Johannes, 1896-1977 and Gertrude, 1898-1977

Johannes Urzidil was born in Prague on February 3, 1896, the youngest son of a railroad official ( Eisenbahnbeamter ) who was also an inventor. His mother, Elisabeth von Steinitz, was his father’s second wife and died when Johannes Urzidil was 4 years old.

From 1914 through 1919 Urzidil studied German studies, Slavic studies, and art history at the University of Prague. A schoolfriend of his introduced Urzidil to the Café Arco, where he became acquainted with the members of the "Prager Kreis," including Franz Kafka, Franz Werfel, and Max Brod. His studies were interrupted from 1916-1918 when Johannes Urzidil served in the Austro-Hungarian military during World War I. From 1918-1922 he worked as a translator for the German Consulate in Prague, also writing during the same time period for the the Berlin Börsen-Courier and the Wolffsche Telegraphen-Bureau . In 1922 Urzidil was appointed to the position of press attaché for the German Legation in Prague, a position he held until 1933. In 1922 Johannes Urzidil also married his wife, the poet Gertrude Thieberger, daughter of a rabbi and sister to the writer Friedrich Thieberger. In 1924 Franz Kafka died, and Johannes Urzidil spoke at a memorial for him. By 1933 Urzidil had lost his position as press attaché as Nazism rose to power in Germany. He was arrested by the police on suspicion of espionage but was freed, and shortly thereafter registered with the American Consulate in Prague for visas for himself and his wife to go to the United States. After the Gestapo began searching for Johannes Urzidil, they fled Prague using false papers, still awaiting word from the American Consulate. While the Urzidils waited in Italy, Gertrude Urzidil's sister in London placed their names on a list of politically endangered persons, and they were able to receive visas for Britain. The English writer Bryher (Anne Winnifred Ellerman), with whom Johannes Urzidil had exchanged letters, assisted them in affording the voyage to England and a place to stay while residing there. They would remain there until 1941 when the Urzidils emigrated to the United States.

During the time they lived in England Johannes Urzidil became involved with writing articles for expatriate newspapers to support the position of the government of Edvard Beneš, known alternatively as the Czechoslovak National Committee (after December 1939), the Provisional Czechoslovakian Government (after July 1940), and the official Czechoslovak government in exile (after June 18, 1941). In March 1940 Johannes Urzidil met Edvard Beneš and was sent to the United States as an official correspondent for the Czechoslovak expatriate publications Čechoslovak and the Central European Observer .

Johannes and Gertrude Urzidil arrived in New York in February 1941. Although they first lived in Jackson Heights, they eventually moved to Kew Gardens in Queens, New York. Once more the writer Bryher helped them financially as they started their new life in the United States. Johannes Urzidil discovered that the salary he earned writing for the Čechoslovák and the Central European Observer was not enough to support himself and Gertrude; he made leather handicrafts and Gertrude Urzidil looked after children to earn extra income. Following their arrival in New York Johannes Urzidil found himself at odds with the Beneš government's policy on the resettlement of Sudeten Germans when he published articles in 1941 and 1942 critical of resettlement in the publication Aufbau . Finally Urzidil secured a job proofreading for a publishing company after the end of World War II. While working for this company Johannes Urzidil met Heinz Risse, who would become an important friend for him by assisting in securing publication of Die verlorene Geliebte and introducing him to literary magazine publishers and positions with radio stations. By 1951 he was working as a script writer and information specialist for Voice of America, a position Johannes Urzidil kept until 1953 when rising McCarthyism drove him out of the position. He later returned to work for Voice of America in a freelance capacity. By the 1960s Johannes Urzidil often traveled back to Europe to give lectures and talks for various institutions and organizations, usually travelling with Gertrude, although they never returned permanently to Europe. The topics of his lectures concerned such subjects as Franz Kafka and the "Prager Kreis," Goethe, his own works, and the artist Vaclav Hollar, among other topics.

Throughout his life Johannes Urzidil wrote not only articles, essays, and radio scripts but also longer works, poetry and fiction in German. His first poetry was published when he was only 17 years old, under the pseudonym Hans Elmar in a Prague newspaper. Some early writings of his were published in expressionist publications such as Die Friede and Der Mensch . In 1919 Urzidil's first volume of poetry Die Sturz der Verdammten was published. His other volumes of poetry were Die Stimme in 1930 and Die Memnonsäule in 1957. One of his most well-known works, Goethe in Böhmen, was published in 1932. Bohemia was a common topic in most of Johannes Urzidil's writings, including such works of his as Die verlorene Geliebte, which won the Charles Veillon Prize in 1956. The lyrical work Prager Triptychon, and Die Entführung und sieben andere Ereignisse were two other fictional pieces which featured Bohemia. Some of his works deal with life in America, including Das große Hallelujah, Vaterliches aus Prag und Handwerkliches aus New York . Der Trauermantel focused on the life of the writer Adalbert Stifter.

Johannes Urzidil died in Rome on November 2, 1970, where he was to give a lecture for the Austrian Institute. He was buried in Campo Santo Teutonico, the German cemetery there. Gertrude Urzidil died in New York on June 12, 1977, and was buried in the cemetery in the town where she was born, Goltsch-Janikay, Austria (now Golčův Jenikov, Czech Republic).

• February 3, 1896: Johannes Urzidil born in Prague
• July 20, 1898: Gertude Thieberger born in Goltsch-Janikay, Austria
• 1914 - 1919 : Johannes Urzidil studies at University of Prague
• 1916 - 1918 : Johannes Urzidil serves in Austro-Hungarian military
• 1918 - 1922 : Johannes Urzidil works as translator for German Consulate in Prague
• 1919: Sturz der Verdammten published
• 1922: Johannes Urzidil marries Gertrude Thieberger
• 1922 - 1933 : Johannes Urzidil is press attaché at German Legation in Prague
• 1924: Franz Kafka dies
• 1930: Die Stimme published
• 1932: Goethe in Böhmen published
• 1933: Johannes Urzidil loses position with German Legation
• 1939: Urzidils flee Prague, going first to Genoa, then England
• March 27, 1940: Johannes Urzidil meets Czechoslovakian President in exile Edvard Beneš and becomes official correspondent for Čechoslovak and the Central European Observer
• February 11, 1941: Urzidils arrive in New York
• 1945: Der Trauermantel published
• 1946: Johannes Urzidil becomes an American citizen
• 1951: Johannes Urzidil working for Voice of America as a script writer and information specialist
• 1953: Johannes Urzidil working for Voice of America as a freelance writer
• 1956: Die verlorene Geliebte published; book wins Charles Veillon Prize
• 1957: Die Memnonsäule published
• 1958: Denkwürdigkeiten von Gibracht publishedDas Glück der Gegenwart: Goethes Amerikabild published
• 1959: Das grosse Hallelujah published
• 1960: Prager Triptychon published
• 1962: Das Elefantenblatt published
• 1964: Entführung und sieben andere Ereignisse published
• 1965: Da Geht Kafka published
• 1966: Die erbeuteten Frauen published
• 1968: Bist du es, Ronald? published
• 1969: Väterliches aus Prag und Handwerkliches aus New York published
• November 2, 1970: Johannes Urzidil dies
• 1971: Morgen fahr' ich heim publishedDie letzte Tombola published
• June 12, 1977: Gertrude Urzidil dies

Some information for biographical note from: Serke, Jürgen. Böhmische Dörfer: Wanderungen durch eine verlassene literarische Landschaft. Vienna: Paul Zsolnay Verlag, 1987.

From the guide to the Johannes and Gertrude Urzidil Collection, 1753-1996, (Leo Baeck Institute)