Smrt krále Šumavy – Sichinger Martin (2011)

The book Smrt krále Šumavy from contemporary Czech author Martin Sichinger brings us to the old stories of the Šumava border region. Who was the famous smuggler Kilián Nowotný, nicknamed the King of Šumava? How and when did he make his first million? And how did he manage to evade capture across the Czech-Bavarian border for years? In 1959, the film Král Šumavy was made based on a script by Rudolf Kalčík, in which members of the border guard unit SNB catch and kill Kilián. The film received immense acclaim and has been seen by over three million viewers since its release, despite the fact that Kilián was never actually caught. At the end of summer 2010, twelve-year-old Tomáš moves with his parents to a remote area near Kvilda. Like his father, he is fascinated by the search for the true fate of the King of Šumava, and his journey takes him to the Bavarian town of Röhrnbach to the grave of Kilián Nowotný. It is in Bavaria that Tomáš learns about the mistake the King of Šumava made during his last crossing, why he had to perish on the screens of Czech cinemas, and how easily lies arise around us that no one can escape.