Jan Zahradníček

Jan Zahradníček (January 17, 1905, Mastník, near Třebíč, Bohemia - October 10, 1960, Vlčatín [Radovan Zejda: "Byl básníkem! Život a dílo Jana Zahradníčka", Sursum 2004, ISBN 80-7323-077-1, str. 171] , near Žďár nad Sázavou, Czechoslovakia) was a Czech poet of the early and mid-20th century. Because of his writings and Catholic orientation he was imprisoned as an enemy of Communists after their coup in 1948.

From 1919 to 1926 he studied at Classical Grammar School in Třebíč. He then studied literature and comparative literature at Prague University (among his professors were František Xaver Šalda and Václav Tille). In 1936 he moved to Uhřínov to become a free poet and translator. From 1940 until 1948 he was editor of "Akord" Revue in Brno. He then became editor of Brněnské tiskarny (a publishing house) in 1945.

In June 1951 he was arrested by Communist secret state police (StB) and sentenced to 13 years imprisonment. In 1960 he was granted amnesty due to his tragic health situation and died the same year. He had four children, two daughters died from mushroom poisoning in the time of his imprisonment.

Published works

*1930 "Pokušení smrti", poems, published
*1933 "Jeřáby" published
*1935 "Žíznivé léto" published
*1937 "Pozdravení slunci" published
*1940 "Korouhve" published
*1947 "La Saletta" published
*1948 - book of poems "Znamení moci" - prohibited by Communists; translation of Dante Alighieri's "Divina comedia" can't be published under Zahradníček's name. Verse books from prison "Čtyři léta" and "Dům strach" were published in exile (Canada) during the 1970s.

References

* Radovan Zejda, "Byl básníkem! Život a dílo Jana Zahradníčka" ("He was poet! Life and works of Jan Zahradníček"), 2004, ISBN 80-7323-077-1. Detailed biography of Zahradníček.