Postava Švejka v polské literatuře a kultuře

Authors:

• Lenka Nemeth Vitova

Abstract

Hašek’s novel “The Good Soldier Švejk and His Fortunes in the World War“, first published in Czech in 1921-1923, was published in Polish translation at the turn of the 1920s and 1930s, and has been considered among the most famous works of world literature since the second half of the 20th century in Poland. To date, more than thirty editions of PawełHulka-Laskowski’s first translation, one edition of Józef Waczków’s second translation, and two editions of Antoni Kroh’s third translation have been published in book format. The first translation, evoking above all an atmosphere of colloquialism and comicism, still enjoys great popularity. Nevertheless, the experts have chosen the third translation to be published in the representative series of Biblioteka Narodowa (National Library), because the third translation emphasises linguistic precision, factual accuracy, and explanations of the context in the translator’s notes. Only the future will confirm whether the third translation will indeed alter the figure of Švejk, domesticated in Polish culture through the first published translation.