About
Viktor Dyk was a leading Czech writer of the early 20th century, known for his poetry, novels, and plays. He studied law at Charles University in Prague. A Czech nationalist, he was imprisoned during World War I for resistance activities. He co-founded the Czechoslovak National Democratic Party and served in parliament. His most famous work is the symbolist novel Krysař (The Ratcatcher), published in 1923. He also contributed to the libretto of Leoš Janáček's opera The Excursions of Mr. Brouček.
* 1877-12-28 — † 1931-05-14
Major works
- Krysař (1923)novel
- Konec Hackenschmida (1904)novel
- Počátky: prózy mladosti (1919)short story collection
Key milestones
- 1907Becomes editor of the literary magazine Lumír.
- 1916-1917Imprisoned in Vienna for resistance activities and advocacy of Czech secession from Austria-Hungary.
- 1918Co-founds the Czechoslovak National Democratic Party.
Themes
Czech nationalismsymbolismsocial critiqueindividual freedomnational identity
Sources: catalog.princeton.edu · catalog.lib.uchicago.edu