Vilém Mrštík (; 14 May 1863 in
Jimramov
Jimramov (german: Ingrowitz) is a market town in Žďár nad Sázavou District in the Vysočina Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 1,100 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as an urban monument ...
– 2 March 1912 in
Diváky) was a Czech writer and dramatist.
Career
He is known for his novel ''Santa Lucia'' (1893). With his brother,
Alois
Alois (Latinized ''Aloysius'') is an Old Occitan form of the name Louis. Modern variants include ''Aloïs'' (French), ''Aloys'' (German), ''Alois'' (Czech), '' Alojz'' ( Slovak, Slovenian), ''Alojzy'' ( Polish), ''Aloísio'' (Portuguese, Spanish ...
(1861–1925) he also wrote the drama ''
Maryša'' (1894). This play, set in rural
Moravia
Moravia ( , also , ; cs, Morava ; german: link=yes, Mähren ; pl, Morawy ; szl, Morawa; la, Moravia) is a historical region in the east of the Czech Republic and one of three historical Czech lands, with Bohemia and Czech Silesia.
The m ...
, explored gender roles and tradition in a small village. In contrast to the more positive renderings of rural life by the writers of the
National Revival, the brothers attempted a more impartial view of life in the countryside.
He is also famous for having fought against the mass destruction of historic buildings carried out as part of
urban renewal
Urban renewal (also called urban regeneration in the United Kingdom and urban redevelopment in the United States) is a program of land redevelopment often used to address urban decay in cities. Urban renewal involves the clearing out of blighte ...
plans for parts of
Prague
Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and List of cities in the Czech Republic, largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 milli ...
by publishing two influential essays: Manifest to the Czech People (1896), and ''Bestia triumphans'' in 1897.
Works
* ''Paní Urbanová'' (Mrs Urbanová) 1889, drama
* ''Santa Lucia'' 1893, novel
* ''Obrázky'' (Pictures) 1894, anthology
* ''
Maryša'' 1895, drama, written with his brother, Alois Mrštík
* ''Pohádka máje'' (A May Tale) 1897, novel
* ''Anežka'' (Agnes) 1912, drama
References
* https://web.archive.org/web/20120612013916/http://users.ox.ac.uk/~tayl0010/lit_to_1918.htm
* http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/Mrstik,+Vilem
External links
*
*
1863 births
1912 deaths
People from Jimramov
Czech male novelists
19th-century Czech novelists
19th-century Czech dramatists and playwrights
Czech male dramatists and playwrights
1912 suicides
Suicides by sharp instrument in the Czech Republic
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