Jaroslav Hašek's good soldier Schwejk as an anti-war hero and Czech-German border crosser
"Report obediently, I'm so stupid!" Jaroslav Hašek's good soldier Schwejk as an anti-war hero and Czech-German border crosser
Multimedia lecture with reading
Friday, June 5, 2026, 2 p.m.
Concert pavilion in the Rhododendron Park
18181 Baltic health spa Graal-Müritz
"Report obediently": with this formula, the good soldier Schwejk entered the stage of world literature and turned subordination into an art of confusion. Hardly any other literary character subverts authority as charmingly and reliably as the anti-hero of Czech author Jaroslav Hašek (1883-1923). His unfinished novel Osudy dobrého vojáka Švejka za světové války (from 1921) became one of the most famous anti-war books ever - not least thanks to the translation by Grete Reiner, which appeared in 1926 under the title The Adventures of the Good Soldier Švejk.
Vera Schneider's multimedia lecture follows the astonishing "career" of this character between Bohemia and Germany - and shows how Schwejk still challenges our view of power and obedience today. Instead of dry literary history, the audience can expect a sometimes amusing, sometimes thought-provoking journey through adaptations from Max Brod to Bertolt Brecht, controversial translations and cultural misunderstandings.
Highlights of the lecture are exclusively produced sound recordings with the well-known actor and dubbing artist Wolfgang Wagnercomplemented by historical audio documents, images and film clips that show the different faces of this figure. The result is an entertaining panorama with surprising perspectives on a lovable anarchist who once again has a lot to tell us.
About the speaker
Vera Schneider holds a doctorate in German literature from Prague and published the book HinterNational - Johannes Urzidil together with Klaus Johann at the publishing house of the German Cultural Forum for Eastern Europe. After many years as a freelance editor and journalist, including for Deutschlandfunk Kultur, she has been working as a research assistant at the German Cultural Forum for Eastern Europe since 2013.
Further information can be found on our website.
Admission
Admission is free, reservations are required at the House of the Guest Graal-Müritz is possible.
An event of the German Cultural Forum Eastern Europe in cooperation with the Tourismus- und Kur-GmbH Graal-Müritz and the Graal-Müritz Spa Library as part of the Literature week in the Baltic health spa Graal-Müritz.
Fig.: Some of the ingredients from which the lecture was created. Photo: Vera Schneider, © German Cultural Forum for Eastern Europe
Press contact
Dr. Vera Schneider
Phone +49 (0)331 20098-23
schneider@kulturforum.info
