Josef Váchal: Christian Heinrich Spiess

Josef Váchal (1884-1969) published his printed book Christian Heinrich Spiess at the beginning of 1933. He wrote the basic text of the verse composition in 1931 and later added a shorter preface and dedication in the autumn of 1932. The text has three main protagonists, Christian Heinrich Spiess (1755-1799), a representative of German Romantic literature of the second half of the 18th century, Josef Váchal and his beloved dog, the Leonberger Tarzan, who died in mid-1932. The book is an expressive, emotional and celebratory confession of the author's relationship with these two kindred spirits. At the same time, it is Váchal's uncompromising critique of the times in which he lived, touching not only on the conditions in the field of art, but also on general and timeless issues. All this is framed by a constant comparison of everything contemporary with the old "Spiessian" times. In addition to a reprint of the author's text, this edition of the book includes a transcription with notes and an accompanying study by Hana Klínková.

Czech edition