Štefan Krčméry

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Štefan Krčméry

slovak poet, journalist, literary critic and translator
Born 26 December 1892
Mošovce (Mosóc), Slovakia
Died 17 February 1955
Pezinok, Slovakia

Štefan Krčméry (pseudonyms Eška, Ján Jesom, Ujo Štefan et al.) (26 December 1892 - 17 February 1955) was a Slovak poet, literary critic, historian, journalist, translator, and administrator of Matica slovenská. He was born in Mošovce (Mosóc) and died in Pezinok.

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[edit] Life

The old Lutheran preacher's home in Mošovce - the birth house of Štefan Krčméry
The old Lutheran preacher's home in Mošovce - the birth house of Štefan Krčméry

Krčméry was born in the family of a Lutheran preacher, the son of a member of the Štúr group, August Horislav Krčméry. He went to primary school in Jasenová (Alsójeszenő), secondary school in Banská Bystrica (Besztercebánya), and attended a Lutheran lyceum ( from 1907 to 1911) in Bratislava, where he also studied Lutheran theology (19111915).

For some time he worked as chaplain in Krajné (Krajna) and in Bratislava (Pozsony), but then left preaching and started working as a literary critic, journalist, poet, historian, theoretician, and organizer of Slovak cultural and awareness activities. From 1918 to 1919 Krčméry was the editor of Národné noviny, worked as the editor-in-chief of Slovenské pohľady, and acted as secretary of the reinstated Matica slovenská. From 1920 to 1921 Krčméry undertook a studying trip to Paris together with his wifr Hela. Upon his return, he once again worked as the secretary of Matica slovenská and was the editor of renewed Slovenské pohľady (19221932), Knižnica Slovenských pohľadov, and temporarily also Slovenský ochotník, Naše divadlo, Včielka and other magazines. In 1930 he left for 3 months to Prague, where he increased his qualification at the Charles University and received the PhDr. degree.

In the fall of 1931 he propagated symptoms of mental illness, and next year fell seriously ill. In the late 1932 Krčméry stopped editing Slovenské pohľady and in 1933 resigned from the post of secretary of Matica slovenská. However, he did not stop his literary work. He was also a member of several cultural and societal institutions (Matica hrvatska, Provençal Félibrige, Matica srpska etc.). He moved several times, but was undergoing treatment in Pezinok from 1949 until his death. He was buried in Bratislava, but his remains were later transferred to the National Cemetery in Martin.

The grave of Štefan Krčméry at the National Cemetery in Martin
The grave of Štefan Krčméry at the National Cemetery in Martin

[edit] Works

Krčméry started publishing in 1913, and contributed to several magazines (Slovenské pohľady, Dennica, Živena, Národné noviny, Mladé Slovensko e.a.). In addition to critical realism he also used elements of symbolism; his inspiration were Pavol Országh Hviezdoslav a the Štúr group, as well as European romantic poets. His most important theoretical work is the two-volume history of Slovak literature: 150 Years of Slovak Literature, where he mentions more and less significant personalities of the 18th and 19th century.

[edit] List of Works

[edit] Poetry

  • 1920 - Keď sa sloboda rodila, celebrates the creation of Czechoslovakia
  • 1929Herbárium
  • 1930 - Piesne a balady
  • 1932Slovo čisté
  • 1944Pozdrav odmlčaného básnika

[edit] Prose

  • 1932Oslobodenie
  • 1957Zimná legenda
  • 1972Ty a Ja, dedicated to his future wife, Hela Karlovská

[edit] Literary science

  • 1920Prehľad dejín slovenskej literatúry a vzdelanosti
  • 1927Moyses a Kuzmány
  • 1928Ľudia a knihy
  • 1936Zo slovenskej kymnológie
  • 1943Stopäťdesiat rokov slovenskej literatúry
  • 1976Dejiny literatúry slovenskej

[edit] Other works

[edit] Articles, paragraphs, and reflections

  • 1922Slovensko a jeho život literárny
  • 1924Literárne snahy slovenské
  • 1926O možnostiach rozvoja slovenskej literatúry
  • 1931Prozódia štúrovských básnikov
  • 1932Melódia vety a prízvuk v slovenčine
  • 1935Estetika krás prírodných

[edit] Anthologies

  • 1975Estetické reflexie
  • 1977Román bez konca
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