathians passed the city, and it was also home of a Honvéd garrison. After 1921 it was called Mukačevo and was part of Czechoslovakia. From 1945 to 1991 it was on Soviet hands.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.3] Mamlas v brigádní bási je udiven odpovědí, že jde o 7. pochodový prapor 91. pluku, i táže se, kdo dal rozkaz jeti na Munkačevo, po vojenské trati na Stryj, když maršruta je přes Lupkovský průsmyk na Sanok do Haliče.

Also written:Munkačevo Hašek Mukačevo cz Мукачеве ua

Stryjnn flag
Wikipedia czdeenplskuk MapSearch
stryj.jpg

Das interessante Blatt,24.6.1915

Stryj is mentioned in a confused telegram Hauptmann Ságner received from brigade staff in Sanok, indicating that the march batallion were to move east already at Sátoraljaújhely. The march battalion had arrived in Sanok two days early!

Background

Stryj (Стрий) is a city in oblast Lviv in Ukraine, and is also the name of the river flowing through the town. The city belonged to Galicia in 1914 and was thus part of Austria-Hungary.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.3] Mamlas v brigádní bási je udiven odpovědí, že jde o 7. pochodový prapor 91. pluku, i táže se, kdo dal rozkaz jeti na Munkačevo, po vojenské trati na Stryj, když maršruta je přes Lupkovský průsmyk na Sanok do Haliče.

Also written:Стрий ua

Literature
Sannn flag
Search

San is mentioned by Leutnant Dub when he pretends to be an expert on military strategy.

The English description is not yet ready.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.3]
Bukowskonn flag
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bukowsko.jpg

Bukowsko is mentioned by Lieutenant Leutnant Dub when he pretends to be an expert on military strategy.

Background

Bukowsko is a village in the Sanok district of Poland, in 1914 part of Austria.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.3] Zejména jsou neobyčejně protivné jeho věty takovéhoto smyslu: „Potom jsme šli na Bukovsko, abychom měli pojištěnou linii Bukovsko-Dynov, majíce spojení s bardějovskou skupinou u Velké Polanky, kde jsme rozbili samarskou divisi nepřítele.“

Also written:Bukovsko Hašek

Literature
Dynównn flag
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dynow.jpg

Dynów is mentioned by Leutnant Dub when he pretends to be an expert on military strategy.

Background

Dynów is a town in Rzeszów county in Poland, in 1914 part of Austria.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.3] Zejména jsou neobyčejně protivné jeho věty takovéhoto smyslu: „Potom jsme šli na Bukovsko, abychom měli pojištěnou linii Bukovsko-Dynov, majíce spojení s bardějovskou skupinou u Velké Polanky, kde jsme rozbili samarskou divisi nepřítele.“

Also written:Dynov Hašek

Literature
Velká Polankann flag
Wikipedia enhusk MapSearch
vpolana.jpg

Velká Polanka is mentioned by Leutnant Dub when he pretends to be an expert on military strategy.

Background

Velká Polanka is not one hundred per cent identfied, but by analyzing the text and historical events we can conclude that the place in question is Vyšná Polianka north of Bardejov. Until 2 May 1915, when the Central Powers started their offensive by Gorlice and Tarnów, the front went very close to the village. The Russian 48th Infantry Division (HQ in Samara) held this section of the front at the time. The division was almost completely destroyed during the first week of May.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.3] Zejména jsou neobyčejně protivné jeho věty takovéhoto smyslu: „Potom jsme šli na Bukovsko, abychom měli pojištěnou linii Bukovsko-Dynov, majíce spojení s bardějovskou skupinou u Velké Polanky, kde jsme rozbili samarskou divisi nepřítele.“

Sources: Österreich-Ungarns letzter Krieg

Also written:Felsőpagony hu Vyšná Polianka sk

Samarann flag
Wikipedia czdeennnnoru MapSearch
samara.jpg

Jaroslav Hašek v revolučním Rusku

© Jaroslav Křížek, 1957

Samara is mentioned by Leutnant Dub when he pretends to be an expert on military strategy lecturing on how the Samara-division was destroyed.

Background

Samara is a city on the Volga river and is the sixth largest city in Russia. Samara is an important industrial city, known amongst other things for its arms industry. The city was provisional capital of the Soviet Union during World War II. From 1935 to 1991 it was called Kuybyshev.

The Samara Division that Leutnant Dub talks about is the Russian 48th Infantry Division (HQ in Samara) which during the first week of May 1915 was trapped and destroyed in the Carpathians. Large parts of it, including staff and its commander Lavr Kornilov were taken prisoners. The narrative in the novel corresponds well with historical events.

Hašek i Samara

Jaroslav Hašek stayed in Samara from early April 1918 until the city on 8 June was occupied by the Czech legions (see České legie). He was also there in 1915 and 1916 on the way to and from the prisoner's camp by Totskoye. Moreover he must have travelled through the city on his way back from Irkutsk in November 1920 after Comintern had called him back to act as an agitator in his homeland.

In 2013 a statue of Švejk was erected in Samara, being the fourth of his kind in Russia. The others are found in St. Petersburg, Omsk and Bugulma. There is also a Švejk-restaurant in the city and on the former Hotel San Remo where Jaroslav Hašek had his office in 1918 there used to be a memorial plaque on the wall but it had in 2010 been removed.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.3] Zejména jsou neobyčejně protivné jeho věty takovéhoto smyslu: „Potom jsme šli na Bukovsko, abychom měli pojištěnou linii Bukovsko-Dynov, majíce spojení s bardějovskou skupinou u Velké Polanky, kde jsme rozbili samarskou divisi nepřítele.“

Also written:Самара ru

Literature
Poděbradynn flag
Wikipedia czdeen MapSearch
podebrady.jpg

© ÖNB

hajek.jpg

Jaroslav Hašek with friends in Poděbrady

Lážné Poděbrady,21.5.1913

Poděbrady is mentioned by Švejk in an anecdote about a chamberpot, as an apropos to the abandoned Russian chamberpot in the Łupków Pass.

Background

Poděbrady is a spa town in okres Nymburk. It is located 50 km east of Prague on the river plain by the Labe.

Švejk's anecdote is yet another example of the author mixing real people into the story. This time it is Hájek who was also mentioned in Einjährigfreiwilliger Marek's tale from his time as editor of Svět zvířat.

Hašek in Poděbrady

In 1910 Jaroslav Hašek visited Poděbrady in connection with an interview for the position of in a local newspaper where he was to succeed Hájek as editor. Unfortunately the author of The Good Soldier Švejk got drunk in Hotel Praha end during the interview the provoked the gentlemen to interviewed him to the degree that they left the room in disgust[a]. In May 1913 he again visited Poděbrady, now in the company of friends from Strana mírného pokroku v mezích zákona. From this visit appeared in the newspaper Lážně Poděbrady on 21 May 1913 a photo with Hašek and his entourage by the music pavilion in the spa area.

Demography

According to the 1910 census Poděbrady had 5,675 inhabitants of which 5,640 (99 per cent) reported that they used Czech in their daily speech. The judicial district was okres Poděbrady, administratively it reported to hejtmanství Poděbrady.

Source:Seznam míst v království Českém(1913)

Military

In accordance with the recruitment districts infantrymen from Poděbrady were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 36 (Jungbunzlau) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 10 (JungbuzlU).

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.3] Na všechny to působilo ohromným dojmem, a když poručík Dub mlčel, ozval se Švejk: „Poslušně hlásím, pane lajtnant, že s takovým nočníkem byla jednou pěkná legrace v lázních Poděbradech. Vo tom se u nás vypravovalo na Vinohradech v hospodě. Tenkrát totiž začali vydávat v Poděbradech časopejsek ,Nezávislost’ a poděbradskej lekárník byl toho hlavní hlavou, a redaktorem tam udělali ňákýho Ladislava Hájka Domažlickýho.
Literature
References
aZ mých vzpomínek na Jaroslava HaškaLadislav Hájek1925
Trentonn flag
Wikipedia czdeenitnnno MapSearch
trento.jpg

Vereidigung in Trient, 1914-18

trento06.png

16. Infanteriebrigade Trient, 1904

Schematismus für das k.u.k. Heer (s. 138)1904

trento11.jpg

Dobrý voják Švejk a jiné podivné historky, 1912

trentonap.png

Prager Tagblatt,1.7.1906

trento12.jpg

Dobrý voják Švejk a jiné podivné historky, 1912

trento104.png

In Trento Švejk served in the fictitious 104th regiment.

Dobrý voják Švejk-Slavie, 12.9.1912

Trento is mentioned by the author in his discussion about the differing degrees of stupidity amongst civilian and military authorities. Here expressions like "half-fart", "fart" and "old arse-hole" are used by soldiers when they describe senior officers.

In [IV.3] the city is mentioned again in connection with the homosexual Oberst Habermaier who Švejk had heard or read about. He had tried to abuse a cadet 12 years ago, in the baths by Adige.

Background

Trento (de. Trient) is a city in northern Italy that until 1918 was part of Austria. It was one of Austria-Hungary's strongest fortresses, protecting Valle dell'Adige (the Adige valley) against Italy. The city was predominantly Italian speaking.

The large garrison was in the year leading up to World War I the home of units from Tyroler Kaiserjäger, fortress artillery, mountain artillery, regular infantry, as well as k.k. Landwehr. The city and the neighbouring garrisons at Levico and Cavalese housed 16. Infanteriebrigade, a unit that mostly consisted of Kaiserjäger but also contained infantry regiments from Bohemia. Thus many Czechs would have served in Trento during the years leading up to the outbreak of war.

The following Czech infantry regiments that were stationed here: Infanterieregiment Nr. 28 from Prague (1895-1899), IR102 from Benešov (1900-1904), IR88 from Beroun (1905-1910) and again IR28 (1911-1912). Typically staff and three battalions from these regiments were garrisoned in Trento and the surrounding area.

Švejk and Trento

In the first version of The Good Soldier Švejk, who Jaroslav Hašek wrote five stories about in 1911, the soldier was stationed here and the garrison formed the backdrop for the plot. In the first story, Švejk stojí proti Italií, the soldier crosses the border and captures an Italian donkey and a machine gun. A prominent person is also garrison chaplain Augustin Kleinschrodt. It should also be noted that Švejk here was a one year volunteer, a privilege he lost in the follow-ups from 1917 and 1921. Trento is also the first place ever that is mentioned in all three permutations of The Good Soldier Švejk and thus deserves a special mention in the history of "Švejkology"!

These persons appear in the stories from Trento: major Teller, officer Walk, field chaplain Kleinschrodt, officer Müller, officer Knobloch, air force lieutenant Herzig, and major Gregorescu. Geographical references from the region are Adige (the valley), Castel-Nuovo, and Merano. It is also interesting that Hašek mentions IR102 (3rd battalion) who were camped in the field by Castel-Nuovo. The author also mentions an air force unit.

Trento also features in Dobrý voják Švejk v zajetí, the second variation of the good soldier but here the city plays a peripheral role. One recognizes field chaplain Kleinschrodt but otherwise there are few details that can be analysed.

It is striking that Hašek mentions Trento in all three variations of The Good Soldier Švejk, indicating that he had been there in person, or at least that he drew inspiration from his friends. Therefore theories surrounding Hašek and his link to Trento abound, but no one has ever (to my knowledge) provided any firm backup for the various claims.

A comparison of the gallery of figures from the first five stories about Švejk with the personnel list of Schematismus (1904) does not reveal a single name that can possibly be connected to Trento. The closest fit is August Kleinschrodt but he was a major in Infanterieregiment Nr. 16, a unit that was garrisoned in Zagreb and the surrounding area.

This lack of connection between the galleries of fictional persons and real persons stationed in Trento is a glaring contrast to the later versions of The Good Soldier Švejk. Here it is obvious that many names hail from Hašek's own surroundings. One would therefore assume that the stories from Trento, as opposed to the later Švejks, are NOT based on the author's own experiences. Whereas the other versions of The Good Soldier Švejk are replete with references to actual military units, here only IR102 and Infanterieregiment Nr. 104[c] are mentioned. Most of the first-mentioned regiment was actually stationed in Trento in 1904, but the 3rd battalion (that Hašek mentions) always remained at home in Benešov[a]. The latter regiment was Švejk's own but didn't exist at all (pointed out by Sergey Soloukh) as it was only raised towards the end of the war. In contrast to the later versions of The Good Soldier Švejk the five stories contain no references to local geographical points. Nor is there any trace of any Gefreiter Bozba, Oberst Habermaier or anyone with a similar name. Nor was any air force unit located in Trento.

Václav Menger
trento88.png

In 1906 IR88 were garrisoned in Trento...

Schematismus für das k.u.k. Heer (s. 591)1906

trento28.png

... and IR28 everywhere else.

Schematismus für das k.u.k. Heer (s. 471)1906

According to Václav Menger in his book Jaroslav Hašek doma, (1935) Hašek was called up in Trento in 1906. He allegedly enrolled in the reserve officer's school of Infanterieregiment Nr. 28, but was soon deemed unfit for service and dismissed (superarbitriert). His friends Josef Mach[1], Alois Hatina[2]and a son of the well known writer Alois Jirásek are said to have served here at the same time. Menger also adds that this group met Cesare Battisti[3]and also Benito Mussolini. The latter was supposedly inspired by Hašek to write a book about Hus...

Menger does however note that these are mostly stories that Hašek himself set in circulation, and in a revised edition of the book, Lidský profil Jaroslava Haška (1946), the references to Mach, Hatina, Jirásek, Battisti and Mussolini were removed. What remains after Menger's "clean-up" is that Hašek avoided the draft twice until he in 1906 appeared at the officer's school of Infanterieregiment Nr. 28. Here he was soon dismissed. If this is true the call-up date would have been 1 Oktober 1906.

Even Menger's revised information could be questioned. In 1906 Infanterieregiment Nr. 28 could not have been garrisoned in Trento as this regiment didn't have any sub-units in the region that year[b]. Only in 1909 were three battalions and regiment staff relocated here. On the other hand: three battalions and staff of IR88 (Beroun) were here and in neighbouring Calvedese and Levico. Menger was often inaccurate in his use of years and other numbers (e.g. he wrote that Hašek wrote the five stories about The Good Soldier Švejk in 1910), so he may well have missed by a year or two or even swapped the regiments.

Battisti, Hatina, Mach, Mussolini
mach.jpg

Portrét Josefa Macha od V. H. Brunnera z roku 1904 uveřejněný v Machově výboru Básně, 1933.

© Bára Havlátová

The legends that Hašek himself allegedly spread are even less credible, and some details can easily be disproved. Obviously Battisti lived in Trento during this period, but Mussolini surely didn't. He stayed here in 1909 and briefly worked as an editor at Il Popolo before he was arrested and expelled at the end of September. The incident provoked a 24 hour general strike in the region, and was widely reported in the press. Mussolini's book about Hus was actually published, but only in 1913. The title was Giovanni Huss, il veridico and it was written about in Czech newspapers[d]. Hašek may thus well have been aware of the book.

Alois Jirásek had one son, Jaromír. He was born in 1890 and therefore too young to have been a soldier in 1906. Alois Hatina would only by 1907 have reached an age where he could be called up for military service. Menger thus had good reasons to remove the information about Mussolini, Battisti, Hatina and Jirásek when he published a revised version of his biography on Hašek in 1946.

Josef Mach did, according to Bára Havlátová (2013), complete his military service with IR88 in Trento from 1905 to 1906, so it must be assumed that Menger simply mixed up Infanterieregiment Nr. 28 and IR88. This is however no proof that Hašek also was here in 1906, and in his biography on Hašek, The Bad Bohemian (1978), page 101, Cecil Parrott observes: "but like much that Menger writes there is not a scrap of evidence ...". According to Radko Pytlík Mach rejected that he ever served with Hašek in Trento.

Other theories
trentorp.png

Kniha o Švejkovi, s. 133

© Radko Pytlík, 1982

Alternative hypotheses also exist. According to the renowned Hašek-expert Radko Pytlík (Jaroslav Hašek. Data-fakty-dokumenty, (2013)) Josef Lada told the above-mentioned Hatina that Hašek in 1904 was called up to serve with a battalion of Infanterieregiment Nr. 91 that was garrisoned in Trento at the time. This hypothesis is however undermined by the fact that no units from IR. 91 were located here ever.

In 1904 Hašek set out on a longer journey to Bavaria, Switzerland and Tyrol and Radko Pytlík raised the question whether he could have enlisted as a soldier in Trento during this trip. That Hašek could have been here that year seems probable (he mentions Bozen/Bolzano in one of his stories), but that this was for the purpose of military duty seems very far fetched.

Assentjahrgang 1914
assent.jpg

Hašek declared fit for service in 1914

© VÚA

vormerk.png

Kriegsgefangenekarte

© ÖStA

Despite the various theories it seems unlikely that Jaroslav Hašek ever was a soldier in Trento (or anywhere else) before World War I. In military archives it is at least twice recorded that he was "assentiert" (admitted) as late as 1914, indicating that he was never deemed fit for service in peacetime. This does however not rule out that he was called up in his youth and superarbitrated (like Menger claims) and then called up again during the war[4], but no one has ever provided evidence supporting this claim.

Vormerkblatt Nr. 4886

The original German-language version of Hašek's Grundbuchblatt[5] has never been found but a Czech translation exists. It was probably written after 1915 because official documents from that year always refer to Vormerkblatt Nr. 4886. His Grundbuchblatt Nr. 1417 (translated into Czech) has no information that is not found in his Vorkmerkblatt.

An unlikely pre-war soldier
assent.png

Das Infanterieregiment Nr.91 am Vormarsch in Galizien

© VÚA

Already in Toulavé house (1971) and Kniha o Švejkovi (1982) Radko Pytlík concluded that the inspiration for the first stories about The Good Soldier Švejk probably came from his friends, more specifically Josef Mach. The literary historian also adds that Mach refuted the claim by Menger that Hašek enrolled in Trento in 1906. Wife Jarmila also wrote that Hašek was called up four times but was never passed fit for service. Emil Artur Longen even notes that Hašek in February 1915 told his friends that he was never drafted until now (Jaroslav Hašek, 1928, page 158).

As mentioned above several units from the Czech lands were located in Trento from 1895 onwards (or earlier) so Hašek may, apart from Mach, have had many friends who served here and could have provided him with material for his stories. As a theme for future research it would be to ascertain whether Alois Hatina and Jaromír Jirásek ever served here, and when. That could provide an insight into the background of the rumours about Hašek and Mussolini, stories that linger on even today.

Radko Pytlík, "Toulavé house", 1998

Do dnešního dne se nepodařilo dokázat, že Hašek už před válkou vykonával vojenskou službu."Čtyřikrát byl Míťa u odvodu a nikdy ho nevzali," píše Jarmila. Menger se domnívá, že byl Hašek na vojně v Tridentu, ale jen několik neděl, než byl superarbitrován pro "blbost". Josef Mach, který zde sloužil, však tuto zprávu vyvrací.

Radko Pytlík, "Jaroslav Hašek", 2013

Josef Lada v rozhovoru sdělil Aloisu Hatinovi, že Hašek se měl v roce 1904 dostavit k odvodu v Tridentu v Horním Tyrolsku(!), kde byl detašován jeden prápor 91. pluku – podle Lady to bylo právě v roce 1904!

Emil Artur Longen, "Jaroslav Hašek", 1928

Hašek vysedával v Unionce a vypravoval o příštích válečných činech: "Od svého čtyřiadvacátého roku pociťaval jsem trpce, že byla na mě spáchána velika křivda, poněvadž jsem nebyl odveden. Musila se přihnat válečna litice, aby vojenská správa pochopila, že jsem rozený vojín".

Václav Menger, "Jaroslava Haška doma", 1935

Jaroslav Hašek, ač již v obou předcházejících letech unikl onomu osudnému slovu "tauglich", při posledním odvodu v roce 1906 mu neunikl. Byl odveden a přidělen do důstojnické školy 28. pěšího pluku "Pražských dětí", který tou dobou byl rozložen v Tyrolích, v Tridentu a Levicu. Nezůstal tam však dlouho. Zde vlastně sebral své první zkušenosti pro "Dobrého vojáka Švejka před válkou", kterého však začal psát až v roce 1910. Když se vrátil z tohoto svého prvního vojenského tažení, vyprávěl - tak jako všichni ti, kteří na vojně strávili třeba jen jediný den - obsáhlé legendy. A ještě dlouhá léta dovedl vyprávěti o těch několika nedělích, které strávil v Tridentu, kdy byl po svém příchodu k pluku při dodatečné prohlídce uznán neschopným a jako takový poslán k superarbitrační komisi. Ta tento nález potvrdila a Hašek měl po své vojenské slávě.

V té době byl v Tridentu dávný přítel Haškův, básník Mach a současně s ním byli v Tridentu narukovaní syn Aloise Jiráska a nynější poslanec Hatina. Než byly vyřízeny obvyklé formality a než prošlo plukovním rozkazem Haškovo propuštění, uplynulo několik neděl, které trávil s jmenovanými druhy. Scházeli se, jak sám vypravoval, v jakési vinárně, kde je Mach seznámil s bývalým poslancem na říšském sněmu Caesarem Batisti, jenž byl za světové války rakouskou vládou odsouzen к smrti a popraven. Kolem Batistiho shromažďovala se také společnost italských emigrantů, z nichž jeden, jakýsi redaktor sociálně demokratických listů, se brzy spřátelil s Jaroslavem. Velmi ho zajímaly české dějiny a zejména doba husitská. Dokonce se odhodlal napsat o tom knížku a Hašek mu ochotně poskytl prameny i materiál. Zejména jej upozornil na knihu Friedricha von Bezolda: „Das Hussitentum”, která vyšla v Mnichově. Tato italsky psaná kniha o husitismu, inspirovaná Haškem, skutečně vyšla a jejím autorem není nikdo jiný než dnes „velký duce” — Mussolini, kterému se ovšem tenkráte, tak jako Haškovi, ještě ani nesnilo o velké slávě, neboť byl pouhým štvaným emigrantem.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.3] U některých posádek, jako například v Tridentu, místo prďoch říkalo se „náš starej hajzl“. Ve všech případech šlo o osobu starší, a jestli Švejk nazval v duchu poručíka Duba poloprďochern, vystihl naprosto logicky, že jak do stáří, tak do hodnosti a vůbec do všeho schází poručíkovi Dubovi do prďocha ještě 50 procent.
[IV.3.1] 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“.

Sources: Václav Menger, Radko Pytlík, Bára Havlátová

Also written:Trident cz Trient de Trento it

Notes
1. Josef Mach (1883-1951), poet and friend of Jaroslav Hašek and one of the key figures in Strana mírného pokroku v mezích zákona. Mach served as a one-years volunteer by IR88 in Trento from 1905 to 1906.
2. Alois Hatina (1886-1950), politician and pacifist, also a friend of Hašek. Close to the anarchist movement in his younger years, later member of Česká strana národně sociální for which he served as an MP after the war. Sentenced for anti-militarist agitation in 1909 and arrested again at the outbreak of war.
3. Cesare Battisti (1875-1916), journalist and socialist politician. Prominent spokesperson for the Irredentism movement who aimed to incorporate the Italian-speaking areas of Austria into Italy. Editor of Il Popolo in Trento. Member of the Austrian Imperial Council (Reichsrat) from 1911. At the outbreak of war he moved to Italia, and volunteered for military service against Austria-Hungary in 1915. Taken prisoner in 1916 and executed.
4. Many recruits who had been superarbitrated in peacetime were eventually re-assessed and found "tauglich" during the war. One such example is Nemrava but in this case the "Grundbuchblatt" exists to shed light on the proceedings.
5. "Grundbuchblatt" (or Haupt-Grundbuchblatt) was a document that summarized details from a soldier's military career. Apart from personal details like birthplace/year, marital status, language skills, right of domicile, height, shoe size etc, it contained information about draft, military education, promotion, transfers, decorations and dismissal/retirement where applicable. "Vormerkblatt" was a smaller paper, often only one page and functioned as a working paper/note pad. Details from this and other documents where in general later copied to the soldier's "Grundbuchblatt".
Literature
References
aSchematismus für das k.u.k. Heer (s. 603)K.k. Hof und Staatsdruckerei1904
bSchematismus für das k.u.k. Heer (s. 591)K.k. Hof und Staatsdruckerei1906
cDobrý voják ŠvejkSlavieJaroslav Hašek12.9.1911
dItalský spis o mistru Janu HusoviVenkov29.6.1913
Bytouchovnn flag
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bitouchov.jpg

Bytouchov is mentioned in connection with the soldier Koudela.

Background

Bytouchov (now Bítouchov) is a village by Mladá Boleslav.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.3] A nebejt mě, tak by se k tomu raportu snad vůbec nedostal, jako ten Koudela z Bytouchova, kterej za aktivní služby tak dlouho chodil k raportu, až byl přeloženej k marině, kde se stal kornetem, a byl na ňákým vostrově potom, v Tichým oceánu, vyhlášenej jako desertýr. Von se tam potom voženil a mluvil taky s cestovatelem Havlasou, kterej vůbec nepoznal, že to není domorodec
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Mnichovo Hradiště is mentioned in passing by Švejk in his conversation with Oberleutnant Lukáš after the episode with Leutnant Dub and Offiziersdiener Kunert.

Background

Mnichovo Hradiště is a town north of Mladá Boleslav.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.3] Když odešel, obrátil se Švejk k nadporučíkovi Lukášovi jemným, přátelským tónem: „V Mnichově Hradišti byl taky takovej jeden pán a taky tak s tím druhým mluvil, a von mu vodpověděl: ,Na popravišti se sejdeme.’„

Also written:Münchengrätz de

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szczawne.jpg

Szczawne,4.7.2010

szczawne.png

Filip Sulimierski,1880 - 1914

Szczawne is described by the author during the train trip from the Łupków Pass to Sanok. It is a tale of destruction, even more white crosses and a statue of Christ who has had his head blown off.

Background

Szczawne is a village in the Podkarpacki region of Poland, located by the railway line between the Łupków Pass and Sanok. The railway station is Szczawne-Kulaszne. The area was until 1947 mainly populated by Ukrainians but these were forcibly resettled during the ethnic cleansing that followed in the wake of World War II.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.3] Za stanicí Ščavne počaly se objevovat opět v údolích nové vojenské hřbitůvky. Pod Ščavne bylo vidět z vlaku kamenný kříž s bezhlavým Kristem pánem, který ztratil hlavu při odstřelu trati.

Also written:Ščavne cz

Literature
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kulaszne.jpg

Kulaszne, 4.7.2010

kulaszne_zug.jpg

Destroyed train by Komańcza (1915)

© Tomasz Nowakowski

Kulaszne is described by the author during the train trip from the Łupków Pass to Sanok. He writes that a Red Cross train has been attacked and derailed and cook Jurajda asks if things have gone so far that it is allowed to shoot at a Red Cross train. Švejk philosophically retorts that there are many things that are not allowed that still can be done.

Background

Kulaszne is a village in Komańcza community in the Podkarpackie region of Poland, on the railway line between the Łupkow-passet and Sanok. The railway station is Szczawne-Kulaszne.

The village was occupied by the Russian army from November 1914 to 8 May 1915. At the time it was populated predominantly by Ukrainians with Greek Catholic faith. These were expelled after World War II but again (2010) the village has a Greek Catholic church.

With near certainty the XII. Marschbataillon of Infanterieregiment Nr. 91 with Jaroslav Hašek passed this point on 2 July 1915 or shortly after. They had reached Humenné on that date and would presumably have travelled onwards very soon. We also know that they approached Sambor on 4 July.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.3] Vlak zrychloval svou rychlost, žena se dolů údolím k Sanoku, obzory se rozšiřovaly a tím i četnějšírni stávaly se celé skupiny rozbitých vesnic po obou stranách do kraje. U Kulašné bylo vidět dole v říčce s železničního náspu zřícený, rozbitý vlak Červeného kříže.

Also written:Kulašná Hašek

Literature
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malaga.jpg

Málaga is mentioned by cook Jurajda when he tells about the nurses at the Red Cross in Bruck who embezzled chocolate and Málaga wine.

Background

Málaga is a city in Andalusia, Southern Spain. The Málaga wine is a sweet dessert wine which is produced in the region around the city. The wine type has a history that goes back to Roman times and is protected by designation of origin (Denominación de Origen).

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.3] „Hlavně se krade u Červeného kříže,“ s velkou zlostí prohlásil kuchař Jurajda. „Měl jsem v Brucku známého kuchaře, který vařil pro sestřičky v baráku, a ten mně říkal, jak představená těch sestřiček a vrchní ošetřovatelky posílají domů celé bedny malaga a čokolády. To nese sama sebou příležitost, to je sebeurčení člověka.
Index Back Forward III. The famous thrashing Hovudpersonen

4. Forward March!

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sanok1.jpg

Sanok, 1916

sanok.png

Ottův slovník naučný,1904

sanok.jpg

Ławeczka Józefa Szwejka w Sanoku, Ulica 3 maja. 2010.

Sanok is mentioned 15 times in The Good Soldier Švejk.

Sanok witnesses a short but eventful stay. It was the intention that the march battalion were to wait here for a few days before continuing to the front on foot, but they arrived two days early so were ordered to continue the same evening due to lack of accommodation. In the meantime they have to endure a speech by the brigade commander.

The most spectacular episode involves Leutnant Dub who is going to check that the soldiers don't visit whorehouses but lets himself get lured into debauchery by Miss Ella. Švejk in the end drags him out of the brothel to make sure he is joining battalion's the journey onwards.

Several institutions in Sanok are mentioned in The Good Soldier Švejk: Gimnazjum where the march battalion were to be quartered, Bank Krakowski where brigade staff was located and Kawiarnia Miejska, the brothel that Leutnant Dub had to be pulled out of.

Background

Sanok is a city in the Podkarpackie region of Poland, an important railway junction by the river San. It was part of Austria until 1918, and the city had until 1947 a large Ukrainian population.

Information about and pictures of places in Sanok that are mentioned in The Good Soldier Švejk can be found in Josef Schwarz's thorough travel letter from a trip in the footsteps of Švejk in Galicia, published in the Ikaros magazine in 2006[a].

Statue of Švejk

In the pedestrian street Ulica 3 maja was in 2003 unvailed a statue of Švejk, called Ławeczka Józefa Szwejka because the soldier is sitting on a bench. This is the second oldest statue of Švejk in the world (the first appeared in Humenné in October 2000).

Licensia poetica

It is improbable that Jaroslav Hašek or his XII. Marschbataillon ever visited Sanok so the way the city is presented in The Good Soldier Švejk ought ot be taken with a pinch of salt. That said, his experiences from other places in Galicia may have been pulled into the plot at this point.

The reader is informed that Sanok is located 150 km behind the front, which indicates that we are at the beginning of July 1915. This fits poorly with the plot of The Good Soldier Švejk where Švejk's march battalion arrived in Budapest on 23 May and thus would have spent 5 weeks on the train to Sanok! This is one of the examples of how the Hašek didn't bother much about the chronology of the plot. He appears to have jumped ahead in time to his own journey that started from Királyhida on 30 June 1915.

That any brigade staff connected to Infanterieregiment Nr. 91 would have resided in Sanok at this time is impossible. Documents from Kriegsarchiv in Vienna shows that 18th march brigade HQ was located by Sambor at the beginning of July. It must therefore be assumed that the inspiration for this chapter is taken from XII. Marschbataillon's journey from Sambor to Gołogóry between the 5th and the 11th or from some march that Hašek took part in after having reached the front.

Nor is there any account of Hašek's XII. Marschbataillon ever having been in Sanok and the town was not even located on the route to the front. Nearby Zagórsk is however on the route so the march battallion must necessarily have travelled past it. This would probably have happened on 3 July 1915 because Jan Vaněk informs that the battalion waited in Humenné the day before and by Sambor the day after[b].

Yellow posters

Along parts of Švejk's itinerary in Galicia laminatet yellow posters describe the place in question along with quotes from the novel. At Sanok railway station informs that Švejk's battalion arrived here on 15 July 1915. Seen in relation to the information above this date is picked from this air. Precisely at this date Jaroslav Hašek had already spent 4 days at the front by the river Bug and his XII. Marschbataillon had already been dissolved!

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.4] Objevilo se, když se přijelo do Sanoku, že vlastně na tom voze s polní kuchyní jedenáctky, kde prděl blahem nasycený Baloun, měli celkem pravdu, že bude večeře, a dokonce kromě večeře že tam bude rozdáván nějaký komisárek za všechny ty dny, kdy nedostal batalion ničeho.

Also written:Сянiк ua

Literature
References
aPo Švejkových (a Haškových) stopách v HaličiIkarosJosef Schwarz2006
bVálečný deník Jana VaňkaJan Vaněk (ed. Jaroslav Šerák)2014
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wmosty.jpg

Mosty Wielkie is mentioned by the author as he explain the situation at the front when the march bataillion arrives in Sanok. The railway line northwards from Sanok to here was undamaged it's said.

Note that Cecil Parrott's translation uses Mościska (now Мостиська), which is actually another town.

Background

Mosty Wielkie is the Polish name of Великі Мости (Velyki Mosty), a town in Galicia, now in the Sokal region of Ukraine. Jaroslav Hašek and his Infanterieregiment Nr. 91 marched past here 21 July 1915, on the way to Sokal. The town had a garrison from 1846 to 1918. The mentioned railway line didn't exist, so the author probably had another place in mind.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.4] Ačkoliv odtud bylo spojení železniční neporušeno pod Lvov i severně na Veliké Mosty, bylo vlastně záhadou, proč štáb východního úseku udělal tyto disposice, aby „železná brigáda“ se svým štábem soustřeďovala pochodové prapory sto padesát kilometrů v týlu, když šla v té době fronta od Brodů na Bug a podél řeky severně k Sokalu.

Also written:Veliké Mosty Hašek Великі Мости ua

Literature
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brody.jpg

Za svobodu,1925

Brody is mentioned by the author as he explains the situation at the front when Švejk's march battalion arrives in Sanok. The front stretched from Brody to Bug.

Background

Brody (ukr. Броди) is a city in Galicia, now in the Lviv oblast of Ukraine. Before World War I it was an important trading city on the border between Russia and Austria-Hungary. In 1914 Jews made up more than 60 per cent of the population.

Russian forces conquered the city in late August 1914, and it was recaptured 2 September 1915 [a]. The following year it was captured again during the Brusilov offensive and remained occupied until 1918.

Literary time lapse

That the front has been even near Brody in late May 1915 when Švejk presumably was in Sanok doesn't correspond to historical facts. Note that from Budapest to Sanok there is a gap of five weeks between Švejk and the author's own journey.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.4] Ačkoliv odtud bylo spojení železniční neporušeno pod Lvov i severně na Veliké Mosty, bylo vlastně záhadou, proč štáb východního úseku udělal tyto disposice, aby „železná brigáda“ se svým štábem soustřeďovala pochodové prapory sto padesát kilometrů v týlu, když šla v té době fronta od Brodů na Bug a podél řeky severně k Sokalu.

Also written:Броди ua

Literature
References
aErmolli in Brody eingerücktPrager Tagblatt2.9.1915
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limanowa.jpg

Schlachtfeld von Limanowa, wo die Russen eine empfindliche Niederlage erlitten haben.

Unsere krieger, L.W. Seidel & Sohn,1917

Limanowa is mentioned by Hauptmann Tayrle when he emphasizes for Hauptmann Ságner who hopeless reserve officers generally are. He illustrates his point by mentioning that when they withdrew from Limanova and Kraśnik the reserve lieutenants lost their heads as soon as they saw a Cossack patrol.

Background

Limanowa is a town in western Galicia, known for the battle in December 1914 where Austria-Hungary succeeded in repelling a Russian offensive that threatened Kraków. This was the Dual Monarchy's first strategic victory in the war and saved it from immediate collapse.

From Hauptmann Tayrle's uttering it is easy to assume that Austria-Hungary lost the battle. This is however not correct (as mentioned above).

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.4] Když jsme ustupovali od Limanova a od Krasníku, všichni ti ,takélajtnanti’ ztratili hlavu, jakmile uviděli kozáckou patrolu. My, ve štábu, nemáme rádi takových příživníků.

Also written:Limanov Hašek

Literature
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krasnik.jpg

Kraśnik is mentioned by Hauptmann Tayrle when he in Sanok points out for Hauptmann Ságner how clueless reserve officers generally are.

Background

Kraśnik is a town in that belonged to the Russian part of Poland. It is known for the battle that took place from 23 to 26 August 1914, the first major battle in the war that Austria-Hungary won. The Austrian commander General Dankl was awarded the honorary title Dankl Graf von Krasnik after this battle. On the Russian side the famous-to-be Finnish commander Carl Gustaf Mannerheim participated.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.4] Když jsme ustupovali od Limanova a od Krasníku, všichni ti ,takélajtnanti’ ztratili hlavu, jakmile uviděli kozáckou patrolu. My, ve štábu, nemáme rádi takových příživníků.

Also written:Krasník Hašek

Literature
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Welfenplatz 1898, the seat of the Hanover garrison.

Hanover is mentioned because the reserves of a Hanover Division claimed the quarters which the march battalion IR. 91 were supposed to use. Their commander had such an ugly gaze that the commander of the Iron Brigade lost his nerve.

Background

Hanover is a large city in Northern Germany, in 1914 capital of the Prussian province of Hanover. The division mentioned in the novel took its name from the province, not the city.

In the German Empire there were two so-called Hanover-divisions, numbered 19 and 20 respectively. These belonged to Armeekorps X, which was also based in Hanover. Both divisions operated in Galica during the time-span of this part of the plot (early July 1915). It is therefore likely that their reserve units passed Sanok on the way to the front.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.4] Totéž bylo i při frontových úsecích, které byly ještě dále v týlu, jako zde v Sanoku, kam najednou přibyly reservy německé hanoverské divise pod vedením plukovníka s tak ošklivým pohledem, že brigadýr byl uveden do naprostého zmatku.

Sources: Österreich-Ungarns letzter Krieg

Also written:Hannover cz Hannover de

Platnéřská ulicenn flag
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Platnéřská ulice is mentioned by Švejk when he talks and forces his way into the whorehouse in Sanok to pick up Leutnant Dub. Madam is politely reminded through the anecdote about Vondráček and madam Křovánová how she might end up if she makes too much noise.

The street appears again in [IV.2] in connection with the anecdote about Růžena Gaudrsová, who had been employed in a vinárna there.

Background

Platnéřská ulice is a street in Staré město, Prague. It was renovated around 1908 and changed character completely.

In 1910 there were two wine taverns in the street: Antonín Kafka's in no. 9 and František Müller's in no. 15.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.4] „Moc na mě neřvete, milostpaní,“ řekl vlídně Švejk, usmívaje se přitom sladce, „nebo vám dám přes držku. U nás jednou v Platnéřské ulici zmlátili jednu madam tak, že nevěděla o sobě. To tam syn hledal svýho otce, nějakýho Vondráčka, obchod s pneumatikama. Vona se ta madam jmenovala Křovánová, když ji vzkřísili a ptali se jí na záchrannej stanici, jak se jmenuje, řekla, že nějak vod ,Ch’. A jaké je vaše ctěné jméno?“

Sources: Jaroslav Šerák

Morocconn flag
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France waged war in Morocco from 1906 to 1912

Morocco is mentioned by tinsmith Pokorný from the anecdote about the man who answered questions totally off topic. Once the sultan of Morocco had been the theme.

Background

Morocco is a country in North Africa, in 1914 a Spanish and French protectorate, which previously had been governed by the Ottoman Empire. There were repeated conflicts between France and Germany about Morocco, and in 1905 and 1912 treaties were signed that recognised the special position of France and Spain. Many Moroccans served in the French armed forces during World War I. The sultan in question is surely Yusef ben Hassan who came to power in 1912 after the treaty of Fez.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.4] Nebo se ho zeptali: ,Jed jste už letos hříbky?’ a von na to vodpověděl: ,Nejed, ale tenhle novej sultán marockej má prej bejt moc hodnej člověk.“

Also written:Al-Maghrib ar Maroko cz Marokko de Marruecos es Maroc fr

Velké Meziříčínn flag
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Svět zvířat,1.10.1909

Velké Meziříčí is mentioned by Švejk when talking with Rechnungsfeldwebel Vaněk during the march from Sanok to Tyrawa Wołoska. He had participated in manoeuvres there.

Background

Velké Meziříčí is a town in the Vysočina region of Czechia. It is located in the Moravian part of the region, east of Jihlava in the direction of Brno.

There is no doubt that Švejk refers to the large Imperial manoeuvres there in 1909[a], an event that even Svět zvířat mentioned during the period Hašek edited the magazine. It even printed a photo showing Kaiser Franz Joseph I. and Kaiser Wilhelm II. on horseback at the exercise. It took place from 8 to 11 September 1909.

Imperial manoeuvres

Kaisermanövern were annual large-scale military exercises where the emperor usually was present, joined by additional members of the upper echelons of society. It also happened that foreign heads of state were invited. The manoevres included various branches of the armed forces and almost always took place in September. They usually stretched over four days.

In The Good Soldier Švejk at least three of the manoeuvres are mentioned and Švejk took part in all of them. These are, in the order they appear in the novel: Písek in 1910, Veszprém and Velké Meziříčí. In addition, the author mentions an large exercise by Sopron in 1908 but historical circumstances dictate that these were the same as those by Veszprém. Despite what Švejk told Wachtmeister Flanderka: there were no imperial exercises by Písek in 1910, instead they were arranged in South Bohemia, including the Písek region, in 1905 and 1913. The 1910 Imperial exercises were actually planned for Upper Hungary (Slovakia) but were cancelled due to a regional outbreak of a horse disease.

South Bohemia did however in 1910 host the manoeuvres of 8. Korps, centred around Týn nad Vltavou but activities also took place around Písek. In these the 4th battalion of Infanterieregiment Nr. 91 participated so Švejk could hypothetically have been there.

Kaisermanövern 1905-1913

Jahr Datum Bereich Bemerkung
1905 3.9 - 7.9 Südböhmen Štěkeň
1906 4.9 - 7.9 Schlesien Teschen
1907 2.9 - 7.9 Kärnten Klagenfurt
1908 14.9 - 18.9 West-Ungarn Veszprém
1909 8.9 - 11.9 Mähren Groß Meseritsch
1910 12.9 - 16.9 (abgesagt) Oberungarn, Komitat Zemplen Stropko, Felsövizköz
1911 12.9 - 15.9 Oberungarn und West-Galizien, Karpathen Bartfa, Felsövizköz
1912 9.9 - 11.9 Südungarn Mezöhegyes
1913 15.9 - 17.9 Südböhmen Chotowin

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.4] Švejk táhl se vzadu se štábem kumpanie, se sanitou a nadporučík Lukáš objížděl celou kolonu, přičemž každou chvíli zajel dozadu, aby se přesvědčil u sanity, kde na vozíku pod plachtami vezli poručíka Duba k novým hrdinným činům do neznámé budoucnosti, a přitom aby také si ukrátil cestu rozmluvou se Švejkem, který nesl svůj baťoch a ručnici trpělivě, vyprávěje si s účetním šikovatelem Vaňkem o tom, jak se to před lety pěkně mašírovalo na manévrech u Velkého Meziříčí.

Also written:Groß Meseritsch de

References
aHistorieMěsto Velké Meziříčí
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Starý Knín was where Švejk met Karla Veklová at a dance when he was serving in the army, seemingly during an army exercise. Unfortunately it soon became obvious that the lady didn't like him that much.

Background

Starý Knín is a village in the Příbram district south-west of Prague. The village was in 1960 joined with Nový Knín.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.4] Když jsme před lety stáli lágrem v Mníšku, tak jsem chodil tancovat do Starýho Knína, namluvil jsem si tam nějakou Karlu Veklovou, ale moc jsem se jí nelíbil. Jednou večer v neděli jsem ji doprovázel k rybníčku, tam jsme si sedli na hráz a ptal jsem se jí, když zapadalo slunce, jestli mě má taky ráda.
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Světozor,16.7.1915

tyrawa2.png

Neue Freie Presse,4.11.1914

Tyrawa Wołoska is mentioned 12 times in The Good Soldier Švejk.

Tyrawa Wołoska was the first stop on the march from Sanok. The brigade were meant to stay overnight here but were ordered to march on towards Liskowiec. The stay here was little more than a break, were the soldiers tasted the bad water of the village in which they had to add citric acid for protection against cholera. Leutnant Dub was now slowly recovering from his calamity in Sanok.

Background

Tyrawa Wołoska is a large village in Galicia, 17 km east of Sanok. The village was in 1914 part of Austria-Hungary and mainly inhabited by Ruthenians (Ukrainians). Tyrawa Wołoska has belonged to Poland since 1918.

Already in November 1914 there were reported cases of cholera in the village, so the description in the novel about boarded up wells is realistic. This still doesn't prove that author knew the place, this chapter of the novel is in a geographical sense entirely fictional - none of the march battallions of IR. 91 marched past here, and the author's own were transported all the way to Sambor by train. Still Jaroslav Hašek had witnessed cholera outbreaks and precautions in many other places, and may have "moved" the situation geographically.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.4] Teď že boží spravedlnost potrestala ho teplou smradlavou vodou ze studní v Turowé-Wolské, do které musí všichni sypat kvůli choleře kyselinu citronovou, kterou právě před chvilkou rozdávali, když se po švarmech fasovala voda ze studní.

Also written:Turowa-Wolska Hašek

Literature
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Kozí plácek was where the tinsmith tinsmith Pimpra came from.

Background

Kozí plácek is the unofficial name of a small town square in Staré město, Prague. The streets Kozí ulice, Haštalská ulice, U Obecního dvora and Vězeňská ulice all end here.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.4] Ale to byl asi nějakej vomyl. Klempíře Pimpra z Kozího plácku taky vždycky hledali, když šel kupovat plech do města, a našli ho také vždycky v podobnej místnosti, buď u ,Šuhů’, nebo u ,Dvořáků’, jako já vás našel.
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Bolzanova ulice is mentioned in the story Švejk tells Leutnant Dub about the construction site foreman from Vršovice who didn't want to drink anything that contained alcohol.

Background

Bolzanova ulice is the name of a short street in Praha II.. It is located near the main railway station.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.4] Za tuhle dobrou zprávu dal starej Vejvoda celou láhev vermutu na stůl a potom se voba vypravili do Bolzánový ulice, co se tam jde dolů po schodech a co tam mají gramofon.

Also written:Bolzánova ulice Hašek

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Malý Polanec is mentioned when the brigade is ordered to continue onwards from Tyrawa Wołoska towards Malý Polanec and Liskowiec. There is no explicit description of any stay there.

Background

Malý Polanec seems to have been a place between Tyrawa Wołoska and Liskowiec but it can't be identified. Jaroslav Šerák suggests that it might be Malopołska by Brelików, which judging by the author's description of the route is plausible. That said it rather looks like the name of a hill rather than a village.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.4] Nadporučík Lukáš zavolal telefonistu Chodounského, účetního šikovatele Vaňka a kurýra kumpanie Švejka a Balouna. Rozkazy byly jednoduché. Všichni nechají výzbroj u sanity, vyrazí ihned na Malý Polanec polní cestou a potom podél potoka dolů jihovýchodním směrem na Liskowiec.
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Ropa is just mentioned as the dogs around Liskowiec start to bark.

Background

Ropa is a small river which originates in the Beskyds and flows northwards. Ropa is far from Liskowate so the author is probably getting it mixed up with another place. The source of the name is surely the nearby village of Ropienka and the "potok" (stream) of the same name which flows through the village.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.4] Psi štěkali čím dál tím více, a dokonce i na jihu za řekou Ropou, rozštěkali se i v Krotience a v několika jiných vesnicích, neboť Švejk řval do nočního ticha: „Lehneš - lehneš - lehneš,“ jako kdysi řvával na své psy, když ještě s nimi obchodoval. Psi se rozštěkali ještě víc, takže účetní šikovatel Vaněk řekl Švejkovi: „Neřvete na ně, Švejku, nebo nám rozštěkáte celou Halič.“
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Lužnice

Táborsko is part of Švejk's anecdote about the barking dogs which he tells before they get to Liskowiec.

Background

Táborsko is the Czech name of the Tábor-region in South Bohemia. The region has slightly above 100,000 inhabitants and has eight towns, with Tábor as capital. The river Lužnice flows through most of Táborsko.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.4] Všude je vokolí pěkně zalidněný, takže ten psí štěkot šel od vesnice k vesnici, pořád dál a dál, a ti psi v naší vesnici, kde jsme lágrovali, když už umlkli, zas uslyšeli z dálky štěkot, třebas odněkud až od Pelhřimova, tak se dali zas do štěkotu, a za chvíli vám štěkalo Táborsko, Pelhřimovsko, Budějovicko, Humpolecko, Třeboňsko a Jihlavsko.
Literature
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Landscape between Pelhřimov and Humpolec

Pelhřimovsko is part of Švejk's anecdote about the barking dogs.

Background

Pelhřimovsko (okres Pelhřimov) is a region in Vysočina, named after Pelhřimov, the largest town. The other major towns are Humpolec and Pacov.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.4] Všude je vokolí pěkně zalidněný, takže ten psí štěkot šel od vesnice k vesnici, pořád dál a dál, a ti psi v naší vesnici, kde jsme lágrovali, když už umlkli, zas uslyšeli z dálky štěkot, třebas odněkud až od Pelhřimova, tak se dali zas do štěkotu, a za chvíli vám štěkalo Táborsko, Pelhřimovsko, Budějovicko, Humpolecko, Třeboňsko a Jihlavsko.
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Humpolec in 1918

Humpolecko is part of Švejk's anecdote about the barking dogs.

Background

Humpolecko is the area around Humpolec in the Vysočina region. It is not an administrative unit, see Pelhřimovsko. Humpolec is located only 11 km from Lipnice and is surely a place the author knew about.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.4] Všude je vokolí pěkně zalidněný, takže ten psí štěkot šel od vesnice k vesnici, pořád dál a dál, a ti psi v naší vesnici, kde jsme lágrovali, když už umlkli, zas uslyšeli z dálky štěkot, třebas odněkud až od Pelhřimova, tak se dali zas do štěkotu, a za chvíli vám štěkalo Táborsko, Pelhřimovsko, Budějovicko, Humpolecko, Třeboňsko a Jihlavsko.
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Třeboňsko is part of Švejk's anecdote about the barking dogs. See Táborsko.

Background

Třeboňsko is the area around Třeboň in South Bohemia. The area is flat and known for it's many fish-ponds (rybníky).

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.4] Všude je vokolí pěkně zalidněný, takže ten psí štěkot šel od vesnice k vesnici, pořád dál a dál, a ti psi v naší vesnici, kde jsme lágrovali, když už umlkli, zas uslyšeli z dálky štěkot, třebas odněkud až od Pelhřimova, tak se dali zas do štěkotu, a za chvíli vám štěkalo Táborsko, Pelhřimovsko, Budějovicko, Humpolecko, Třeboňsko a Jihlavsko.
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Telč in 2002

Jihlavsko is part of Švejk's anecdote about the barking dogs.

Background

Jihlavsko (okres Jihlava) is the area around Jihlava in the Vysočina region. Jihlava was until 1945 a German-speaking enclave. It is geographically part of Moravia. The number of inhabitants is around 110,000. Telč is another well known town in the region.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.4] Všude je vokolí pěkně zalidněný, takže ten psí štěkot šel od vesnice k vesnici, pořád dál a dál, a ti psi v naší vesnici, kde jsme lágrovali, když už umlkli, zas uslyšeli z dálky štěkot, třebas odněkud až od Pelhřimova, tak se dali zas do štěkotu, a za chvíli vám štěkalo Táborsko, Pelhřimovsko, Budějovicko, Humpolecko, Třeboňsko a Jihlavsko.
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Liskowate in July 2010.

Liskowiec is mentioned 10 times in The Good Soldier Švejk.

Liskowiec saw a visit by the brigade for an overnight stay. It is described how billeting works, both on the account of accommodation and food. The mayor was not very cooperative to start with, Liskowiec was nothing but penury. His attitude changed when Švejk asked him where the nearest tree was. The supply of food was rather meagre: the cow they bought from the Jew Nathan is unforgettably described. Otherwise it's a tale of lice and Švejk's interminable monologues. The men got into the village very late at night, accompanied by barking dogs, and had to leave half past six the morning after. The staff were billeted in the vicarage and the soldiers in a distillery.

Background

Liskowiec probably refers to the village Liskowate in Galicia, now just inside Poland on the border with Ukraine. It belongs to Gmina Ustrzyki Dolne. From 1944 to 1951 it was part of the Soviet Union.

Invented march route

The author's information about the staff being billeted at the Roman-Catholic vicarage does not fit with Słownik geograficzny Królestwa Polskiego i innych krajów słowiańskich. This encyclopaedia only mentions a Greek-Catholic parish, the nearest Roman catholic parish was Jasień. It is also odd that he describes a route along a stream down to the village whereas it is located on the watershed. It can however not be entirely ruled out that Hašek meant Leszczowate, a village in the vicinity.

The geographical aspects of the march from Sanok onwards bears show many traces of being invented. This is natural because Jaroslav Hašek's march battalion didn't follow this route. Mentioned place names are not be found on maps, descriptions of the landscape do not fit, mentioned military units were operating elsewhere at the time. Then there are timing discrepancies. Antoni Kroh (Polish translator of the novel) notes that the battalion/brigade must have marched at a speed of more than 20 km per hour!

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.4] Baloun pomalu zapomínal na představu domnělého nebezpečí a v tichu noci, ještě když sestupovali dolů na Liskowiec, dál neustále vykládal s pohnutím Švejkovi, čeho si dřív nevážil a co by teď jed, až by oči plakaly.

Also written:Liskowiec Hašek

Literature
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Częstochowa and the Mother of God from there is invoked by the mayor of Liskowiec when he explains how poorly the only cow in the village is.

Background

Częstochowa is a city in Southern Poland, known as a pilgrim destination due to the Black Madonna, a painting in the monastery of Jasna Góra.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.4] Je to kráva nemocná, tesklivá. Moskali od ní telátko odebrali. Od té doby mléko nedává, ale hospodáři je ji líto zařezat, myslí si, že matka boží čenstochovská opět vše přivede k lepšímu.“

Also written:Čenstochová cz Tschenstochau de Čenstochova sk

Literature
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Grąziowa

Grabów is mentioned by the author as a neighbouring village of Liskowiec that has been destroyed. The inhabitants now live in Liskowiec.

Background

Grabów is the name of many places in Poland but none of them are near Liskowate. It may also have been a village in Ukraine, now called Hrabiv or possibly Hrabovo. Although these exists, none of them are near Liskowate.

1) A possible explanation is that Grabów is a mis-spelling of Grąziowa, a village just north of Liskowate. Today there are only a few houses, but in 1915 it had more than 1000 inhabitants.

2) A perhaps better guess is Grabownica (now Грабівниця) just inside Ukraine, north of Dobromil. This is a place the author is much more likely to have known than Grąziowa, and the fact that it is mentioned in the same sentence as neighbouring Chyrów is a further indication.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.4] Neutrpěla sice požáry, obě válčící strany jako zázrakem nevzaly ji do sféry válečných operací, zato však bylo zde usídleno obyvatelstvo nedalekých zničených vesnic z Chyrówa, z Grabówa a z Holubly.
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Hołubla is mentioned by the author as a neighbouring village of Liskowiec that has been destroyed. The inhabitants now live in Liskowiec.

Background

Hołubla has not yet been identified. A place with this name does exist in Central Poland but it is out of question that this is the one the author had in mind. It is more likely to be a place in Ukraine and a possible explanation is Hubice (now Губичі), just north of Dobromil.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.4] Neutrpěla sice požáry, obě válčící strany jako zázrakem nevzaly ji do sféry válečných operací, zato však bylo zde usídleno obyvatelstvo nedalekých zničených vesnic z Chyrówa, z Grabówa a z Holubly.
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Český svět, 12.7.1918

Baikal is mentioned in passing through as several bristly cossacks from beyond Baikal had stayed with the stingy catholic priest in Liskowiec.

Background

Baikal is the largest fresh-water reserve on earth and the deepest lake. Lake Baikal is situated in sourthern Siberia in Russia, not far from the border with Mongolia.

Jaroslav Hašek knew the area from his time as member of the city soviet in Irkutsk in 1920.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.4] Byl odchován svým otcem ve velké nenávisti proti Rusům, kterouž nenávist však najednou ztratil, když Rusové ustoupili a přišla rakouská vojska, kteráž mu sežrala všechny husy a slepice, které mu Rusové nechali na pokoji, a bydlelo u něho několik ježatých zabajkalských kozáků.

Also written:Bajkal cz Baikal de Байкал ru

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Postcard from 1910, view from the Austrian side.

Wołoczyska is mentioned by the Jew Nathan when he relates about his wonderful cow, which there is no equivalent to all the way to Wołoczyska.

Background

Wołoczyska is the Polish name of contemporary Волочиськ (Volochysk) in Ukraine. Until 1918 the border between Austria-Hungary and Russia divided the town, with the larger part on the Russian side east of the river Zbruch., whilst the lesser part Podwołoczyska was Austrian.

During the retreat from Tarnopol from 19 July 1917 onwards, Jaroslav Hašek's 1st Czechoslovak Rifle Regiment stayed in Podwołoczyska from 2nd to 6th August. This was the last time the author ever set foot on Austrian territory.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.4] Chtěl za ni horentní sumu, trhal si vousy a přísahal, že takovou krávu nenajdou v celé Haliči, v celém Rakousku a Německu, v celé Evropě a na celém světě, přitom vyl, plakal a dušoval se, že je to nejtlustší kráva, která kdy z poručení Jehovy přišla na svět. Zaklínal se všemi praotci, že na tu krávu se jezdí dívat až od Woločisky, že se o té krávě mluví v celém kraji jako o pohádce, že to ani kráva není, že to je nejšťavnatější buvol.

Sources: Vaněk/Holeček/Medek: Za svobodu, díl II, s.78-82

Also written:Volochysk en Woločiska Hašek Wolotschysk de Волочиськ uk

Literature
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Královská 18 was the home address of Leutnant Dub. He mentions it because he thinks his final hour has arrived.

Background

Královská 18 was a street address in Smíchov, now Zborovská 489/52.

The street got its current name from battle of Zborów in Ukraine (now Zboriv) where on 2 July 1917, the Czechoslovak Brigade for the first time fought k.u.k. Wehrmacht. See also České legie.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.4] „Jsem unaven,“ řekl tragickým hlasem, „jsem churav a nemocen, prosím, aby se přede mnou nemluvilo o vylomených zubech. Moje adresa je: Smíchov,Královská 18. Nedočkám-li se jitra, prosím, aby má rodina byla o všem šetrně zpravena a aby nebylo opomenuto poznamenati na mém hrobě, že jsem byl též před válkou c. k. gymnasiálním profesorem.“
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Národní politika,21.4.1901

Mikulášská třída was the street where Mr. Kraus, the former boyfriend of the detective's wife Chodounská, hailed from.

Background

Mikulášská třída was until 1926 the name of Pařížská ulice in Staré město. Today it counts as the most fashionable street in Prague. The new street appeared as a result of the renovation of Josefov (the Jewish quarter) around the turn of the century and is named after Kostel sv. Mikuláše (at the time Russian Orthodox) that is located at the southern end at Staroměstské náměstí. It was given its name after a decision in the city council on 2 April 1901.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.4] Já bych Ti to ani nepsal, ale Ty víš sama dobře, že jsi se mně svěřila, že já nejsem první, který s Tebou měl vážnou známost, a že Tě přede mnou měl už pan Kraus z Mikulášské třídy.

Also written:Niklasstrasse de

Literature
Sedlčanskonn flag
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Sedlčansko is mentioned in an anecdote Švejk tells Oberleutnant Lukáš in Liskowiec, on the senior lieutenant's initiative this time. It is about the widow of a postmaster from Sedlčansko and is related to talk about field post offices. The obrlajtnant is not impressed by the story.

Background

Sedlčansko is the area around the town of Sedlčany about 50 km south of Prague east of Vltava. It is a rural area without large cities. It is not an administrative unit.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.4] Já znám zatím jenom moc krátkou historii vo jedný paní poštmistrový ze Sedlčanska, která po smrti svýho muže dostala tu počtu.

Also written:Sedlčany district en Seltschan Reiner

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Horní Stodůlky is mentioned in the story of the priest Zanmastil from here who wrote a book about bed-bugs.

Background

Horní Stodůlky is now an area of western Prague, a separate administrative entity until 1974. There is no reference to any Horní Stodůlky, only Stodůlky ("horní" means "upper"). It belong to Prague 13.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.4] „To dělají štěnice, pane obrlajtnant. To už je stará pověra, že faráři rodějí štěnice. Nikde nenajdete tolik štěnic jako na farách. Na faře v Horních Stodůlkách farář Zamastil napsal dokonce vo štěnicích celou knížku, voni po něm lezly i při kázání.“

Also written:Oberstadeln de

Krościenkonn flag
Wikipedia deenpl MapSearch Švejkova cesta
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Krościenko sees a visit by the brigade early in the morning after they left Liskowiec. There is no description of any stay here.

Background

Krościenko is a village in Galicia, now just inside Poland on the border with Ukraine. It is located only a few kilometers from Liskowate and is the last railway station on the Polish side of the border.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.4] V noci bude se vařit guláš. Noclehy pro mužstvo musí být řádné; vyhýbat se zavšiveným chalupám, aby si mužstvo náležitě odpočinulo, poněvadž kumpanie vystupuje z Liskowiec již o půl sedmé hodině ranní přes Kroscienku na Starasol.

Also written:Kroscienka Hašek Siegenthal de

Literature
Stara Sólnn flag
Wikipedia pluk MapSearch Švejkova cesta
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Stara Sól was the destination of the brigade the day Švejk got captured by his own side by Felsztyn.

Background

Stara Sól is the Polish name of the village Старá Сіль (Stara Sil) in Galicia, now just inside Ukraine on the border with Poland. On a military map from 1910 the village is called Starasól.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.4] V noci bude se vařit guláš. Noclehy pro mužstvo musí být řádné; vyhýbat se zavšiveným chalupám, aby si mužstvo náležitě odpočinulo, poněvadž kumpanie vystupuje z Liskowiec již o půl sedmé hodině ranní přes Kroscienku na Starasol.

Also written:Starasol Hašek Стара Сіль ua

Literature
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Sambor railway station

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K.u.k. Armeeoberkommando, 18.9.1914

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K.u.k. Armeeoberkommando, 16.5.1915

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Jan Vaněk, 4.7.1915

Sambor was the destination of the brigade the day Švejk got lost. However, there were counter-orders during they march, so Rechnungsfeldwebel Vaněk and Švejk went to look for quarters in Felsztyn instead ...

Background

Sambor is the Polish name of the city of Самбір (Sambir) in Galicia, now in Ukraine, near the Polish border. Sambor is located in the Lviv oblast and has around 35,000 inhabitants (2010). The city is connected by railway to Lviv and Khyriv.

Sambor was occupied by the Russian army from 17 September 1914 to 15 May 1915. The front was close to the town also during October and the railway station was one of the buildings that suffered serious damage.

IR91/MB12

Jaroslav Hašek's XII. Marschbataillon arrived here by train on 4 July 1915 (or the next day) after a five day journey from Királyhida. From Sambor they continued on foot the next day and joined the operative part of Infanterieregiment Nr. 91 on 11 July. Several of the models for characters in The Good Soldier Švejk arrived at the front with this march battalion: Franz Wenzel (commander), Rudolf Lukas, Jan Vaněk and Hans Bigler.

Ludwig Ganghofer

In his book "Die Front im Osten", Ludwig Ganghofer briefly describes a meeting with Austrian staff officers in Sambor a few days before Przemyśl fell on 3 June 1915.

Die Front im Osten, Ludwig Ganghofer, 5.6.1915

Die Enttäuschung, mit der wir Sambor einfahren, wird hurtig wieder zu himmelhohem Jauchzen. Im Kreis der österreichischen Stabsoffiziere, die uns mit freundlicher Gastlichkeit aufnehmen, sehen wir die Kriegslage des Abends auf der Karte eingezeichnet. Welch! ein erquickendes Ornament!

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.4] Když vyrazili ráno z Liskowiec na Starasol, Sambor, vezli s sebou v polní kuchyni nešťastnou krávu, která se ještě neuvařila. Bylo usneseno, že ji budou vařit po cestě a sní se, až bude odpočinek na půl cestě z Liskowiec na Starasol.

Sources: Jan Morávek, Jan Vaněk, Bohumil Vlček, VÚA, ÖStA, Jaroslav Šerák, Ludwig Ganghofer

Also written:Самбoр ru Самбір ua

Literature
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Arabia is mentioned indirectly by Švejk through the Arabian stud Oberleutnant Buchánek bought.

Background

Arabia normally refers to the Arabian Peninsula but here the talk is about the horse breed.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.4] Taky mu to dlouho nevydrželo, takže musel sáhnout k třetímu budoucímu tchánovi vo kauci. Z tý třetí kauce si koupil koně, arabskýho hřebce, nečistokrevnýho...“
Alpsnn flag
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Drei Zinnen (Tre Cime di Lavaredo) in the Dolomites

Alps is mentioned by Švejk in the long anecdote about Oberleutnant Buchánek.

Background

Alps is the next highest mountain range in Europe after the Caucasus. It extends across parts of France, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Italy, Liechtenstein, Monaco and Slovenia. The highest mountain is Mont Blanc with 4810 metres.

During World War I there was fighing in the Alps on the Italian front in Tirol, the area was otherwise spared destruction. A large part of the Alps was within the borders of Austria-Hungary.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.4] ,To je hrozný,’ povídá na to nebožtík pan obrlajtnant Buchánek, ,ty si, chlape mizerná, loudíš vo facku, buď rád, že ti dám jenom vobyčejnou pozemskou facku, kdybych ti dal takovou tu měsíční, tak bys při své lehkosti letěl až někam na Alpy a rozplác by ses vo ně.

Also written:Alpy cz Alpen de Alpes fr Alpi it Alpe sl

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Resslova ulice, 1938

Resslova ulice was the street where an editor dressed in police uniform arrested an innocent elderly couple who were on their way home from a banquet. This is in the anecdote about nadstrážník Hubička.

Background

Resslova ulice is a street in Nové město stretching from Karlovo náměstí down towards Vltava. Jaroslav Hašek attended Obchodní akademie here from 1899 to 1902 and graduated with good marks. See Obchodní akademie.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.4] Ten jednou vopil toho pana nadstrážníka Hubičku a proměnili si šaty v kuchyni, takže nadstrážník byl v civilu a z pana redaktora stal se policejní nadstrážník, jenom si ještě zakryl číslo revolveru a vydal se do Prahy na patrolu. V Resslový ulici, za bejvalou Svatováclavskou trestnicí, potkal v nočním tichu staršího pána v cylindru a v kožichu, kterej šel zavěšen se starší paní v kožešinovém plášti.
Literature
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Provinz Posen

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The German 101. Infanteriedivision in the weeks prior to Hašek's arrival at the front.

Posen (now Poznań) is mentioned because two Posen-regiments are to be billeted in Sambor and Wojalycze. Therefore the route of Švejk's march battalion had to be redirected towards Felsztyn.

Background

Posen is the German name of Poznań, one of the oldest and biggest cities in Poland. From 1793 to 1918 it was part of Prussia, and hence from 1871 part of Germany. The city and the province had, even during this period, a Polish majority. In the context of the novel the reference is to two regiments, thus the province of Posen is the subject, not the city itself.

Posen regiments

There were four infantry regiments recruited from the Posen province in the Imperial German Army - numbered 18, 19, 58 and 59. Two of those regiments (18th and 59th) were from 8 May 1915 part of 101. Infanteriedivision, a unit in the German Süd-Armee. The newly formed division was transferred to Stryj and from 20 June 1915 they took part in the offensive from Dniestr to Złota Lipa which they had reached by 5 July. Three weeks later they were fighting by Ostrów further north so they may have crossed path with Jaroslav Hašek's XII. Marschbataillon, a unit that arrived in Sambor on 4 July and had reached the area by Złota Lipa by 11 July.

Whatever regiments Hašek referred to: those from the 101st division could not have been in Sambor when he was there. So either the meeting took place further east or the author had some other German regiments in mind.

Although Hašek probably referred to infantry regiments they may obviously also have been cavalry or artillery units.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.4] Od brigády přicválal na koni kurýr s novým rozkazem pro 11. kumpanii, že maršrúta se mění na Felštýn, Woralyče a Sambor nechat stranou, neboť tam není možno ubytovat kumpanii, poněvadž jsou tam dva poznaňské pluky.

Sources: GenWiki, Österreich-Ungarns letzter Krieg

Also written:Poznaň cz Poznań pl

Literature
Woralyčenn flag
Wikipedia enpluk MapSearch Švejkova cesta

Woralyče is just about mentioned because two Posen-regiments are to be billetted in Sambor and Woralyče. Therefore the route of the march batallion of IR. 91 had to be redirected towards Felsztyn.

Background

Woralyče (and Wojalycze) are almost certainly misspellings of Wojutycze.

Quote(s) from the novel
[IV.3] Od brigády přicválal na koni kurýr s novým rozkazem pro 11. kumpanii, že maršrúta se mění na Felštýn, Woralyče a Sambor nechat stranou, neboť tam není možno ubytovat kumpanii, poněvadž jsou tam dva poznaňské pluky.

Also written:Wojalycze pl Воютичі ua

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Rozdělov is mentioned in the anecdote about uzenář Křenek.

Background

Rozdělov was a village by Kladno, now a suburb of the city. In the 1950's large housing estate were built here and Rozdělov is now dominated by high-rise apartment blocks.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.4] „Jednou šel uzenář Křenek z Vinohrad podle plánu města Prahy od ,Montágů’ na Malé Straně domů v noci na Vinohrady a dostal se až k ránu do Rozdělova u Kladna, kde ho našli celýho zkřehlýho k ránu v žitě, kam upad únavou.
Karlínský viaduktnn flag
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Karlínský viadukt is mentioned in an anecdote Švejk starts in Liskowiec before Oberleutnant Lukáš interrupts him.

Background

Karlínský viadukt is an often used name of Negrelleho viaduct, a railway viaduct in Prague. It starts at Masarykovo station, goes through Karlín and continues across Vltava to Holešovice. It is the oldest railway bridge in Prague. Ferdinandová kasárna, where Feldkurat Katz had his office, was located just across the street from the viaduct, in Karlín.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.4] „Poslušně hlásím, pane obrlajtnant, že se vynasnažím. Měl jsem sice vošklivej sen, když jsem si trochu k ránu zdříml. Zdálo se mně vo neckách, který tekly přes celou noc na chodbě v domě, kde jsem bydlel, až vytekly a promočily strop u pana domácího, kterej mně hned ráno dal vejpověď. Von byl už, pane obrlajtnant, takovej případ ve skutečnosti; v Karlíně, za viaduktem...“

Sources: Zdeněk Dušek

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Skelivka, 2010

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Felsztyn, pocztowka, miasto po inwazji rosyjskiej, 1914

Felsztyn is mentioned 15 times in The Good Soldier Švejk.

Felsztyn witnessed Švejk's greatest feat in the novel: getting captured by his own side after having tried on a Russian uniform by a pond near the village.

Background

Felsztyn is the Polish name of a village in the Lviv oblast in Ukraine, from 1945 renamed Скелівка (Skelivka). The village is located between Sambir and Khyriv, very close to the border with Poland. Skelivka is the smallest place in the world with a statue of Švejk.

The village was in Austrian times part of Galicia and speakers of Polish were in an overwhelming majority. Jews made up more than half the population. The town had a Roman-Catholic church, a Greek-Catholic church and a synagogue. It was heavily damaged during fighting in October 1914 and was on Russian hands until around 15 May 1915. After World War I Felsztyn became part of Poland, and from 1939 the Soviet Union.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.4] Zde spal Josef Švejk z Prahy, kompanieordonanc 11. marškumpačky 91. regimentu, který jako kvartýrmachr upadl omylem do rakouského zajetí pod Felštýn.

Also written:Felštýn Hašek Скелівка ua

Literature
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chyrow.jpg

Khyriv railway station, 2010.

Chyrów is mentioned 5 times in The Good Soldier Švejk.

Chyrów was the place Švejk was first taken to after he was captured by Hungarian military police. According to the interrogation report quoted in the novel this must have happened on 16 June 1915. At Chyrów he joined a transport of Russian prisoners of war who were repairing the railway line to Przemyśl.

Background

Chyrów is the Polish name of the town Хирів (Khyriv) in the Lviv oblast in western Ukraine. The town is a railway junction and even in 2010 there were passenger services to Sanok and Lviv (amongst others). The town was part of Austria-Hungary until 1918.

Quote(s) from the novel
[III.4] Byli to Maďaři a Švejka přes jeho protesty odtáhli na etapu v Chyrówě, kde ho zařadili do transportu ruských zajatců určených pracovat na opravě železniční trati směrem ku Přemyšlu.

Also written:Хирів ua

Literature
Index Back Forward IV. The famous thrashing continued Hovudpersonen

1. Švejk in the transport of russian prisoners of war

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Hostýn is mentioned in connection with the battle against the Mongolians led by Jaroslav ze Šternberka, something Švejk reminds the Crimean tatar of in the prisoner transport of.

Background

Hostýn is a mountain in Moravia, now a pilgrimage site.

Quote(s) from the novel
[IV.1] Hm - znáš Jaroslava ze Šternberka? To jméno neznáš, ty kluku tatarská? Ten vám natřel prdel pod Hostýnem. To ste vod nás jeli, vy klucí tatarský, z Moravy svinským krokem. Vás ve vašich čítankách neučejí, jako nás to učívali. Znáš hostýnskou panenku Marii? To se ví, že neznáš - ta byla taky při tom, však voni vás, kluky tatarský, tady v zajetí pokřtějí.“
Dobromilnn flag
Wikipedia deenpluk MapSearch Švejkova cesta
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Eine Bilderreihe aus den Kampfgebieten der 25. Reserve-Division 1914-1916

Dobromil is a place Švejk passed through in the transport of Russian prisoners of war between Felsztyn and Przemyśl.

Background

Dobromil is the Polish name of the town Добромиль (Dobromyl) in Galicia, now in the Lviv province in Ukraine, only a few kilometres from the border with Poland. It is on the railway line from Chyrów to Przemyśl. The town was until 1918 part of Austria-Hungary.

Quote(s) from the novel
[IV.1] Tak měl Švejk neštěstí, že se nemohl dohovořiti s nikým, a s ostatními vlekli ho na Dobromil, odkud se měla spravovati dráha přes Přemyšl na Nižankovice. V Dobromilu, na etapě v kanceláři, jednoho po druhém zapisovali, což šlo velice ztěžka, poněvadž ze všech 300 zajatců, které do Dobromilu přihnali, nikdo nerozuměl ruštině šikovatele, který tam seděl za stolem a který se přihlásil kdysi, že umí rusky, a jako tlumočník vystupoval nyní ve východní Haliči.

Also written:Добромиль ua

Literature
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Niżankowice is mentioned because the prisoners are going to repair the railway line between Przemyśl and Niżankowice.

Background

Niżankowice is the Polish name of the village Нижанковичі (Nyzhankovychi) in the Lviv oblast in Ukraine, very close to the Polish border and Przemyśl.

Quote(s) from the novel
[IV.1] Tak měl Švejk neštěstí, že se nemohl dohovořiti s nikým, a s ostatními vlekli ho na Dobromil, odkud se měla spravovati dráha přes Přemyšl na Nižankovice.

Also written:Nižankovice Hašek Нижанковичі ua

Literature
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Praga is mentioned by the corporal who interrogates Švejk after he has been captured by Felsztyn. He mixes up Prague (in German Prag) and Praga.

Background

Praga is a district of Warsaw. Because the city was part of Russian Poland in 1914, the inhabitants were of course required to serve in the Russian armed forces. Praga is also the Polish name for Prague.

Quote(s) from the novel
[IV.1] „To nemusíš zapírat,“ pokračoval s určitostí šikovatel tlumočník, „každý z vás zajatců, který uměl německy, byl žid, a basta. Jak se jmenuješ? Švejch? Tak vidíš, co zapíráš, když máš takové židovské jméno? U nás se nemusíš bát přiznat se k tomu. U nás v Rakousku se nedělají pogromy na židy. Odkuď jsi? Aha, Prága, á to znám, to znám, to je u Varšavy. Taky jsem tu měl před týdnem dva židy z Prágy od Varšavy, a tvůj pluk, jaké má číslo? 91?“

Also written:Prága Hašek

Literature
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Yerevan around 1920

Yerevan is mentioned by the corporal who interrogates Švejk after he has been captured by Felsztyn. The 91st Russian regiment is supposed to have been from here.

Background

Yerevan is now the capital of Armenia, in 1914 still belonging to Russia. The city was from 1921 to 1991 part of the Soviet Union. The current population figure is just over one million.

Quote(s) from the novel
[IV.1] Šikovatel vzal schematismus, listoval se v něm: „Jednadevadesátý pluk je eryvanský, Kavkaz, kádr má v Tiflisu, to koukáš, co, jak my tady všechno známe?“

Also written:Jerevan cz Eriwan de Ереван ru

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Caucasus is mentioned by the corporal who interrogates Švejk after he has been captured by Felsztyn.

Background

Caucasus is a geographical region on the border between Europe and Asia which also comprises the mountain range of the same name. Europe´s highest mountain, Elbrus is found here. The countries of the region are Russia, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia.

Quote(s) from the novel
[IV.1] Šikovatel vzal schematismus, listoval se v něm: „Jednadevadesátý pluk je eryvanský, Kavkaz, kádr má v Tiflisu, to koukáš, co, jak my tady všechno známe?“

Also written:Kavkaz cz Кавказ ru

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Tbilisi is mentioned by the corporal who interrogates Švejk after he has been captured by Felsztyn.

Background

Tbilisi is now the capital of Georgia, in 1914 belonging to the Russian Empire. The city was from 1921 to 1991 part of the Soviet Union. The current population figure is just over one million.

Quote(s) from the novel
[IV.1] Šikovatel vzal schematismus, listoval se v něm: „Jednadevadesátý pluk je eryvanský, Kavkaz, kádr má v Tiflisu, to koukáš, co, jak my tady všechno známe?“

Also written:Tiflis de Тбилиси ru

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Židohoušť was where the priest priest Vobejda came from.

Background

Židohoušť has so far not been identified with certainty. It may be a mis-spelling of Živohoušť, at least translator Cecil Parrott made this assumption. This former village was flooded in 1954 when the Slapy dam was built across the Vltava.

Quote(s) from the novel
[IV.1] To u nás máme přeci lepší jména, jako ten farář v Židohoušti, kterej se jmenoval Vobejda.“
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Lubaczów is mentioned because the prisoners are to repair the railway line between Przemyśl and Lubaczów.

Background

Lubaczów is a town north of Przemyśl near the Ukrainian border.

Quote(s) from the novel
[IV.1] Časně ráno změnilo vojenské stavební velitelství disposice a usneslo se, že ona skupina zajatců, ve které byl Švejk, bude dopravena přímo do Přemyšlu k obnovení trati Přemyšl-Lubaczów.

Also written:Любачів ua

Literature
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Wikipedia czdeennopl MapSearch Švejkova cesta Švejkův slovník
przemysl.jpg

Przemyśl Rynek, 3.7.2015

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Kurjer Lwowski,23.3.1915 (10.3)

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Světozor,24.10.1914

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Prager Abendblatt,4.6.1915

Przemyśl is mentioned 25 times in The Good Soldier Švejk.

Przemyśl is pivotal to the action in Part Four after Švejk was taken prisoners by his fellow soldiers after having put on a Russian uniform. More than two chapter is dedicated to the city - only Prague and Bruck (with Királyhida) are given more space in the novel.

As part of the prisoner transport Švejk is escorted to one of the destroyed forts in the inner ring of fortifications, and is accommodated in some abandoned stables. Here Major Wolf soon discovers that Švejk is Czech and wants to hang him immediately, but is wish is resisted by a colleague. The two officers argue intensely as the escort the prisoner to the main guard. Then they continue to the garrison where the good soldier is locked up in a former rice store and where he stays overnight surrounded by mice and vermin.

In the morning a provocateur is placed in the cell. He produces false testimonies against Švejk and tells that they met in Kiev. The next day the good soldier is brought before a tribunal headed by the blood-thirsty garrison commander General Fink - a group that consists of several officers, amongst them the Czech-speaking Major Derwota. The latter has a certain leaning towards legal procedures and justice, and convinces the others to send a telegram to the brigade to enquire about Švejk. After the interrogation the accused is moved to the garrison prison and is given spiritual consolation by Feldkurat Martinec, and in the end the dead drunk Derwota ends up in the cell with the prisoner. In the morning the telegram from the brigade arrives and indeed confirms who Švejk is, and ask for him to be handed over. Thus Fink has to let go of the expected summary execution. Švejk is placed on the train and escorted to brigade staff in Wojalycze.

The author also deals with the immorality, corruption and brutality at the garrison. "Nurses" were employed with the sole purpose of satisfying the officers - on top at that embezzlement, drunkenness and debauchery. Even the previously so pious Feldkurat Martinec gets embroiled in these undertakings.

Background

Przemyśl is a city in the south-west corner of current Poland. Under Austria-Hungary it was an important fortress and garrison city, and also the seat of the 10th army corps. Then as now it was connected with railways to Kraków and Lwów, the two biggest cities in Galicia.

The fortress

The city was during Austria-Hungary the centre of an extensive system of fortifications. The outer ring of forts measured 45 km. There was also an inner ring of fortifications around the city itself. Przemyśl was in 1914 one of the 10 largest fortresses in Europe and became world famous during the sieges of autumn 1914 and spring 1915. The second siege of Przemyśl was the longest lasting operation of its kind of the whole war.

On 17 September 1914 the Russians reached the outer fortifications and by the 26th the city was encircled. This first siege was broken as the Russian army failed in the attempt to take the city by a frontal attack and lifted the siege on 11 October. In early November a new offensive started and the 8th the fortress was again encircled. This time the attackers used a different tactic; they waited for the defenders to run out of supplies. The fortress was finally forced to surrender on 22 March 1915, and the nearly 120,000 defenders were taken prisoners of war. These were mostly Hungarians, commanded by general General Kusmanek.

During the Central Power's offensive in May, Przemyśl came under siege again and in the early hours of 3 June 1915 their forces entered the city. Logically Švejk's appearance must therefore have occurred soon after (he was in Budapest on 23 May). One of the writers that witnessed (and wrote about) the recapture was Ludwig Ganghofer. Around this time Generalmajor Gustav Stowasser was named commander of the garrison, but the fortress had now lost its military importance and the garrison was reduced to a few battalions.

Manewry Szwejkowskie
przemysl4.jpg

Sanocka brama, 3.7.2015

Przemyśl hosts the largest regular Švejk-related event in the world. Fans of the good soldier congregate from all over Poland and often also from Czechia and Ukraine. In July 2015 the 18th manoeuvres took place, and as usual it was a two day event attended by around 100 people. On 4 July a new museum was officially opened at Sanocka brama. On the city's main square there has since 2006 been a statue of Švejk, sitting on a munition crate. A small street off the square is named in honour of the soldier.

The good soldier Švejk in captivity

In Dobrý voják Švejk v zajetí the city is briefly mentioned at the start of chapter 5. The author notes that the Russian army had occupied Lvov and encircled Przemyśl. In Serbia the Austrian army was in trouble, in Prague people were happy and in Moravia they were preparing cakes to welcome the cossacks. This had happened when Švejk was in prison at the start of the war.[1]

Mezitím co byl Švejk zavřen, ruská vojska zabrala Lvov, oblehla Přemyšl, dole v Srbsku stálo to také velmi špatně s rakouskou armádou, lidé v Praze byli veselí a na Moravě dělali již přípravy k pečení koláčů, až přijdou kozáci.

Ludwig Ganghofer. Przemysl, 5. Juni 1915

Immer neue Soldatenzüge klirren in die Stadt herein, Reiter mit wehenden Fähnchen an den Lanzen, österreichische Dragoner und ungarische Husaren, rasselnde Geschütze und knatternde Kolonnenreihen. Von der Menge der Truppen und Wagen stauen sich alle Straßen voll. Und wo in der schwülen Mittagssonne nur ein bisschen Schatten ist, da legen sich die Müdgewordenen auf das Pflaster hin und warten geduldig, bis an sie die Reihe kommt mit Quartier und Kost.

Quote(s) from the novel
[I.14.4] Mezitím co byl Švejk zavřen, ruská vojska zabrala Lvov, oblehla Přemyšl, dole v Srbsku stálo to také velmi špatně s rakouskou armádou, lidé v Praze byli veselí a na Moravě dělali již přípravy k pečení koláčů, až přijdou kozáci.
[I.14.4] Švejk posadil se na lavici ve vratech a vykládal, že v bitevní frontě karpatské se útoky vojska ztroskotaly, na druhé straně však že velitel Přemyšlu, generál Kusmanek, přijel do Kyjeva a že za námi zůstalo v Srbsku jedenáct opěrných bodů a že Srbové dlouho nevydrží utíkat za našimi vojáky.
[II.3] „Někdy,“ řekl Švejk, „se zas v gefechtu člověku udělá špatně, člověk si něco zvoškliví. Vypravoval v Praze na Pohořelci na ,Vyhlídce’ jeden nemocnej rekonvalescent od Přemyšlu, že tam někde pod festungem přišlo k útoku na bajonety a proti němu se vobjevil jeden Rus, chlap jako hora, a mazal si to na něho s bajonetem a měl pořádnou kapičku u nosu. Jak se mu von podíval na tu kapičku, na ten vozdr, že se mu hned udělalo špatně a musel jít na hilfsplac, kde ho uznali zamořenýho cholerou a odpravili do cholerovejch baráků do Pešti, kde se taky vopravdu nakazil cholerou.“
[II.3] Když jsme byli na frontě u Přemyšlu, tak tam byl s námi hejtman Jetzbacher, svině, které nebylo rovno pod sluncem.
[IV.1] Potom je přejímal major Wolf, vládnoucí tou dobou nad všemi zajatci pracujícími na opravách v pevnosti Přemyšlu a okolí. To byl důkladný člověk. Měl u sebe celý štáb tlumočníků, kteří vybírali ze zajatců specialisty ku stavbám podle jejich schopností a předběžného vzdělání.

Sources: Grzegorz Karnas, Dariusz Hop

Also written:Přemyšl cz Перемишль ua

Literature
References
1Dobrý voják Švejk v zajetíJaroslav Hašek1917
Milatynnn flag
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Das Infanterieregiment Nr.91 am Vormarsch in Galizien

Milatyn is mentioned because professor Professor Masaryk was unaware of the dangers lurking between Sokal, Milatyn and Bubnów.

Background

Milatyn is the Polish name of the village Милятин (Myliatyn) in the Volyn province in Ukraine. IR. 91 with Jaroslav Hašek marched past this place on 28 August 1915 during the Central Powers's advance onto Russian territory that autumn. Milatyn is located by the river Strypa, right on the former border between Austria-Hungary and Russia.

Quote(s) from the novel
[IV.1] Neznalo ještě nic určitého o revolučních organisacích v cizině a teprve v srpnu na linii Sokal - Milijatin - Bubnovo obdrželi velitelé batalionů důvěrné reserváty, že bývalý rakouský profesor Masaryk utekl za hranice, kde vede proti Rakousku propagandu.

Sources: Jaroslav Křížek, VÚA

Also written:Milijatin Hašek Milatyn pl Милятин ua

Literature
Bubnównn flag
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Bubnów is mentioned because professor Professor Masaryk was unaware of the dangers lurking between Sokal, Milatyn and Bubnów.

Background

Bubnów is the Polish name of the village Бубнів (Bubniv) in the Volodomyr-Volynski province in Ukraine. As there are several places with this name in the country, there is some uncertainty involved, but mentioned place is the best guess due to it's location just north of Sokal in an area that Jaroslav Hašek knew well (he was stationed nearby for nearly four weeks in August 1915). The author's statement that the front went here at the time is also correct.

Quote(s) from the novel
[IV.1] Neznalo ještě nic určitého o revolučních organisacích v cizině a teprve v srpnu na linii Sokal - Milijatin - Bubnovo obdrželi velitelé batalionů důvěrné reserváty, že bývalý rakouský profesor Masaryk utekl za hranice, kde vede proti Rakousku propagandu.

Also written:Bubnovo Hašek Бубнов ru Бубнів ua

Literature
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milano.jpg

Světem letem, Enrique Stanko Vráz,1896

Milan is the mentioned in the anecdote Švejk uses against the spy who enters his cell in Przemyśl.

Background

Milan is Italy's seconds largest city and capital of the region of Lombardy. The city was more or less permanently under Habsburg rule from 1525 up to the battle of Solferino i 1859.

Quote(s) from the novel
[IV.1] Všechny lidi, který potkával na ulici, viděl buď na nádraží v Miláně, nebo s nimi seděl ve Štýrským Hradci v radničním sklepě při víně.

Also written:Milán cz Mailand de Milano it

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Berounka is mentioned in the anecdote Švejk during interrogation in Przemyśl, where his message is that it is possible to end up in other peoples clothes.

Background

Berounka is a river which empties into the Vltava near Zbraslav, 10 km south of Prague city centre. Elva har kjelder så langt vest som i Bavaria og renn austover. Lengda er godt over 100 km.

Quote(s) from the novel
[IV.1] „Vím, vod 91. regimentu mne už jistě hledají, ale jestli dovolíte, pane majore, malou poznámku vo tom, jak se lidi dobrovolně převlíkají do cizích šatů. Roku 1908 někdy v červenci koupal se knihař Božetěch z Příčný ulice v Praze na Zbraslavi ve starým rameni Berounky.

Also written:Beraun de

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Dobříš is mentioned in the anecdote Švejk during interrogation in Przemyśl, where his message is that it is possible to end up in other peoples clothes.

Background

Dobříš is a town in okres Příbram in central Bohemia, with 8,597 inhabitants at the 2009 count. The town was previously known for its glove factory and also has a chateau.

Conference

In 1983 Dobříš hosted a large conference on Jaroslav Hašek in connection with the 100th anniversary of the author's birth. The participants were with few exceptions from Warszaw Pact countries.

That same year Bamberg in Bavaria hosted a competing conference with participants came from the rest of the world, including a large number of Czechoslovaks in exile.

Quote(s) from the novel
[IV.1] Nemusejí se bát vlézt do nich. Vodvšivený jsou před tejdnem u okresu v Dobříši. Podruhý si dají lepší pozor na toho, s kým se koupají. Ve vodě vypadá každej nahej člověk jako poslanec, a je to třeba vrah.
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Velká Chuchle 1916

Chuchle is mentioned because the gendarmerie patrol from here arrested bookbinder Božetěch, dressed in a tramps clothes.

Background

Chuchle is a place south of Prague, now within the city boundaries, between Braník and Zbraslav. It is mostly used as a common term for the suburbs Velká Chuchle and Malá Chuchle.

Quote(s) from the novel
[IV.1] Vyhýbal se okresní silnici a šel přes luka po pěšinkách a setkal se s četnickou patrolou z Chuchle, která vandráka zatkla a odvedla druhého dne ráno na Zbraslav k okresnímu soudu, neboť to by moh říct každý, že je Josef Božetěch, knihař z Příčný ulice v Praze, čís. 16.“
Literature
Index Back Forward IV. The famous thrashing continued Hovudpersonen

2. Spiritual consolation

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Zlíchov is pulled into the story by Švejk when he tells Feldkurat Martinec he knows smoke like the distillery in Zlíchov.

Background

Zlíchov is a small district of Prague, situated on the western bank of the Vltava south of Smíchov. Švejk refers to the distillery (lihovar) shown on the picture.

Quote(s) from the novel
[IV.2] „To se divím,“ řekl Švejk. „Znal jsem mnoho feldkurátů a ti kouřili jako špirituska na Zlíchově. Feldkuráta si vůbec nemůžu představit, aby nekouřil a nepil.
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"Mein Österreich, mein Heimatland", 1915

Nový Jičín is mentioned because Feldkurat Martinec tells Švejk that he is from this area.

Background

Nový Jičín is a town in north-eastern Moravia, 30 km south of Ostrava. The town has 27,000 inhabitants and the historical centre is an urban preservation area.

Quote(s) from the novel
[IV.2] Vodkuďpak sou, pane feldkurát?“ „Od Nového Jičína,“ skleslým hlasem ozval se c. k. dp. Martinec.

Also written:Neutitschein de

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Opatovická ulice is a street that Švejk has lived in he tells Feldkurat Martinec. This is connected to the anecdote about porter Faustýn.

Background

Opatovická ulice is a street in Nové město, perpendicular to Křemencová ulice.

Quote(s) from the novel
[IV.2] Když jsem bydlel v Opatovickej ulici, tak jsem tam měl jednoho kamaráda, Faustýna, vrátnýho z hotelu.
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kremencova.jpg

Křemencová ulice is a street that Švejk has lived in he tells Feldkurat Martinec. This is connected to the anecdote about porter Faustýn.

Background

Křemencová ulice is a street in Praha II., perpendicular to Opatovická ulice. The famous pub U Fleků is situated in this street.

Quote(s) from the novel
[IV.2] Von byl totiž ten pan Faustýn úplně vožralej a zapomněl, že já bydlím v Opatovickej ulici docela v nízkém přízemí, a ne ve třetím patře jako před rokem, když jsem bydlel v Křemencovej ulici a von ke mně chodil na návštěvu.“
Index Back Forward IV. The famous thrashing continued Hovudpersonen

3. Švejk again with his march company

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Loděnice is mentioned in the anecdote about Mr. Karderaz who expertly slept with his top hat as a pillow.

Background

Loděnice is a village by Beroun west of Prague. Although there are several place thus named in the Bohemia, this is the likeliest one as the author knew the area well. He visited first in 1913 with Zdeněk Matěj Kuděj and again with Josef Lada in 1914.

Quote(s) from the novel
[IV.3] Vyspat se na cylindru, to doved jenom nějakej pan Karderaz v Loděnici.
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Turze is part of the conversation between Major Derwota and General Fink. The major pointed out that Švejk was caught 150 km behind the front which was running along the line Sokal - Turze - Kozłów.

Background

Turze is the Polish name of the village Тур'я (Turia) in the Busk region of western Ukraine.

Quote(s) from the novel
[IV.3] Major otevřel si stůl, vytáhl mapu a zamyslel se nad tím, že Felštýn je 40 kilometrů jihovýchodně od Přemyšlu, takže jevila se zde hrozná záhada, jak přišel pěšák Švejk k ruské uniformě v místech vzdálených přes sto padesát kilometrů od fronty, když posice táhnou se v linii Sokal-Turze-Kozlów.

Also written:Тур'я ua

Literature
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Kozłów is part of the conversation between Major Derwota and General Fink. The major pointed out that Švejk was caught 150 km behind the front which was running along the line Sokal - Turze - Kozłów.

Background

Kozłów is the Polish name of the small town Козлів (Kozliv) in the Ternopil oblast in Ukraine.

Quote(s) from the novel
[IV.3] Major otevřel si stůl, vytáhl mapu a zamyslel se nad tím, že Felštýn je 40 kilometrů jihovýchodně od Přemyšlu, takže jevila se zde hrozná záhada, jak přišel pěšák Švejk k ruské uniformě v místech vzdálených přes sto padesát kilometrů od fronty, když posice táhnou se v linii Sokal-Turze-Kozlów.

Also written:Козлів ua

Literature
Wojalyczenn flag
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wojutycze.jpg

Воютичі 2010

wojutycze.png

Neue Freie Presse,6.6.1915

wojutycze1.png

Das Infanterieregiment Nr. 91 am Vormarsch in Galizien, 15.5.1915

Wojalycze was where brigade headquarters was located and it was here Švejk was escorted to after he barely avoided execution in Przemyśl. Chief of staff was Oberst Gerbich who struggled with his painful toe and corresponding outbursts of rage.

Here we also have a reunion with both Leutnant Dub and Kadett Biegler. Dub has had an accident while Švejk was away, he fell from his horse when he tried to show off his equestrian skills. Biegler has now been released from the cholera ward in Tarnów and has made his way by train, spending most of the time in the toilets due to the loose stomach he has suffered from all the way from Budapest.

Background

Wojalycze is almost certainly a misspelling of Wojutycze, the Polish name of the village Воютичі (Voyutychi) in the Lviv oblast in Ukraine. The place seems to have been referred to already in [III.4], as Woralyče.

Wojutycze is located on the railway line between Sambor and Chyrów and XII. Marschbataillon of Infanterieregiment Nr. 91 with Jaroslav Hašek travelled past it on 4 July 1915. Any location of the staff of 17. Infanteriebrigade (to which IR. 91 belonged) here can be ruled out both before and after the author arrived at the front. On 4 July the brigade was located further east by Lipowce and not even when IR. 91 marched past the town on 15 May was there any mention of brigade staff being located in Wojutycze[a]

Quote(s) from the novel
[IV.3] Polák mu na to neodpovídal a nakonec celá eskorta byla v hlubokém mlčení, jako by jela na pohřeb a přemýšlela s pietou na nebožtíka. Tak se blížili ku štábu brigády do Wojalycze. Mezitím se u štábu brigády zběhly jisté velice podstatné změny. Řízením štábu brigády byl pověřen plukovník Gerbich.

Also written:Wojutycze pl Воютичі ua

Literature
References
aDas Infanterieregiment Nr. 91 am Vormarsch in GalizienVÚA
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Sądowa Wisznia is mentioned in connection with Leutnant Dub's riding accident.

Background

Sądowa Wisznia is the Polish name of the town Судова Вишня (Sudova Vyshnia) in the Lviv oblast in western Ukraine. It is situated right on the Polish border.

Quote(s) from the novel
[IV.3] Za těch několik dní od pochodu Sanok-Sambor poručík Dub prodělal opět jedno dobrodružství. Za Felštýnem potkala totiž 11. pochodová setnina transport koní, které vedli k dragounskému pluku do Sadowe-Wisznie.

Also written:Sadowe-Wisnie Hašek Судова Вишня ua

Literature
Lwównn flag
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lviv.jpg
lviv.png

Die Neue Zeitung,23.6.1915

Lwów is mentioned 8 times in The Good Soldier Švejk.

Lwów is just about mentioned as Švejk is issued a military ticket from Wojalycze to Żółtańce via Lwów. There is no description of any stay here. Lwów had by then already been mentioned a few times the novel. Based on historical facts the soldier must have passed through it after 22 June 1915 because this was the day the Central Powers reconquered the city.

Background

Lwów is the Polish name of Львів (Lviv), the main city in western Ukraine. It was until 1918 part of Austria-Hungary and capital of Galicia. At the time the majority of the population were Polish, but there were also sizeable minorities of Ukrainians, Germans and Jews. In the interwar years it was part of Poland, then the Soviet Union, and from 1991 Ukraine.

The Russians army occupied Lwów on 3 September 1914, but the city was back on Austrian hands on 22 June 1915. It suffered little damaged during the war because during both conquests the defenders abandoned the city.

The good soldier Švejk in captivity

In Dobrý voják Švejk v zajetí the city is briefly mentioned at the start of chapter 5. The author notes that the Russian army had occupied Lvov and encircled Przemyśl. In Serbia the Austrian army was in trouble, in Prague people were happy, and in Moravia they were preparing for baking cakes to welcome the cossacks. All this had happened when Švejk was in prison at the start of the war.[1]

Mezitím co byl Švejk zavřen, ruská vojska zabrala Lvov, oblehla Přemyšl, dole v Srbsku stálo to také velmi špatně s rakouskou armádou, lidé v Praze byli veselí a na Moravě dělali již přípravy k pečení koláčů, až přijdou kozáci.

Quote(s) from the novel
[IV.3] Mezitím co byl Švejk zavřen, ruská vojska zabrala Lvov, oblehla Přemyšl, dole v Srbsku stálo to také velmi špatně s rakouskou armádou, lidé v Praze byli veselí a na Moravě dělali již přípravy k pečení koláčů, až přijdou kozáci.
[IV.3] Plukovník se také usmíval a potom vydal tyto rozkazy: „Vyhotovit Švejkovi vojenský lístek přes Lvov na stanici Zóltance, kam má zítra dorazit jeho pochodová setnina, a vydat mu ze skladiště nový erární mundur a 6 korun 82 haléře v záměnu mináže na cestu.“

Also written:Lvov cz Lemberg de Lwów pl Львів uk

Literature
References
1Dobrý voják Švejk v zajetíJaroslav Hašek1917
Żółtańcenn flag
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zoltance1.jpg

Eine Bilderreihe aus den Kampfgebieten der 25. Reserve-Division 1914-1916

zoltance.jpg

Жовтанці, 2010

Żółtańce is mentioned 7 times in The Good Soldier Švejk.

Żółtańce is the station Švejk arrives at after he has been sent back to his march company. He has a short stay here, asking for the whereabouts of the 11th march company, before walking to join them at Klimontów. The author describes the situation in the town in detail, that the front is so close that artillery can be heard and smoke from burning villages can be seen. He also describes how well off the German army is with respect to supplies; they even get beer for lunch.

Background

Żółtańce is the Polish name of Жовтанці (Zhovtantsi), a small town of 3,500 inhabitants north east of Lviv.

Three battalions of Infanterieregiment Nr. 91 (including Jaroslav Hašek) arrived at Żółtańce on 16 July 1915. Here they had less than two hours break on their march from Gołogóry to their position by KAM.

It is therefore unlikely that the author ever saw the town, which suggests that the inspiration for this part of the plot hails from elsewhere. The station mentioned in the novel must have been Żółtańce-Kłodno, a few km north-east of Żółtańce. Today it is called Колодно.

Evžen Topinka

Želežnicní trat ze Lvova do Sapizanky byla postavena v r. 1910 pak dále do Vladimira Volynskeho (přes Krystynopol - ted Červonohrad a Sokal) v 1914. (Hrankin, Lazecko, Somockin, Sramko. Lvivska zaliznycja. Istorija i sucasnist). Přimo v Žovtancich želežnicní stanice neni, je vedle a jmenuje se Kolodno. Problém je v tom, že Hasek ji omylem jmenuje Klimontów.

Quote(s) from the novel
[IV.3] Ve stanici Zóltance bylo shromáždění celého batalionu hejtmana Ságnera až na nachhut ze 14. kumpanie, který se někde ztratil, když obcházeli Lvov. Při vstupu do městečka Švejk ocitl se úplně v novém prostředí, neboť zde již bylo pozorovat ze všeobecného ruchu, že není tak příliš daleko na posici, kde se to řeže. Všude leželo kolem dělostřelectvo a vozatajstvo, z každého domu vystupovali vojáci nejrůznějších pluků, mezi těmi jako elita chodili říšští Němci a aristokraticky rozdávali Rakušanům cigarety ze svých hojných zásob. U říšskoněmeckých kuchyní na náměstí byly dokonce sudy s pivem, kde se vojákům točilo pivo do odměrek k obědu a k večeři, kolem kterých sudů ploužili se jako mlsné kočky zanedbaní rakouští vojáci s nabobtnalými břichy od špinavého odvaru slazené cikorky.

Sources: Evžen Topinka, Jaroslav Křížek, VÚA

Also written:Zóltance Hašek Жовтанці ua

Literature
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Kamionka Strumiłowa is mentioned in the narrative from Żółtańce. It is said that the Russians are bombarding the town from Grabowa.

Background

Kamionka Strumiłowa is the former Polish name of Кам'янка-Бузька (Kamianka-Buzka), a town in the Lviv oblast in Ukraine. The town is situated on the river Bug, 40 km north of Lviv.

Jaroslav Hašek's Infanterieregiment Nr. 91 was stationed in the area from 17 July to 21 July 1915, preparing to cross the Bug. They never carried it out as they were redirected to Sokal due to the critical situation at that section of the front. This is a route Švejk presumably also would have taken if the novel had been completed.

Quote(s) from the novel
[IV.3] Slyšet bylo zřetelně dunění děl. Tu zas křičeli, že Rusové bombardují z Grabové Kamionku Strumilowu a že se bojuje podél celého Bugu, a vojáci že zadržují běžence, kteří se už chtěli vrátit za Bug opět do svých domovů.

Sources: Alexandr Drbal, Jaroslav Křížek, VÚA

Also written:Kamionka Strumilowa Hašek Kamjanka-Buska de Kamionka Bużańska pl Кам'янка-Бузька ua

Literature
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Grabowa is mentioned in the narrative from Zóltance. The Russians are bombarding Kamionka Strumiłowa from Grabowa.

Background

Grabowa is the Polish name of Грабова (Hrabova) in the Lviv oblast in Ukraine. The village, which at the latest count had 402 inhabitants, is located 24 km east of Kamianka-Buzka, just north of Busk.

Quote(s) from the novel
[IV.3] Slyšet bylo zřetelně dunění děl. Tu zas křičeli, že Rusové bombardují z Grabové Kamionku Strumilowu a že se bojuje podél celého Bugu, a vojáci že zadržují běžence, kteří se už chtěli vrátit za Bug opět do svých domovů.

Also written:Grabová Hašek Грабова uk

Busknn flag
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Kaiser Karl I. besucht die Armeegruppe Böhm-Ermolli in Busk, 3.5.1917

busk.png

Rozkvět č.14, 1915

Busk is mentioned in the narrative from Zóltance. Smoke was observed to the west and everyone was shouting that Busk, Derewiany and Uciszków on the Bug was burning.

Background

Busk (Буськ) is a town in the Lviv oblast of Ukraine, located on the river Bug. It has now (2020) in excess of 8,000 inhabitants. Around mid-July 1915 fierce fighting took place along the Bug, and Busk was mentioned in official communiques from Vienna.

It must be noted that Żółtańce is located west of the river Bug so smoke from the burning villages would have been observed to the east and not to the west as the author notes.

Quote(s) from the novel
[IV.3] Skupiny pejzatých židů v dlouhých kaftanech ukazovaly si na mraky kouře na západě, šermovaly rukama. Křičelo se všude, že to hoří na řece Bugu Uciszków, Busk a Derewiany,.

Also written:Буськ ua

Literature
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Uciszków is mentioned in the narrative from Zóltance. Smoke from burning towns was observed and it was said that Uciszków was one of them.

Background

Uciszków is the Polish name of the village Утішків (Utishkiv) in the Lviv oblast in Ukraine. It is located on the river Bug, in the Busk raion. At the last census it had 894 inhabitants (2001). The village has a railway station, on the line Lviv-Zdolbuniv.

Quote(s) from the novel
[IV.3] Skupiny pejzatých židů v dlouhých kaftanech ukazovaly si na mraky kouře na západě, šermovaly rukama. Křičelo se všude, že to hoří na řece Bugu Uciszków, Busk a Derewiany,.

Also written:Утешков ru Утішків ua

Literature
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Světová válka 1914-1915 slovem a obrazem

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Kriegs-Kalender des Fremden-Blatt,1914-1915

Derewlany is mentioned in the narrative from Zóltance. Smoke from burning towns was observed to the west and it was said that Derewiany was one of them.

Background

Derewlany is the Polish name of Деревляни (Derevliany) in the Lviv oblast in Ukraine. The village is located on the river Bug and had 461 inhabitants at the latest census (2011).

Authentic observation

On 12 July 1915 official bulletins reported that the Central Powers had conquered Derewlany.

At the time Hašek with IMB12 had just arrived at the front (11 July), and his regiment as part of 9. Infanteriedivision were transferred northwards west of the river Bug on the 13th. It is therefore entirely possible that they may have observed smoke from the ruins of Derewlany and Busk, but if so it must have been to the east, not to the west as stated in the novel.

Quote(s) from the novel
[IV.3] Skupiny pejzatých židů v dlouhých kaftanech ukazovaly si na mraky kouře na západě, šermovaly rukama. Křičelo se všude, že to hoří na řece Bugu Uciszków, Busk a Derewiany.

Also written:Derewiany Hašek Деревляни ua

Literature
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Adige is part of Švejk's dark thoughts about the homosexual Oberst Habermaier.

Background

Adige is a river in Northern Italy, flowing through cities like Bolzano, Trento and Verona. The source is on the border with Austria and the river flows into the Adriatic.

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“.

Also written:Adiže cz Etsch de

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Klimontów is the final stop in the novel. The 11th march company is billeted in the local school after a brawl with Bavarian soldiers on the town square in Żółtańce. The staff reside in the vicarage of the executed Greek-Catholic priest, and a meal is being prepared after a pig has been slaughtered.

Leutnant Dub and Kadett Biegler rejoin the company after recovering from their respective misfortunes. Dub utters the final words of the novel, as idiotic as ever, in a conversation with Hauptmann Ságner.

Background

Klimontów is almost certainly a mix-up with Колодно (Kolodno), a village 3 km east of Żółtańce, on the eastern side of the railway line Lviv - Sokal. It is often referred to as Kłodno Wielkie, today Велике Колодно. The railway station at Kłodno is surely where Švejk arrived, before walking to Żółtańce where he was told that his regiment was billeted in Klimontów. The greek-catholic church was located where the russian-orthodox church is today. Infanterieregiment Nr. 91 marched past here on 16 July 1915, but they had no overnight stay. The author must thus have drawn inspiration for the plot from somewhere else. Nor is it likely that there was a large school in this small village.

Jaroslav Hašek died on 3 January 1923 and his satirical masterpiece ended here. At this sad point we can only guess what more he had in store...

Quote(s) from the novel
[IV.3] „Se mnou můžeš mluvit česky,“ řekl plukovník, „já jsem také z Čech. Tvůj batalion je rozložen vedle ve vesnici Klimontówě za drahou, a do městečka se nesmí, poněvadž se od vaší jedné kumpanie poprali na náměstí s Bavoráky, hned jak přišli.“ Švejk vydal se tedy do Klimontówa.

Also written:Klimontów Hašek Велике Колодно ua

Literature
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Bochnia Zamurowana is mentioned in the description of the execution of the Greek-Catholic priest in Klimontów. The priest must have been wrongly executed because he was the spa in Bochnia Zamurowana when the alleged betrayal of Austria took place.

Background

Bochnia Zamurowana is not identifiable on any map, but we must assume that the author refers to a spa around Bochnia, at the river Raba between Kraków and Tarnów. There is a village called Lipnica Murowana in the district so there might be a connection here. This was moreover an area that Hašek knew from his travels in 1901 and 1903.

Quote(s) from the novel
[IV.3] Nebylo to sice pravda, poněvadž v té době obviněný vůbec nebyl v místě přítomen, jsa na léčení kvůli svým žlučovým kamínkům v malých lázních nedotčených válkou, v Bochnie Zamurowane.

Also written:Bochnie Zamurowane Hašek

Literature
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Jihlava is part of an anecdote by Švejk.

Background

Jihlava is a city in the Vysočina region in Moravia. Until 1945 it was a German-speaking enclave. The composer Gustav Mahler spend most of his youth here.

Quote(s) from the novel
[IV.3] Za to dostal jednou od nějakýho slušnýho pána z Jihlavy takovou přes hubu, že kavárník ráno, když vymetli ty zuby, zavolal svou dcerušku, která chodila do pátý vobecný školy, a zeptal se jí, kolik má dospělý člověk v hubě zubů.

Also written:Iglau de

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Kundratice is part of the anecdote about Mr. Hauber who got stabbed here by mistake when he was on a sunday trip. The misdeed happened when he was on his way back to Nusle from Bartůňkův mlýn.

Background

Kundratice was in 1913 the name av five places in Bohemia but none of them fit the description in The Good Soldier Švejk. The place in question is no doubt the village Kunratice south-east of Prague. This is evident from the plot because Švejk mentions the landmark Bartůňkův mlýn and it is also clear that it must have been within walking distance from Nusle.

The village was until 1990 a separate administrative entity, and is now part of Prague IV. In 1913 the large village had 2,073 inhabitants of which all but 4 were registered with Czech as their mother tongue. Adminstratively it belonged to okres Nusle and hejtmanství Vinohrady. Kunratice had a Roman-Catholic church, a Czech school and a post office.

Quote(s) from the novel
[IV.3] Takovej člověk musí bejt skromnej a trpělivej. V Nuslích je nějakej pan Hauber, toho jednou v neděli v Kundraticích na silnici píchli omylem nožem, když šel z výletu od Bartůňkovýho mlejna.

Also written:Kundratitz Reiner

Literature
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Der Fremdenverkehr, 2.5.1909

Solingen is part of the anecdote about Mr. Hauber from Nusle who been on a Sunday trip to Kundratice when he by mistake got stabbed with a knife made from Solingen steel.

Background

Solingen is a city in Nordrhein-Westphalen with around 160,000 inhabitants. The city has from medieval times been known for the production of knives, and even today (2010) 90 per cent of German produced knives are made here.

Quote(s) from the novel
[IV.3] A von s tím nožem v zádech přišel až domů, a když mu žena svlíkala kabát, tak mu ho pěkně vytáhla ze zad a dopoledne už s tím nožem rozkrajovala maso na guláš, poněvadž byl ze solingenský vocele a pěkně nabroušenej a voni měli doma všechny nože pilkovatý a tupý.
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Petrograd is mentioned by Švejk when he asserts that waging war just to get to the old borders of Galicia has no purpose. One should at least get to Moscow and Petrograd.

Background

Petrograd was from 1914 to 1924 the name of current Санкт-Петербург (Saint Petersburg), Russias seconds largest city and capital of the country from 1713 to 1918. The city has 4,6 million inhabitants, 6 million with suburbs included.

The city played a pivotal role in the revolutions of March and November 1917 which ultimately led to Russia pulling out of the war. The revolutions also had far-reaching consequences for Jaroslav Hašek and would have had so also for Švejk if the novel had been completed.

Quote(s) from the novel
[IV.3] „To by nestálo za to ani válčit,“ řekl důrazně Švejk. „Když vojna, tak vojna. Já rozhodně dřív vo míru mluvit nebudu, dokuď nebudeme v Moskvě a v Petrohradě. Přeci to nestojí za to, když je světová vojna, prdelkovat se jenom kolem hranic. Vezměme si například Švejdy, za tý třicetiletý vojny.

Also written:Petrohrad cz Петроград ru

Literature
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Jedouchov is mentioned by Švejk in connection with armies that venture far from their homeland. The Prussians got all the way here and even to America.

Background

Jedouchov is a village in the Vysočina region, 5 km from Lipnice. It can safely be assumed that Jaroslav Hašek visited.

Quote(s) from the novel
[IV.3] Vodkuď až nepřišli - a dostali se až k Německýmu Brodu a na Lipnici, kde uďáli takovou paseku, že ještě dodneška se tam mluví v hospodách po půlnoci švédsky, takže si navzájem nikdo nerozumí. Nebo Prušáci, ty taky nebyli jen přespolní, a na Lipnici je po nich Prusů habaděj. Dostali se až do Jedouchova a do Ameriky a zas nazpátek.“
Literature
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Stockholm is mentioned by Švejk when he has one of his last encounters with Leutnant Dub. The latter threatened to get Švejk stuffed. The soldier dryly observed that some King of Sweden had been killed in a battle, and that both the king and his horse had been brought back to Sweden, both had been stuffed, and finally exhibited in a museum in Stockholm.

Background

Stockholm is the capital and largest city of Sweden, and one of the largest cities in Northern Europe. The city has around 800,000 inhabitants and 1,3 million if the whole urban area is counted.

Stockholm has one of the oldest Švejk restaurants in the world, Krogen Soldaten Svejk in Södermalm[a]. It serves an exclusive range of Czech draught beers, no bottles or non-Czech beer are on sale (as of 2010).

Quote(s) from the novel
[IV.3] „Zum Befehl, pane lajtnant,“ zasalutoval Švejk, „jednou jsem četl, poslušně hlásím, že byla jednou jedna veliká bitva, ve který pad jeden švédský král se svým věrným koněm. Vobě zdechliny dopravili do Švédska, a teď ty dvě mrtvoly stojejí vycpaný v štokholmským museu.“ „Odkud máš ty vědomosti, pacholku,“ rozkřikl se poručík Dub. „Poslušně hlásím, pane lajtnant, vod svýho bratra profesora.“

Also written:Štokholm Hašek

References
aKrogen Soldaten SvejkSvejk AB
Bohdalecnn flag
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Bohdalec is mentioned by Švejk in an anecdote he nevers gets to complete as Einjährigfreiwilliger Marek interrupts him, after Švejk in his turn has interrupted cook Jurajda.

Background

Bohdalec is a small area in Prague which is administratively part of Prague 10. The hill in question is located on the border between Vršovice and Michle.

Quote(s) from the novel
[IV.3] „To jsi měl ještě popsat vůni,“ ozval se s lavice Švejk, „měl jsi říct, že marjánka voní tak. jako když čicháš k lahvičce inkoustu v aleji rozkvetlejch agátů. Na vrchu Bohdalci u Prahy...“ „Ale Švejku,“ přerušil ho prosebným hlasem jednoroční dobrovolník Marek, „nech dokončit Jurajdu.“

Also written:Bohdaletz Reiner

Literature

© 2008 - 2024 Jomar Hønsi Last updated: 16.3.2024