Martin Kukučín (real name Matej Bencúr, 17 May 1860,

Jasenová Jasenová () is a village and municipality in Dolný Kubín District in the Zilina Region of northern Slovakia. It has population of 401 people. Its name comes from the Slovak word Jaseň, which is a kind of tree often found in the area. There ...

, – 21 May 1928,

Pakrac Pakrac is a town in western Slavonia, Croatia, population 4,842, total municipality population 8,460 (census 2011). Pakrac is located on the road and railroad connecting the regions of Posavina and Podravina. Name In Croatian the town is known ...

) was a Slovak prose writer, dramatist and publicist. He was the most notable representative of Slovak

literary realism Literary realism is a movement and genre of literature that attempts to represent mundane and ordinary subject-matter in a faithful and straightforward way, avoiding grandiose or exotic subject-matter, exaggerated portrayals, and speculative ele ...

, and is considered one of the founders of modern Slovak prose.

Biography

Bratislava Medicka zahrada Martin Kukucin

He was born into a family of freemen, or ''soltys'', the son of ''Ján Bencúr Juriš'' and his wife ''Zuzana'', née ''Pašková'', and had two brothers and one sister. He was educated at the Slovak ' gymnasium' in

Revúca Revúca (; formerly ''Veľká Revúca'' in Slovak; ; ) is a town in Banská Bystrica Region, Slovakia. Revúca is the seat of Revúca District. Etymology The name is of Slovak origin and was initially the name of Revúca Creek (literally, 'roa ...

Martin Martin may refer to: Places Antarctica * Martin Peninsula, Marie Byrd Land * Port Martin, Adelie Land * Point Martin, South Orkney Islands Europe * Martin, Croatia, a village * Martin, Slovakia, a city * Martín del Río, Aragón, Spain * M ...

Banská Bystrica Banská Bystrica (, also known by other #Etymology, alternative names) is a city in central Slovakia, located on the Hron River in a long and wide valley encircled by the mountain chains of the Low Tatras, the Greater Fatra, Veľká Fatra, and t ...

Kežmarok Kežmarok ( or ; , , , ) is a town in the Spiš region of eastern Slovakia (population 16,000), on the Poprad River. Prior to World War I, it was in Szepes county in the Kingdom of Hungary. History Settlement at Kežmarok dates back to the Up ...

, and finished his education in

Sopron Sopron (; , ) is a city in Hungary on the Austrian border, near Lake Neusiedl/Lake Fertő. History Ancient times-13th century In the Iron Age a hilltop settlement with a burial ground existed in the neighbourhood of Sopron-Várhely. When ...

. Although he wished to study theology in Bratislava, due to the anti-Slovak atmosphere prevailing at that time, he chose to study medicine in Prague instead. After graduating and completing his

internship An internship is a period of work experience offered by an organization for a limited period of time. Once confined to medical graduates, internship is used to practice for a wide range of placements in businesses, non-profit organizations and g ...

Bratislava Bratislava (German: ''Pressburg'', Hungarian: ''Pozsony'') is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the Slovakia, Slovak Republic and the fourth largest of all List of cities and towns on the river Danube, cities on the river Danube. ...

Innsbruck Innsbruck (; ) is the capital of Tyrol (federal state), Tyrol and the List of cities and towns in Austria, fifth-largest city in Austria. On the Inn (river), River Inn, at its junction with the Wipptal, Wipp Valley, which provides access to the ...

and

Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...

, he attempted without success to find employment in Slovakia. Instead in 1893 he began to work as a doctor in the village of Selca on the island of

Brač Brač is a Croatian island in the Adriatic Sea, with an area of , making it the largest island in Dalmatia, and the third largest in the Adriatic. It is separated from the mainland by the Brač Channel, which is wide.Croatia Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...

, where he was also an active member of the cultural society ''Hrvatski Sastanak''. In 1904, he became one of its directors. In 1896–97, he tried unsuccessfully to return to Slovakia. In 1904, he married Perica Didolić, with whom he left in 1908 for South America, where they settled in

Punta Arenas Punta Arenas (, historically known as Sandy Point in English) is the capital List of cities in Chile, city of Chile's southernmost Regions of Chile, region, Magallanes Region, Magallanes and Antarctica Chilena. Although officially renamed as ...

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...

, where there was a large community of Croatian émigrés. During 1922–24, he lived again in Slovakia (

Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia ( ; Czech language, Czech and , ''Česko-Slovensko'') was a landlocked country in Central Europe, created in 1918, when it declared its independence from Austria-Hungary. In 1938, after the Munich Agreement, the Sudetenland beca ...

at that time), then moved to Croatia in 1924–25, briefly returning to Chile in 1925 to resolve property disputes. In 1926, he finally settled in

Lipik Lipik is a town in western Slavonia, in the Požega-Slavonia County of northeastern Croatia. It is known for its spas, mineral water and Lipizzaner stables. Settlements The settlements included in the administrative area of Lipik include: * A ...

, a spa town in Croatia, where he died in 1928. Temporarily buried in

Zagreb Zagreb ( ) is the capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Croatia#List of cities and towns, largest city of Croatia. It is in the Northern Croatia, north of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the ...

, he was interred in the

National Cemetery in Martin The National Cemetery () in Martin, Slovakia is the final resting place of many important personalities of Slovak history. The list includes writers, poets, national activists, pedagogues, etc. The reason why Martin was selected as the site for t ...

in October 1928. On May 17, 2010,

Google Doodle Google Doodle is a special, temporary alteration of the logo on Google's homepages intended to commemorate holidays, events, achievements, and historical figures. The first Google Doodle honored the 1998 edition of the long-running annual Bu ...

commemorated Martin Kukucin's 150th birthday.

Works

Prose

* 1883 - ''Na hradskej ceste'' * 1885 - ''Rysavá jalovica'' * 1886 - ''Neprebudený'' * 1890 - ''Keď báčik z Chocholova umrie'' * 1891 - ''Na podkonickom bále'' * 1892 - ''Koniec a začiatok'' * 1892 - ''Dve cesty'' * 1893 - Dies Irae * 1898 - ''V Dalmácii a Čiernej Hore'', travelogue * 1899 - ''Hody'' * 1911 / 1912 - ''Dom v stráni'', novel set in Brač * 1922 - ''Črty z ciest. Prechádzky po Patagónii'', travelogue * 1922 - ''Mladé letá'', memoirs about his student years * 1926 - ''Mať volá'', novel about Croatian emigrants in Chile * 1929 - ''Bohumil Valizlosť Zábor'', historical novel * 1929 - ''Lukáš Blahosej Krasoň'', historical novel * 1930 - ''Košútky. Klbká. Rozmarínový mládnik.'' * ''Čas tratí - čas platí'' * ''Máje'', poviedka * ''Pán majster Obšíval'' * ''Na jarmok'' * ''Na Ondreja'', * ''Hajtman'', poviedka * ''Obecné trampoty'' * ''Z teplého hniezda'' * ''Veľkou lyžicou'' * ''Panský hájnik'' * ''O Michale'' * ''Na svitaní'' * ''Ako sa kopú poklady'' * ''Pozor na čižmy'' * ''Sviatočné dumy'' * ''Tri roje cez deň'' * ''Svadba'' * ''Parník'' * ''Štedrý deň''

Drama

* 1907 - ''Komasácia'' * 1922 - ''Bacuchovie dvor'' * 1924 - ''Obeta''

Biography

Works

Prose

Drama

See also

References

External links