Jozef Cíger-Hronský

Jozef Cíger-Hronský (original name Jozef Cíger; born 23 February 1896 in Zvolen, present-day Slovakia, died 13 July 1960 in Luján, Argentina) was a Slovak writer, teacher, publicist, later secretary and manager of the Matica slovenská.

Jozef Cíger-Hronský
Jozef Cíger-Hronský
Born	Jozef Cíger 23 February 1896 Zólyom, Austria-Hungary (now Zvolen, Slovakia)
Died	13 July 1960 (aged 64) Luján, Argentina
Resting place	National Cemetery in Martin
Occupation	Writer

Life

Grave of Jozef Cíger-Hronský (right), next to the grave of Štefan Krčméry at the National Cemetery in Martin

He was born in 1896 into a central Slovak family of carpenters in Zólyom. He attended schools in Zólyom (1902–07), Korpona (1907–10) and finished his education in a Hungarian teacher school in Léva (1910–14). After that, he was a teacher at various places, with the interruption of 1917–18, when he was sent to the Italian Front in the World War I. His first prose came out in the 1920s (novellas and short prose). Aside of being a teacher, he was an editor of the children's magazine called Slniečko (from 1928 until 1945). In 1933 he became a secretary of the Matica slovenská and later in 1940 a manager, where he stayed until 1945. However, he fell under the influence of the Slovak People's Party (ľudáci). From the fear of persecution after defeat of the First Slovak Republic, he emigrated to Austria, Italy and finally settled in Argentina, where he worked as a designer in a textile factory. There, he established the Matica slovenská Abroad (Zahraničná Matica slovenská) and was a chairman of the Slovak National Council abroad and an honorary chairman of the Association of Slovak Writers and Artists Abroad. He died in 1960 in Luján, Argentina. After the Velvet Revolution of 1989 his remains were repatriated to Czechoslovakia and later reburied at the National Cemetery in Martin in 1993.

Works

Hronský was writing as a realistic author, but under expressionist influence. (if possible, literal English translations are given)

Prose

• 1923 - U nás (short story, "At us/At our home")
• 1925 - Domov (collection of short stories, "Home")
• 1927 - Žltý dom v Klokočove (novel, "A Yellow House in Klokočov")
• 1929 - Medové srdce (collection of short stories, "A Honey Heart")
• 1930 - Proroctvo doktora Stankovského (novel, "A Prophecy of Doctor Stankovský")
• 1932 - Chlieb (novel, "Bread")
• 1932 - Podpolianske rozprávky (collection of short prose, "Fairy tales from under the Poľana Mountains", also translated into German)
• 1933 - Jozef Mak (novel, also translated into English)
• 1933 - Tomčíkovci (collection of short prose)
• 1934 - Sedem sŕdc (collection of novellas, "Seven hearts")
• 1938 - Jarný vietor a iné rozprávky ("The spring wind and other fairy tales")
• 1939 - Na krížných cestách (novel)
• 1940 - Cesta slovenskou Amerikou (travel writing, "A journey through the Slovak America")
• 1940 - Pisár Gráč (novel, "Gráč the Scrivener")
• 1944 - Na Bukvovom dvore (novel, "At the Bukva's courtyard", also translated into Polish)
• 1944 - Šmáková mucha (collection of novellas)
• 1947 - Tri listy
• 1947 - Predávač talizmanov Liberius Gaius od Porta Colina (a religious novella, "A Talisman merchant Liberius Gaius by/from Port Colin")
• 1948 - Andreas Búr Majster (novel, "Andreas Búr the Master")
• 1960 - Svet na trasovisku (novel about the Slovak National Uprising, "The World on Quagmire")
• 1997 - Pohár z brúseného skla (collection of short prose, "A cup from cut glass")

Drama (comedies)

• 1926 - Firma Moor ("Moor Company")
• 1929 - Červený trojuholník ("A red triangle")
• 1929 - Návrat ("Comeback")

Children's literature

• 1924 - Najmladší Závodský ("The youngest Závodský")
• 1925 - Kremnické povesti ("Tales of Kremnica")
• 1926 - Janko Hrášok
• 1928 - Pod kozúbkom ("Under a little fireplace")
• 1930 - Smelý Zajko ("Courageous Hare")
• 1931 - Smelý Zajko v Afrike ("Courageous Hare in Africa")
• 1931 - Zakopaný meč (folk tales, "A buried sword")
• 1932 - Budkáčik a Dubkáčik
• 1932 - Sokoliar Tomáš ("Thomas the falconer")
• 1932 - Brondove rozprávky ("Brond's fairy tales")
• 1932 - Zábavky strýca Kurkovského
• 1933 - Zlatý dážď ("Golden rain")
• 1934 - Zlaté hodinky ("Golden watch")
• 1935 - Strýcovo vrtielko
• 1936 - Tri rozprávky ("Three fairy tales")
• 1937 - Zlatovlasá sestra ("A golden-haired sister")
• 1939 - Budatínski Frgáčovci (folk tales)
• 1940 - Tri múdre kozliatka ("Three clever little goats")
• 1941 - Traja bratia ("Three brothers")

External links

• Jozef Cíger-Hronský at Osobnosti.sk (in Slovak)