Franta Sauer
František "Franta" Sauer (born 4 December 1882, Prague[1] – Died 26 March 1947, Prague[2]) was a Czech writer, and a close friend of writer Jaroslav Hašek.
Early life
Franta Sauer was the son of Barbora Sauerová (born as Hájková) and Jan Sauer, alongside seven other siblings.[3] Franta Sauer was born into a poor and uneducated family, both his parents were illiterate. His mother worked as a maid and his father had many different jobs. Sauer struggled in traditional school and left to attend a vocational school where he would train to become a locksmith. He returned to the Prague District Žižkov, where he lived with his mother and sister.[4][5]
Politics
"Wild Man of Žižkov"
Sauer was a member of the Social Democratic Party for a short time. His right-winged political views lead to imprisonment.[6] Stories from František’s life appeared in the news frequently.[7][8]
In November 1918, Sauer organized the demolition of the Marian Column of Prague on the Old Town Square.[9] Thereafter, in an article printed in the Rudé právo released on the 4th of November 1923, he officially confessed to the crime.[10] During the trial, he told the jury that he did not want to damage the Column, but only remove it due to patriotic reasons. He received no sanctions in the trial in 1924 because his action was not barred.[11]
In the Žižkov, according to his own memory, he organized club Černá Ruka in 1918. This association moved people into classified apartments who previously had nowhere to live.[12] (This is mentioned in the novel Anna Proletářka by Ivan Olbracht).
Protectorate and Liberation
At the end of World War II, he was arrested for distributing publications by T. G. Masaryk. He was then relocated to Terezín and released in 1945 because he suffered from tuberculosis, which he later died from in 1947.[4] Before his death, he made a general confession in the Franciscan monastery. He regretted the demolition of Marian Column and begged for forgiveness from the priest. After being given his last rites, he died in the Pod Petřínem hospital. His spiritual evolution is mentioned in the poem Pražská legenda by Václav Renč.[13][14]
Friendship with Jaroslav Hašek
During the years 1921-1922, together with Hašek, Sauer published his first paperback of The Good Soldier Švejk.[15] Sauer raised enough funds to publish the first edition and, after obtaining funds from the sales, he and Hašek to wrote the sequel.[4]
Posthumous information
In front of the film camera, he appeared for the last time in 1947 in Čapek‘ Short Stories, directed by Martin Frič. [16]
He is buried in the Olšany cemeteries, and in 2016 the city of Prague adopted his grave.[16]
In the Prague district of Žižkov there is a street named after him.
Work
František Sauer published under the pseudonyms Fr. Habán, Franta Habán from the Žižkov or Franta Kysela as well.[16]
Between 1911–1935 Sauer was published in journals like České slovo, Právo lidu, Rudé právo or Trn.[4]
Books
- Naše luza jesuité a diplomaté
- In memoriam Jaroslava Haška
- Pašeráci
- Emil Artur Longen a Xena
- Pašeráci
- Haškův poslední podnik
- Franta Habán ze Žižkova
Filmography
- 1947 Čapkovy povídky
- 1931 Miláček pluku
- 1931 Poslední bohém
- 1931 Skalní ševci
- 1931 Ze soboty na neděli
Inspiration
- František Sauer is a character in the novel Anna proletářka by Ivan Olbracht[19]
- Antonín Zápotocký referred to him as "Franta Habán" in the novel Bouřlivý rok
References
- "The Catalogue". katalog.ahmp.cz. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
- "Kramerius - Page document". kramerius.nkp.cz. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
- "Policejni prihlasky". digi.nacr.cz. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
- Lexikon české literatury : osobnosti, díla, instituce. Forst, Vladimír., Opelík, Jiří., Merhaut, Luboš, 1961- (Vyd. 1 ed.). Praha: ACADEMIA. 1985-<2008>. ISBN 80-200-0468-8. OCLC 14336447. Check date values in:
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(help)CS1 maint: others (link) - "Kramerius - Page document". kramerius.nkp.cz. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
- "Kramerius - Page document". kramerius.nkp.cz. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
- "Kramerius - Page document". kramerius.nkp.cz. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
- Brně, Moravská zemská knihovna v. "Digitální knihovna". www.digitalniknihovna.cz (in Czech). Retrieved 27 March 2020.
- "Kramerius - Page document". kramerius.nkp.cz. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
- Brně, Moravská zemská knihovna v. "Digitální knihovna". www.digitalniknihovna.cz (in Czech). Retrieved 27 March 2020.
- "Kramerius - Page document". kramerius.nkp.cz. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
- "Existence" (PDF). Anarchistická revue.
- "PRAHA « PRAHA MARIÁNSKÝ SLOUP « Galerie | Soukromá filokartie". veranovotna.blog.cz. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
- "Praha mariánský sloup na Staroměstském náměstí - Aktuality - Obnova zaniklých památek". web.archive.org. 14 September 2017. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
- ÚČL AV ČR, Edice E, s.189: Osudy dobrého vojáka Švejka za světové války.
- "František Sauer". www.kampocesku.cz. Retrieved 13 August 2020.
- "Kramerius - Page document". kramerius.nkp.cz. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
- "Kramerius - Page document". kramerius.nkp.cz. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
- Anna proletářka (1952) | Galerie (in Czech), retrieved 12 August 2020