The Good Soldier Švejk mentions numerous institutions and firms, both public and private. Until 15 September 2013, these were categorised as
'Places' on these pages. That categorisation only partly makes sense, because this type of entity cannot always be
tied to geographical coordinates in the way that cities, mountains, and rivers can. This page therefore covers
military and civilian institutions (including army units, regiments, etc.), organisations, hotels, public houses,
newspapers, and magazines.
The boundary between this page and 'Places' is not always clear-cut. Churches, for instance, rarely change location
yet are still included here. By contrast, Prague and Vienna remain in the 'Places' database because they have fixed
coordinates. Institutions, however, may move: Odvodní komise and Bendlovka are not unambiguous geographical terms,
so they are listed on this page.
The names are colour-coded according to their role in the novel, as illustrated by the following examples:
U kalicha, a location where the plot takes place.
k.u.k. Kriegsministerium, mentioned in the narrative.
Drogerie Průša
was the chemist's shop where servant Ferdinand was employed. He drank a bottle of hair oil by mistake.
Background
Drogerie Průša
was a chemist's shop in Vinohrady, owned by František Průša. It was located at Tylovo náměstí, right on the lower corner with Vávrova třída. Jaroslav Hašek worked as an apprentice here, at some point between March 1898 and September 1899 but never mentions the chemist's shop in his stories.
Several newspaper advertisements over the years testify to the existence of the chemist's shop, confirmed by address book entries. In 1906, discreet newspaper advertisements for remedies for 'men's problems' appeared, but they also advertised powder against bed bugs.
In August 1915, an advertisement appeared in Prager Tagblatt where large amounts of furniture were offered for sale, indicating that the shop was about to close. This was surely the result of the owner's death in May.
Quote(s) from the novel
[I.1] Jednoho, ten je sluhou u drogisty Průši a vypil mu tam jednou omylem láhev nějakého mazání na vlasy, a potom znám ještě Ferdinanda Kokošku, co sbírá ty psí hovínka. Vobou není žádná škoda.“
K.u.k. Heer
is first mentioned (as 'the army') in an anecdote Švejk tells from his time doing compulsory military service. This is in the conversation with Mrs. Müllerová at the very start of The Good Soldier Švejk. After this, the army is mentioned innumerable times and is the most important backdrop for the novel, as Švejk is a soldier from the middle of Part One. The army is also the principal target of Hašek's satire.
Background
K.u.k. HeerI & R Army
- short for Kaiserliche und Königliche Heer, i.e. The Imperial and Royal Army - also called k.u.k. Armee or Gemeinsame Armee, was the largest and most important body in k.u.k. Wehrmacht, being the common army of both constituent parts of the Dual Monarchy. Together with the k.k. Landwehr (Austrian Land Guard) and the Honvéd (Hungarian National Guard), it made up the Landstreitkräfte (terrestrial forces) of the Dual Monarchy. These and the k.u.k. Kriegsmarine (navy) made up the total armed forces of the Dual Monarchy.
The common army consisted of infantry, cavalry, artillery, supply troops, and technical troops. The period of service was, until 1912, three years, then two. During the war, losses were replaced by so-called march battalions, one of which Švejk was later to be assigned to. The common army existed from 1867 to 1918 and suffered disastrous losses in World War I, the only full-scale war it ever participated in. At various times it fought on four fronts: Serbia, Galicia, Romania, and Tyrol, and after the heavy losses in 1914 it became increasingly dependent on German support.
The army command was from 1913 located in the building of the Kriegsministerium at Stubenring 1, Vienna. At the time when Švejk did his military service they were surely still at the old premises in Am Hof 2. This building was demolished in 1912.
Oberbefehl formally lay with the monarch, who communicated with the army through Militärkanzlei Seiner Majestät des Kaisers und Königs. Kriegsministerium was responsible for the day-to-day operation of the army. From 1914 to 1917, Archduke Friedrich was general inspector of the army but he delegated the operative responsibility to Feldmarschall Conrad.
Quote(s) from the novel
[I.1] Jó, paní Müllerová, dnes se dějou věci. To je zas ztráta pro Rakousko. Když jsem byl na vojně, tak tam jeden infanterista zastřelil hejtmana. Naládoval flintu a šel do kanceláře.
[III.1] Von nám dával takovej pěknej příklad z dějin naší armády, když ještě sloužil Radeckej a s večerními červánky slučoval se voheň, jak hořely stodoly na bojišti, jako kdyby to byl viděl.
From this advertisement it transpires that no. 1732 had just been built.
Národní politika,12.11.1890
Národní politika,2.8.1899
Adresář královského hlavního města Prahy a obcí sousedních,1907
Mládenec,7.11.1913
Národní politika,8.10.1917
Národní politika,14.11.1923
Chytilův adresář hl. města Prahy,1924
U kalicha is mentioned 17 times in The Good Soldier Švejk.
U kalicha
is the tavern where Švejk and pubkeeper Palivec were arrested by detective Bretschneider at the very beginning of the novel. This probably occurred on 29 June 1914, as news of the assassination in Sarajevo appeared in the newspapers on that day (Mrs. Müllerová had just read about it).
The plot returns to U kalicha in [I.6] when Švejk is released from his ordeal, again meets detective Bretschneider, and persuades the detective to buy dogs from him. His final visit is in [I.10,4] after he has begun his career as an officer's servant to Feldkurat Katz. Mrs. Palivcová refuses to serve him because she believes he is a deserter.
U kalicha is also mentioned in [II.4] in the classic scene from Bruck, when Švejk and Sappeur Vodička promise to meet there after the war, at six in the evening – one of the most famous quotations from the entire novel. Here Švejk reveals that U kalicha served beer from Velké Popovice.
Background
U kalichaAt the Chalice
is the name of a restaurant in Na Bojišti street in Nové město and the name of the building in which the restaurant is located, Prague II no. 1732. Originally it had the street address Na Bojišti 8 but changed to no. 14 after a renumbering that seems to have taken place between 1900 and 1906. U kalicha owes its entire fame to its role in The Good Soldier Švejk.
The house dates from 1890, when advertisements revealed that it had just been built[c]. According to the 1891 address book the owner was Josef Černý and the street address was Na Bojišti 8. In 1895 Jaroslav Procházka owned the building and also the house next door (no. 1733).
When the tavern opened is not known, but in 1895 Vilém Šubert is listed as a pub landlord at the premises. Over the next few years it changed hands several time. I 1897 Klement Hostaš got the license and at the end of 1898 Alois Žák took over. The pub was now called U zlatého kalicha (At the Golden Chalice)[e]. A newspaper advert in 1899 uses the name U kalicha. In 1900 it seems to have changed hands twice, first to František Pecka[f] and later that year to Josef Vnuk[g]. Population records reveal that the lived in the building from 14 May 2000 until 25 August 1903. Josef Vnuk was born in 1856, married to Anna, and the couple had seven children. Who aquired the license after him we don't know but in 1906 František Jankovský is listed as landlord at the address 1732/14.
In 1907, the café/brothel owner Anastasie Herzogová bought the entire building from the property owner Karel Císař for 200,000 crowns. The price included the tavern U zlatého kalicha (At the Golden Chalice)[d] and also house no. 1733 next door. Whether the pub license changed hands at this time is not known. In 1910 she is still listed as owner of no. 1733 whereas Benno Herzog (presumably her son) was the proprietor of no. 1732.
In the 1910 the landlord is Vilém Juris, who, in 1906, managed a pub in Smíchov. Police records reveal that he lived at Na Bojišti 1732 from 18 July 1908, was born on 10 June 1871, and was married to Blahoslava. In 1913 and 1914 he placed advertisements specifically aimed at students and used the name U zlatého kalichu. Juris marketed his establishment as "a well-known meeting spot for students, with concerts every day and open until the morning". Juris passed away on 29 March 1917[h] and presumably he still managed U kalicha until his death.
Later in 1917, a certain Vaneček had taken over the licence. In 1922 it seems to have been refurbished and under new management. In April 1923, advertisements revealed that U kalicha had been renamed Café Evropa and offered French cuisine, and the 1924 address book lists the owner as Josef Kyral. In November 1923 Evropa had begun to capitalise on its connection to The Good Soldier Švejk. Some time between 1927 and 1929 Evropa closed down and the premises were in 1929 used for flour storage[a].
A tourist attraction
U kalicha being reopened
Čechoslovák,19.8.1955
In the summer of 1955 U kalicha was re-opened[b] and in 1964-1965 refurbished and promoted as a tourist attraction aimed at attracting foreigners. The staff wore attires from Austrian times and even k.u.k. officers mingled with the guests. It was a considerbale investment at the time: 2,5 million Czechoslovak crowns[i]. As a curiosity was noted that soon after the restaurant re-opened thieves ran away with the picture of Emperor Franz Joseph I!
From then on, the restaurant occupied numbers 14 and 12 and the restaurant was expanded and now included a large room at the back and a souvenir shop. It has since thrived on its connection with The Good Soldier Švejk, with prices above average and frequent tour groups visiting. Since returning to private ownership in 1991 the brothers Tomáš and Pavel Töpfer have owned the restaurant.
Mladý svět,2.11.1959
Despite the hype, U kalicha is worth a visit, as it is decorated with memorabilia related to Švejk and the period of World War I. To avoid the crowds, it is advisable to visit around lunchtime or early afternoon. The food is Czech, and the menu is available in 27 languages (2010).
In 2022, the restaurant was refurbished and has toned down its connection to The Good Soldier Švejk and no longer contains any information about its history. It claims to have been founded in 1905, but based on the information we have this is too modest!
Hašek and U kalicha
It remains unclear why Jaroslav Hašek gave U kalicha such a prominent role in the novel, as none of his biographers or friends mention it as a place he frequented. Nor have we been able to confirm that they served beer from Velké Popovice, but as this was the largest producer in all of Bohemia, there is every reason to believe that Švejk is right. There is little doubt that Hašek was aware of the place as it is located in the area where he spent his youth.
One possible connection is one Josef Švejk (1892-1965), who, from 1912 onwards, lived two houses down the street. This is a person the author probably knew or knew about, particularly since both were volunteers in České legie from 1916. In this context, it is worth noting that there is no mention of U kalicha in the 1911 and 1917 versions of The Good Soldier Švejk, so Hašek's knowledge of this person may have inspired him to introduce U kalicha into the novel. The soldier's first name, Josef, is also introduced in 1921 - further underpinning the connection.
We also know that Jaroslav Hašek mixed with students from the technical college, so he may have been drawn to U kalicha by them. Two houses down, at 463/10, a brothel was registered to Antonín Nosek (1912). This could explain why Švejk told Sappeur Vodička that "they have girls there".
Legends forming
Prager Presse,5.12.1929
Over the years many legends have been spun around U kalicha and Jaroslav Hašek’s novel. An early example is Maxmilian Huppert[a], who claimed that a certain FrantišekŠvejca (born 1875) was a regular guest there, was a trader of stolen dogs, and he added several details that bear the hallmarks of "literary reverse engineering", trying to adapt reality to fit the novel. Huppert's crown witness is a former landlord at U kalicha, Ferdinand Juris, who claimed to have known this "Švejk". More relieable is the information that U kalicha was no longer in operation and that the premises were used for storing flour.
In 1968, a related story appeared in the weekly magazine Květy (12 September 1968, signed Jaroslav R. Veselý). It contained sensational claims that a JosefŠvejk was a friend of Jaroslav Hašek and that they met on several occasions before, during, and after the war[j]. Much of the information has been verified, but the details that attempt to connect this Švejk to Hašek appear to be manufactured. See Josef Švejk for details.
In addition, Jan Berwid-Buquoy has through his two entertaning but speculative books about Hašek [l]m created more myths surrounding U kalicha and its connection to Jaroslav Hašek's novel and were exposed to a broader public by the magazine Reflex[k]. See pubkeeper Palivec and Mrs. Müllerová for details.
Quote(s) from the novel
[I.1] Já teď jdu do hospody „U kalicha“, a kdyby sem někdo přišel pro toho ratlíka, na kterýho jsem vzal zálohu, tak mu řeknou, že ho mám ve svém psinci na venkově, že jsem mu nedávno kupíroval uši a že se teď nesmí převážet, dokud se mu uši nezahojí, aby mu nenastydly. Klíč dají k domovnici.“
[I.1] V hospodě U kalicha seděl jen jeden host. Byl to civilní strážník Bretschneider, stojící ve službách státní policie. Hostinský Palivec myl tácky a Bretschneider se marně snažil navázat s ním vážný rozhovor.
[I.1] A Švejk opustil hospodu U kalicha v průvodu civilního strážníka...
[I.1] Když vcházeli do vrat policejního ředitelství, řekl Švejk: "Tak nám to pěkně uteklo. Chodíte často ke Kalichu?" A zatímco vedli Švejka do přijímací kanceláře, u Kalicha předával pan Palivec hospodu své plačící ženě, těše ji svým zvláštním způsobem: "Neplač, neřvi, co mně mohou udělat kvůli posranýmu obrazu císaře pána?"
[I.1] Jestli situace vyvinula se později jinak, než jak on vykládal u Kalicha, musíme mít na zřeteli, že neměl průpravného diplomatického vzdělání.
[I.5] Nedávno u Kalicha nevyvedl jeden host nic jinýho, než že sám sobě rozbil sklenicí hlavu.
[I.6] Jeho uvažováni, má-li se stavit napřed ještě u Kalichu, skončilo tím, že otevřel ty dveře, odkud vyšel před časem v průvodu detektiva Bretschneidra.
[I.10.4] Pak se šel Švejk podívat ke Kalichu. Když ho paní Palivcová uviděla, prohlásila, že mu nenaleje, že asi utekl.
[I.16] Ceremoniář dr. Guth mluví jinak než hostinský Palivec u Kalicha a tento román není pomůckou k salónnímu ušlechtění a naučnou knihou, jakých výrazů je možno ve společnosti užívat. Jest to historický obraz určité doby.
[II.3] Jeden medik, který chodíval ke Kalichu, nám jednou vykládal, že to ale není tak jednoduchý.
[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."
[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."
[III.1] "Bylo to moc hezký a poučný," řekl Švejk, "já si to pamatuju velmi dobře, a až se vrátím z vojny, tak to budu vypravovat u Kalicha.
Staatspolizei
is mentioned when it is revealed that detective Bretschneider is in the service of the state police.
Background
Staatspolizei
(officially k.k. Staatspolizei) was the domestic civilian intelligence service of Cisleithania, whose main task was surveillance of potential enemies of the state. In the context of The Good Soldier Švejk, we understand it to the Prague branch. The department was created in 1893 following civil unrest, and the unit reported directly to the Statthalter (Governor). In Prague, their servicemen and agents operated from the premises of c.k. policejní ředitelství. Among those in their service were two young lawyers, Slavíček and Klíma. The head of the unit was Viktor Chum.
U Valšů
Jaroslav Hašek had intimate knowledge of the State Police, originating from his period as an anarchist activist (from 1904). His most celebrated encounter with them was after his famous hoax at U Valšů on 24 November 1914, where he registered as a Russian trader, ostensibly to test the vigilance of the Austrian security service. He was let off with only five days in gaol, which he served immediately.
During the war
During the war, the watchful eyes of the State Police again fell on Jaroslav Hašek. This occurred after the author published a story in Čechoslovan on 17 June 1916 in which he had a tomcat soil pictures of the Emperor. This led to charges of high treason, and an arrest order was issued. Several of the other stories he wrote also aroused interest at home. They were translated into German for the benefit of the investigators and led to a lively exchange between the police headquarters in Prague and Vienna.
Dobrý voják Švejk v zajetí
… Švejka vedli k výslechu do oddělení státní policie přímo k policejnímu komisaři Klímovi a Slavíčkovi.
Quote(s) from the novel
[I.1] V hospodě „U kalicha“ seděl jen jeden host. Byl to civilní strážník Bretschneider, stojící ve službách státní policie. Hostinský Palivec myl tácky a Bretschneider se marně snažil navázat s ním vážný rozhovor.
Vinárna Sarajevo
was a wine tavern in Nusle where, according to pubkeeper Palivec, there was fighting every day.
Background
Vinárna Sarajevo
has yet to be identified. According to Milan Hodík, pubkeeper Palivec may have referred to a small pub known as Bosna on a hill by Michle[a].
Milan Hodík
Šlo nejspíš o malou hospodu zvanou Bosna na michelském kopce nad Bondyho statkem.
Quote(s) from the novel
[I.1] „Ty nám to pěkně v tom Sarajevu vyvedli,“ se slabou nadějí ozval se Bretschneider. „V jakým Sarajevu?“ otázal se Palivec, „v tej nuselskej vinárně? Tam se perou každej den, to vědí, Nusle.“
MladočešiYoung Czech Party
- officially Národní strana svobodomyslná (the National Liberal Party), was a Czech political party that existed from 1874 to 1918. The party reached its zenith after 1890. Due to their, for the time, radical demands for universal suffrage, and greater autonomy for the Czech lands of Austria-Hungary, they enjoyed considerable support in their homeland but faced correspondingly greater opposition from Vienna.
After that, the Social Democrats and the Agrarian Party made inroads into their electoral base, and the party lost much of its influence. The leading politician in the history of the party was Karel Kramář. The party's official newspaper was Národní listy, to which Jaroslav Hašek contributed many short stories in the early years of his writing career. At the 1911 election to Reichsrat, they achieved 9.8 per cent of the votes in Bohemia and had 14 representatives.
Quote(s) from the novel
[I.1] „Host jako host,“ řekl Palivec, „třebas Turek. Pro nás živnostníky neplatí žádná politika. Zaplať si pivo a seď v hospodě a žvaň si, co chceš. To je moje zásada. Jestli to tomu našemu Ferdinandovi udělal Srb nebo Turek, katolík nebo mohamedán, anarchista nebo mladočech, mně je to všechno jedno.“
Věznice Pankrác
is implicitly mentioned by pubkeeper Palivec when he explains that talking politics might mean ending up in Pankrác.
The prison is also referred to in [I.3], where the unfortunate lathe operator who broke into Podolský kostelík was incarcerated and later died.
Background
Věznice PankrácPankrác Prison
officially c. k. trestnice pro mužské v Praze was at the time a large gaol for men, and "pankrác" is almost synonymous with prison in Czech slang. The prison is named after the Pankrác district where it is located. Construction started in 1885 and was completed in 1889.
It was at the time a modern prison with good conditions for the inmates. In Austrian times, it mostly housed dangerous male criminals but also saw the odd political prisoner.
The prison later became the scene of executions, and 1580 persons were killed, 1087 of them during the Nazi occupation. During Communist rule from 1948, another few hundred were executed.
Egon Erwin Kisch
The Raging Reporter has contributed his part to the fame of the prison. Having been denied permission to enter, he climbed the walls and reported from the cemetery of the inmates. Their graves were not marked! This is all revealed in the story Im Friedhof der Pankratzer Sträflinge (On the cemetery of the Pankrác inmates), first printed in Bohemia before the war [a], and in 1931 appearing in the book Prager Pivatal with the title changed.
Quote(s) from the novel
[I.1] „Já se do takových věcí nepletu, s tím ať mi každej políbí prdel,“ odpověděl slušně pan Palivec, zapaluje si dýmku, „dneska se do toho míchat, to by mohlo každému člověku zlomit vaz. Já jsem živnostník, když někdo přijde a dá si pivo, tak mu ho natočím. Ale nějaký Sarajevo, politika nebo nebožtík arcivévoda, to pro nás nic není, z toho nic nekouká než Pankrác.“
Krajský soud Písek
is where the pig gelder from Vodňany was sentenced and executed, whilst uttering the worst imaginable things about the emperor. At least this is what Švejk tells detective Bretschneider at U kalicha.
Background
Krajský soud PísekPísek Regional Court
was an institution that was part of the judiciary of Austria and also remained in operation in Czechoslovakia until 1945. It was located in a large building at the southern part of Velké náměstí, down towards Otava and adjacent to the smaller Okresní soud Písek. The court president in 1915 was František Soukup. At the site today (2021), the latter – i.e. the district court – is located, but the building is newer.
Hilsner
The court in Písek hosted the second trial of the infamous Hilsner affair (or Polná affair), in which the young Jew Leopold Hilsner was accused of ritual murder. His death sentence was confirmed in Písek on 14 November 1900 but was converted to life imprisonment by Emperor Franz Joseph I, and in 1918 he was set free during a general amnesty[a]. Future president Professor Masaryk put his academic career at stake during his defence of Hilsner, and an article he wrote on the case was confiscated[b]. The verdict at Písek was not quashed until 1998.
Quote(s) from the novel
[I.1] 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.“
