Almanach na rok 1914 – Čapek Karel (2014)

In the eighth volume of the Hidden Modernity series, we want to draw attention to the literary history that has overlooked the Almanac for the Year 1914 (1913). The most significant group manifestation of the pre-war avant-garde was prepared for quite a long time, and alongside the preparations, group readings were organized, accompanied by discussions that followed the great generational debate of 1912. The planned second edition of the almanac was also supposed to include contributions from absent generational companions (R. Werner, F. Langer, E. Taussig, P. Křička), but the continuation of the path taken was made impossible by the events of the First World War, during which some participants were drafted (S. K. Neumann), others succumbed to illness (O. Theer), and others fell (E. Taussig). The artistically unbalanced contributions of the Almanac manifestly declare an allegiance to contemporary, dynamically changing life in human civilization. To capture this, free verse is to be used in poetry (K. Čapek), while in prose, a synchronous poly-perspectivity transferred from visual cubism (J. Čapek) is employed. In contrast to the artificiality of the symbolist-decadent generation and its disdain for present events, the authors, influenced by vitalism and futurism, affirm life 'here and now' and highly value the effort...