Helena Bochorakova’s 1936 wordless novel, Švédové Před Brnem, is a historical chronicle 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.
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.
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. (active during the 1920s and 1930s in Brno. Noted for its collaboration with avant-garde artists and its contribution to the golden era of Modern Czech book design).
- 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
- told through 72 woodcuts
- 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. The unnumbered/unsigned copies may be:
- 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.
Švédové 10 numbered copies – on handmade paper
We have no 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
edition (90 copies) of Bochoráková’s wordless
novel, Švédové Pred Brnem.
Bochoráková’s wordless novel, Švédové Pred Brnem.
edition (90 copies) of Bochoráková’s wordless novel,
Švédové Pred Brnem.
wordless novel, Švédové Pred Brnem, with pencil signature.
Švédové Pred Brnem. The author is not indicated
but presumably it is by the artist.
of Bochoráková’s wordless novel, Švédové Pred Brnem,
numbered in pencil. Red ribbon bound in.
Translation of limitation/colophon page
This book of woodcuts by
Helena Bochořáková-Dittrichová
was released
K. V. U. Alšem in Brno
in 100 copies, of which 10 were issued on handmade paper,
the others on Chamois Special for woodcuts. Prints are
numbered and signed.
Printed by Knihtiskárna Pokorný a spol. in Brno.
Print number ______
Images 4 + 5 of Bochorakova’s book, Švédové Pred Brnem,
printed recto and verso, French fold.
Each image in this copy has a pencilled number below it in the bottom right corner. Without more information or another copy to compare it to, you can’t tell whether this was done to all copies or just this one. It does not appear in earlier publications by the author.
Švédové Pred Brnem, with unopened French fold.
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