-1936 Švédové Před Brnem

Helena Bochorakova’s 1936 wordless novel, Švédové Před Brnem, is a historical chronicle told through 72 woodcuts of the defence of Brno in 1645 against the Swedes – a story that still resonates with present-day Czechs.

Story Arc

The story arc follows the real-life Siege of Brno in 1645, a pivotal moment during the Thirty Years’ War:

The story begins with the approach of the Swedish army, led by General Lennart Torstenson;
The middle section focuses on the grueling daily life of the siege.
The arc reaches its peak during the massive Swedish assault on August 15, 1645 (the Feast of the Assumption).
The story concludes with the Swedish retreat. Brno—despite being outnumbered—was the only Moravian city to successfully resist the Swedish onslaught.

Bibliographic details

Title: Švédové Před Brnem: Kniha Dřevorytů (translated: The Swedes Besiege Brno: A Book of Woodcuts)
Author and Illustrator: Helena Bochořáková-Dittrichová
Introduction: 15 pages in Czech – the author is not indicated but presumably by the artist. The introduction gives the back story to the defence of Brno in 1645.
Date of publication: 1936
Publisher: Klub Vytvarnych Umelcu Ales
Place of publication: Brno
Printer: Knihtiskárna Pokorný a spol. in Brno
Copyright: artist?
Dust jacket: No
Binding: hard cover
Size: 4to; [actual woodcut size 14 x 12.5 cm]; pp: 27 x 19 cm.
Language: Czech
Paginated: unpaginated
Printed: verso and recto on French fold that is not opened
Edition: 100 numbered and signed copies, of which:
- 10 copies were issued on handmade paper,
- 90 copies on Chamois Special paper,
- in addition to these, an unknown number, not numbered but some signed, have been for sale. I suggest the unnumbered/unsigned copies were:
  - from an overrun where the printer prints extra copies just in case of any problems in production, or
  - publisher’s giveaways, or
  - bootleg
  - also there are an unknown number of unbound copies ie surplus from the printer.
Description: this documents the failed attempt of the Swedish armies under the command of general Lennart Torstenson to capture the city of Brno in 1645, during the Thirty Years War. Brno was the only city in Europe able to repel the Swedish army, thus blocking a direct path to Vienna and preventing the overthrow of Hapsburg rule. This event remains of major cultural significance to Czechs and Slovaks even in the present day.

Švédové 10 numbered copies – on handmade paper

I am not aware of any sales records; images, or info on the book binding, etc

it is unlikely that it had a dust jacket.
If you have any information, please send it on wn@wordlessnovels.com

Švédové 90 numbered copies – on chamois paper

Signed on title page
Numbered on colophon
Quarto [26.5 x 19.5 cm] in beige (or gray?) cloth
gilt-stamped title on spine
bound-in red silk ribbon marker
colophon states that “printed letterpress”– ie suggests that it was printed from the woodblocks.
Printed French-fold with the fore edge tinted black. Fore-edge unopened, as designed.
Chamois paper
Black end papers
Half-title page; title page; pages numbered 5 through 19 of text; 36 prints; two pages listing the titles of each print;
Plain slipcase; (thin card – more like a shipping case)
bound in red ribbon page marker