A History of Bohemian LiteratureLützow, Francis, hrabe
History
A History of Bohemian Literature
Lützow, Francis, hrabe
Czech literature -- History and criticism
The second great work of Jungmann that ranks with his history of
Bohemian literature is his vast dictionary of the Bohemian and German
languages, published in five large volumes between 1835 and 1839.
Jungmann's preparatory studies, both for this work and for the History,
however, began as early as the year 1800. The work is a monument of
indomitable energy and application. A work such as that of Jungmann
would, if undertaken by a whole academy, have been most meritorious;
but Jungmann worked almost alone, aided only in the merely mechanical
part of his task by a few students of the University of Prague. His
difficulties cannot be compared with those which the compiler of a
dictionary of a more developed language encounters. A large part of
ancient Bohemian literature, that within the last fifty years has been
carefully edited and published, could then only be found in MSS. that
were often difficult of access. Jungmann's work contains words that he
only found once or twice in his sources; it was his desire to include
all, for he laboured not only for the then scanty readers who wished to
study the works of ancient Bohemian literature, but also for the modern
Bohemian writers, whose vocabulary he endeavoured to enlarge.
Even now, when Bohemian literature has obtained an almost miraculous
development, Jungmann's dictionary has not been superseded; and the
same, as regards completeness at least, can be said of his _History of
Bohemian Literature_.
The originators of the Bohemian revival, drawn together by a common
passionate love for the national language, were mostly on terms of
intimacy, and their correspondence, very voluminous, as was formerly
the custom, gives a very clear insight into the views of the writers,
and the disheartening circumstances under which they pursued their
work. Of Jungmann's letters, the most interesting are those addressed
to Kollar, who will be mentioned presently, and to Anthony Marek,
an intimate friend of Jungmann, who was one of the minor Bohemian
writers of this period. The degree of intimacy which existed among
the small band of patriots is well described in one of Jungmann's
letters to Kollar, written in February 1821: "I am writing to-day,"
he says, "to our dear Šafařik also, and to Palacký. You three form
indeed my most beloved Trinity." The general impression of Jungmann's
letters is distinctly a depressing one. The writer refers constantly
to the incessant, often very puerile, vexations which he encountered
from the Austrian authorities. Jungmann complains incessantly of the
"censors", and we shall find the same complaints later when dealing
with Palacký. Every book published in Austria had at that period to be
previously submitted to the "censure-office" for inspection. There were
two "censors" to each book, one of whom had to guard against anything
contrary to the views of the Austrian Government being printed, while
the other suppressed everything contrary to the teaching of the Church
of Rome.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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