Švejk's journey is mapped on an Austria-Hungary map from 1914, showing the military districts of the
k.u.k. Heer. The entire plot of The Good Soldier Švejk is set within the territory of the former Dual Monarchy.
The Fateful Adventures of the Good Soldier Švejk (commonly known as The Good Soldier Švejk) by Jaroslav Hašek is rich in geographical
references, whether through the plot itself, in dialogues, or in the author's narrative voice. Hašek was unusually
well-travelled and had a photographic memory for geographical (and other) details. Geography mattered to him: eight
of the 27 chapter headings in the novel contain geographical names.
This website will, in due course, provide a complete overview of the novel's geographical references, from Prague in
the introduction to Klimontów in the unfinished Part Four. It includes continents, states (including defunct ones),
cities, market squares, city gates, regions, districts, towns, villages, mountains, mountain passes, oceans, lakes,
rivers, caves, channels, islands, streets, parks, and bridges.
The list is sorted according to the order in which the names appear in the novel. The chapter headings are taken from
Zenny Sadlon's recent translation (1999–2026); in most cases, these differ from Cecil Parrott's translation from 1973.
The Czech quotations are taken from the online version of The Good Soldier Švejk provided by Jaroslav Šerák and link to the relevant chapter. The
toolbar provides direct links to Wikipedia, Google Maps, Google Search, svejkmuseum.cz, and the novel online.
The names are colour-coded according to their role in the novel, as illustrated by the following examples:
Custozza
is mentioned in the field mass held by Feldoberkurat Ibl in Királyhida. The battle he describes was fought there in 1848, and the Austrian army was commanded by Marschall Radetzky, who was in his 84th year. After the battle, he met the dying Fahnenführer Hrt, and the conversation between him and Radetzky is what the sermon is based on.
Background
Custozza
(also Custoza) is a village where, in July 1848, a battle between Austria and Sardinia-Piedmont was fought. The battle secured Austrian control of Lombardy until the battle of Solferino in 1859. The Austrian forces were commanded by Marschall Radetzky. Custozza is situated 17 kilometres west of Verona and approximately the same distance from the southern tip of Lake Garda.
In June 1866, a second battle was fought here. Again, it ended with an Austrian victory, but it had little political significance, as Italy and their ally Prussia emerged victorious from the short war.
Der Soldatenfreund Kalender 1915
Der Soldatenfreund Kalender 1915
According to Hašek, the content of Feldoberkurat Ibl's field mass was drawn from a military calendar, and this is undoubtedly true. Much of the sermon comes from the 1915 edition of Der Soldatenfreund, pages 72 and 73.
This and other text fragments from the calendar can be found verbatim in Ibl's field mass.
Velký zábavný kalendář 1915
The story is called Gott Erhalte! and is narrated by An Old Officer. It also includes an illustration from the battlefield depicting the dying Fahnenführer Hrt (here called Veit) in conversation with Marschall Radetzky.
The wording of Feldoberkurat Ibl's sermon suggests that Hašek took the story from a corresponding Czech edition of the calendar. In Hašek's estate, now held at LA-PNP, there is a calendar containing this very story. In Velký zábavný kalendář (second part), the story appears on pages 62 and 63. Here the hero is called Vít. Why Hašek renamed him Hrt can only be a matter of speculation.
See Kriegskalender for more on the use of motifs from military calendars in The Good Soldier Švejk.
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.
[III.1] A hle, vojáci milí! Na výšině před dobytou Custozzou zastavil se kmet vojevůdce. Kolem něho jeho věrní vojevůdcové.
Aspern also appears in Kadett Biegler's sketches of battlefields that are revealed later in this chapter, sketches he prepared for his planned post-war books.
Background
Aspern
is a suburb of Vienna and a former village that is famous for a battle that took place here during the Napoleonic Wars. In 1905, Aspern was incorporated into Wien.
The Battle of Aspern-Essling (fr. Bataille d’Essling) took place in May 1809 between French forces and an Austrian army led by Archduke Karl. The outcome was an Austrian victory and it was Napoléon's first major failure on the battlefield.
Spelling
There is a discrepancy in Hašek's spelling of the name. In Feldoberkurat Ibl's sermon it is called Ošpra (neuter plural), whereas Kadett Biegler uses the term Ašpry (male plural). According to Otto's Encyclopaedia, both Aspry and Ošpra are acceptable spellings, but not Ašpry[a].
Der Soldatenfreund Kalender 1915
Der Soldatenfreund Kalender 1915
According to Hašek, the content of Feldoberkurat Ibl's field mass was drawn from a military calendar, and this is undoubtedly true. Much of the sermon comes from the 1915 edition of Der Soldatenfreund, pages 72 and 73.
This and other text fragments from the calendar can be found verbatim in Ibl's field mass.
Velký zábavný kalendář 1915
The story is called Gott Erhalte! and is narrated by An Old Officer. It also includes an illustration from the battlefield depicting the dying Fahnenführer Hrt (here called Veit) in conversation with Marschall Radetzky.
The wording of Feldoberkurat Ibl's sermon suggests that Hašek took the story from a corresponding Czech edition of the calendar. In Hašek's estate, now held at LA-PNP, there is a calendar containing this very story. In Velký zábavný kalendář (second part), the story appears on pages 62 and 63. Here the hero is called Vít. Why Hašek renamed him Hrt can only be a matter of speculation.
See Kriegskalender for more on the use of motifs from military calendars in The Good Soldier Švejk.
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.
[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.
Votice is mentioned 2 times in The Good Soldier Švejk.
Votice
was a place Offiziersdiener Baloun knew, as he had been there on manoeuvres before the war. In chapter [III.2] he mentions a butcher from Votice.
Background
Votice
is a town in the Benešov District, on the railway line between Prague and Tábor. The current population (2025) is around 4,700.
The manoeuvres that Offiziersdiener Baloun attended before the war may have been the Kaisermanövern in 1913, which were held in this area between Benešov, Tábor and Vysočina[a]. The headquarters were located nearby in Chotoviny, but Votice served as a gathering point for several dignitaries, amongst them Archduke Franz Ferdinand and Prince Lobkowicz. Also present was the commander of 8. Armeekorps, General Giesl von Gieslingen. It is not known whether units from Baloun's Infanterieregiment Nr. 91 took part, but this seems a reasonable assumption, given that their sister regiment in the brigade, Infanterieregiment Nr. 102, is mentioned in newspaper reports on the exercises.
Demography
According to the 1910 census, Votice had 2,212 inhabitants, of whom 2,208 (99 per cent) reported using Czech as their everyday language. The judicial district was okresVotice, administratively it reported to hejtmanstvíSedlčany.
Per the recruitment districts, infantrymen from Votice were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 102 (Beneschau) or k.k. Landwehrinfanterieregiment Nr. 28 (Pisek).
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!’
[III.2] "U nás", poznamenal pitomý Baloun, "byl taky jednou takový případ: chtěl jsem koupit vedle ve vesnici jalovici, měl jsem ji smluvenou a votickejřezník mně ji přebral pod nosem."
The city is mentioned again by Švejk during an encounter with Leutnant Dub in [III.3], this time in the colloquial form Vosek. Once more, the subject is manoeuvres, but in this case Švejk himself had taken part in them.
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 1990s. Osijek was part of Hungary until 1920.
IR. 91 in Osijek
Chodounský's account appears authentic. In the first days of August 1914, Infanterieregiment Nr. 91 did indeed pass through Osijek on its way to the front in Serbia. The regiment continued to Gunja on the river Sava, arriving there on 4 August after a three-day train journey from Budějovice[a].
Švejk's manoeuvres
Švejk's account of the manoeuvres in [III.3] undoubtedly refers to Kaisermanövern in 1908. See Veszprém for more details.
Demography
According to the 1910 census, Osijek had 31,388 inhabitants. The judicial district was Osijek, administratively it reported to vármegyeOsijek.
Per the recruitment districts, infantrymen from Osijek were usually assigned to Infanterieregiment Nr. 70 (Esseg) or Honvédinfanterieregiment Nr. 28 (Eszék).
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.
[III.3] My jsme měli dělat ofenzívu a nám na pomoc měly přijít vojska vod severu a potom taky vod jihu vod Voseka.
Among places in then-Croatia mentioned in The Good Soldier Švejk are Osijek, Zagreb, Zemun and the river Danube. Among people born in the former kingdom are Krauss and General Woinovich.
Background
Croatia
was, during the Dual Monarchy, under Hungarian administration, officially the Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia. The area corresponded more or less to present-day Croatia apart from Dalmatia, the Istria peninsula and the present-day county of Međimurje, in the far north of the country. In the east, a slice of the territory between the rivers Sava and Danube that is now part of Serbia then belonged to Croatia, including Zemun.
Croatia enjoyed a significant degree of autonomy under Hungarian administration, and Croatian soldiers were generally loyal to the Dual Monarchy. Then as now the capital was Zagreb.
Hašek and Croatia
It can be quite safely assumed that Hašek was in Croatia during the "apostolic journey" in 1905, mentioned by himself in Strana mírného pokroku v mezích zákona and also by Václav Menger. According to Radko Pytlík, he first stayed for a while in the country together with the painter Jaroslav Kubín and afterwards alone in the area around the river Drava. In this context Varaždin is mentioned. It is natural to assume that he entered the district from Hungarian Nagykanizsa and then on to Styria where the journey went to Ormuž, Ptuj and Maribor.
Radko Pytlík's assumptions about the stay in Croatia are probably mostly based on the story Love in Međimurje[a] which is set in the area between the rivers Mur and Drava. It can also be mentioned that Međimurje (un. Muraköz) at that time belonged to Hungary proper. In his books Václav Menger mentions nothing about any stay in Croatia.
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.
Kaposfalva
is mentioned by telephone operator Chodounský when he recounts the regiment's journey to the front in Serbia at the start of the war.
Background
Kaposfalva
seems to refer to a place in southern Hungary, near the border with Croatia. Kaposfalva was the Hungarian name for a couple of places in Slovakia, but this does not fit the context. A more plausible theory is that it was in Vojvodina in modern Serbia (Vojvodina was Hungarian at the time). Most likely telephone operator Chodounský had Kaposvár in mind, as it is a town that lay on the route of Infanterieregiment Nr. 91 to Serbia in 1914.
Hašek and Kápolafalva
This similar-sounding name Kápolafalva was used by Hašek in a story he wrote in 1914, set in south-western Hungary[a]. This also seems to be a fictional place.
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.
Klárov
is part of Malá Strana in Prague, the area by the 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.
India
is mentioned by Švejk when he relates the story of an Indian emperor who became a pig through the migration of his soul.
Background
India
was in 1914 a British crown colony which contributed sizeable forces (about one million) to the British army in World War I. Apart from the present 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.
Sardinia
is mentioned by Kadett Biegler when he shows off his historical knowledge during the episode with the ciphers and Ludwig Ganghofer's 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 its capital. The kingdom was at war with Austria in 1848 and 1859; the famous battles at Custozza 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...“
Chambériens brandissant des drapeaux français au pied du château des ducs lors du rattachement de la Savoie à la France en 1860.
Savoy
is mentioned by Kadett Biegler when he is expounding his war-historical knowledge to the officers after the fiasco with the chifres and Ludwig Ganghofer's novel in two parts, Die Sünden der Väter.
Background
Savoy
is a historical region in the western Alps. It was part of the Kingdom of Sardinia until 1860 when it was ceded to France. The capital was Chambéry.
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...“
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 siege during the Crimean War.
Background
Sevastopol
is an important Russian naval port on the Crimean peninsula. During the Crimean War (1853-1856), it was subjected to a 12-month-long siege by British, French, Sardinian, and Ottoman forces. The siege ended in a Russian defeat.
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...“
China
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 Boxer Rebellion.
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 uprising against growing foreign influence. Eight imperialist powers intervened and crushed the rebellion, and here it probably refers to the Austro-Hungarian participation.
The current People's Republic of China had, in 2010, the largest population on earth, the fourth largest area, and is a major economic, military, and political power with a permanent seat on 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...“
Saxony
is mentioned by Kadett Biegler when he shows off his historical knowledge during the episode with Die Sünden der Väter, a novel in two parts by Ludwig Ganghofer.
Background
Saxony
is a historic German kingdom with an area slightly smaller than the current Freistaat Sachsen. It was established by Napoléon 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.
Wiener Neustadt
is mentioned by Kadett Biegler when he shows off his historical knowledge after Hauptmann Ságner had embarrassed himself by 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 as 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.“
[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.
Zemun
is mentioned in a song sung by the Deutschmeister regiment as they pass through the station in Győr.
Background
Zemun
is a district of Belgrade, separated from the city centre by the River Sava. It was part of Hungary until 1918. At that time, half the population was Serbian.
One of the first events following the declaration of war in 1914 was the Serbs blowing up the bridge between Zemun and Belgrade[a].
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...
Literature
Zemun, Ottův slovník naučnýDíl 27. Vůz – Żyżkowski,1908
Verona
is mentioned in a song performed by soldiers from the Deutschmeister regiment 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 ceded to Italy after a six-week war.
Radetzky-Lied
The song refers to the battle near Verona during the First Italian War of Independence in 1848. It is a variation of the older "Prinz Eugen der edle Ritter".
Quote(s) from the novel
[III.1]
In, Verona langes Hoffen,
als mehr Truppen eingetroffen,
fühlt und rührt der Held sich frei...
Anloy
is part of the Belgian municipality 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’.
Nördlingen
is one of the battle sites in Kadett Biegler's small notebook.
Background
Nördlingen
is a town in Germany, situated in Bavaria close to the state of Baden-Württemberg. Nördlingen is one of three German cities which still have their city walls intact. The battle in question was fought during the Thirty Years' War, on 6 September 1634. 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.
Senta
is one of the battle sites in Kadett Biegler's small notebook.
Background
Senta
is a town in the Vojvodina region of Serbia. Today (2010) eighty per cent of the population are ethnic Hungarians.
From 1699 to 1867 Zenta belonged to Austria, then Austria-Hungary until 1920 when it was transferred to the new South Slav state.
The Battle
An important battle was fought here in 1697 between the Ottoman Empire and Austria. It was one of the worst defeats in Turkish history and confirmed Austrian hegemony in Central Europe. Prince Eugen led the Austrian 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.
Erzherzog Karl in der Schlacht bei Caldiero unter den Grenadieren des Regiments Strassoldo. (Karl v. Blaas.)
Die Wehrmacht der Monarchie im Weltkrieg 1914/15
Caldiero
is one of the battlefields 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 October 1805. The French won, 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 Caldiera31. 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 Lucia
is one of the battlefields 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. As with Custozza, this was a battle in the First War of Italian Independence. The Austrians forces were commanded by Marschall Radetzky. In 1848, Santa Lucia was still a village outside the Verona 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.
Trutnov
is one of the battlefields in Kadett Biegler's little notebook.
Background
Trutnov
is a city in the eastern part of Bohemia below the Krkonoše mountains. Trutnov was the scene of a battle between the Prussian and Austrian armies on 27 and 28 June 1866. This was the only battle in which Austria emerged victorious 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 Trutnova27. 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.
Heligoland
is mentioned in connection with the war of 1864 between Denmark and the Prusso-Austrian alliance. On his way to Budapest, Kadett Biegler dreams of a naval chart of the islands from that war.
Background
Heligoland
is a flat, windswept 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 resulted in a tactical Danish victory in the Second Schleswig War. The opposing fleet consisted mainly of Austrian ships, including the frigates "Schwarzenberg" and "Radetzky". The outcome had little political significance, as the war ended 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.
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 across many islands and peninsulas between the North Sea and the Baltic Sea. Modern Denmark is a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system, and 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 in the same year. This was the last war that the Habsburg Monarchy ever won. Denmark regained 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.
Schleswig
is mentioned in connection with the war between Denmark and Prussia/Austria in 1864, which Kadett Biegler dreams about on the train to Budapest.
Background
Schleswig
is a historical duchy, dissolved in 1864, since 1920 divided between Germany and Denmark. Denmark ruled both Schleswig and Holstein until 1864, but was forced to cede the territories to Austria and Prussia after the war that year. After Austria's defeat in the war of 1866, the two duchies became part of Prussia.
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.
Liebertwolkwitz
appears in Kadett Biegler's dream when he considers the Battle of the Nations at Leipzig from 16 to 19 October 1813.
Background
Liebertwolkwitz
was a village in Saxony, now a suburb of Leipzig. Two days before the actual Battle of the Nations began, a cavalry 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 Liebertkovice14. 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?“
Ansicht von Lindenau nach der Völkerschlacht, 1815
Lindenau
appears in Kadett Biegler's dream when he considers the Battle of the Nations at Leipzig in 1813.
Background
Lindenau
is a suburb in the western part of Leipzig, and in 1813 was a village. There was fighting here during the Battle of the Nations, and Napoléon rested here during his retreat on 19 October 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?“
Wachau
appears in Kadett Biegler's dream when he considers the Battle of the Nations at Leipzig in 1813.
Background
Wachau
is a village in Saxony, now part of Markkleeberg near Leipzig. Two days before the actual Battle of the Nations began, a cavalry 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?“
Bethlehem
is mentioned in Kadett Biegler's dream, through the expression "you swine of Betlehem".
Background
Bethlehem
is a town in Palestine, known as Jesus' birthplace. It is located 10 km south of Jerusalem, on the occupied west bank of the river Jordan.
In 1914, Palestine and Bethlehem were ruled by the Ottoman Empire. It was a small town of 3,000–5,000 inhabitants and the population was predominantly of Christian confession[a].
It is doubtful whether the expletive "swine of Bethlehem" was ever used, as there are no results when searching for the term in Czech online libraries.
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, sviněbetlémská. Takhle se volá ,Alelujá’?
Literature
Béthléhem, Ottův slovník naučnýDíl 3. B – Bianchi,1890[a]
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 the Ottoman Empire. In 1920 the country became a French mandate, gaining full independence in 1943.
The Lebanese cedar
The Lebanese cedar (Cedrus libani) is a species of large evergreen conifer that is native to the mountains of the eastern Mediterranean basin. It is used as a symbol on 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, cedrelibanonský.“
Literature
Cedrus Libani, Ottův slovník naučnýDíl 5. C – Čechůvky,1892
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 did not exist at the time, we must assume that the river Jordan is referred to here. The river plays a prominent role in the Bible; according to its text, it was here that Jesus was baptised.
The expression "Jordanian cow" seems rarely, if ever, to be used in Czech.
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 krávojordánská!“
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 are 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.
When it comes to geography, the ill-tempered Sappeur Vodička is out of his depth with his claim that the 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.
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 aforementioned war! Still, in dreams, such messy sequences may well appear.
Background
Linz
is the third largest city of Austria, situated on the Danube and 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.
Újbuda
was the part of the city where Kadett Biegler was taken 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.
Nachrichten über Verwundete und Verletzte,29.6.1915
Tarnov
and its cholera barracks mean 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. Tarnów is situated on the railway line between Sanok and Kraków, on the eastern bank of the Dunajec.
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.
Tárnok by Budapest
The obvious weakness with this assumption is that 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 is 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 hospitalised here, but this of course does not rule it out.
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.
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