The Polsh screening of “The Adventeres of Good Soldier Śvejk During the World War” (Osudy dobrého vojáka Švejka za světové války) based on the novel by a Czek author Jaroslav Hask has been shown on Polish television many times. This has caused that the character is majorly associated with the Czek Republic.

When I was staying in this country in July, I decided to visit every place somehow connected with this character. Despite my going through various guidebooks multiple times, and having surfed the Interenet, I managed to find no information about any museum devoted to Śvejk.

However, I decided not to give up and continue my search for any mention being already there, on the spot, in Prague.

The novel itself was based on facts and experiences of the authors and his friends. The book’s characters had originally even the same names.

The autor was getting his ideas for the book during beer gatherings with his friends. They kept telling him different stories, which when completed by the author’s experiences, resulted in the book. Hask’s brother-in-arms Frantisk Straslipki contributed as well.

Whenever I asked any citizen of Prague, especially those from older generation, about any place associated with Śvejk, all of them claimed there was something, but the whereabouts were never specified. The young generation, however, were clear-cut in their answer: “I don’t know.”

After that I resolved not to ask any more questions but to get to the best source of information ever, the bookstore. The two bookstore ladies shouted out they didn’t know in unison when I asked them the question. One of them started going through the bookstore catalogues, the other one went to ask  her boss in the backroom. The lady boss, with all the authority of the position she held, came out of the backroom and informed there was no such thing as the Śvejk museum in Prague. There was, however, a famous beer pub and a restaurant “At Karl’s” www.svejk-restaurant.cz . I decided to visit the place immediately.

Not at all satisfied by the news I decided to buy myself a nice souvenir from Prague. The newest English edition of The Adventeres of Good Soldier Śvejk, illustrated by Jozef Lada.