Register of the Jaroslav Stránský papers

Finding aid prepared by Blanka Pasternak
Hoover Institution Library and Archives
© 2003
434 Galvez Mall
Stanford University
Stanford, CA 94305-6003
hoover-library-archives@stanford.edu


Title: Jaroslav Stránský papers
Date (inclusive): 1894-1970
Collection Number: 82075
Contributing Institution: Hoover Institution Library and Archives
Language of Material: Czech
Physical Description: 8 manuscript boxes (3.3 Linear Feet)
Abstract: Speeches and writings, radio broadcast transcripts, and correspondence, relating to politics and culture in Czechoslovakia, and to conditions in Czechoslovakia under communism.
Creator: Stránský, Jaroslav, 1884-1973
Physical Location: Hoover Institution Library & Archives

Access

The collection is open for research; materials must be requested in advance via our reservation system. If there are audiovisual or digital media material in the collection, they must be reformatted before providing access.

Use

For copyright status, please contact the Hoover Institution Library & Archives.

Acquisition Information

Acquired by the Hoover Institution Library & Archives in 1982.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], Jaroslav Stránský papers, [Box no., Folder no. or title], Hoover Institution Library & Archives.

Alternative Form Available

Also available on microfilm (7 reels).

Biographical Note

1884 January 15 Born, Brno, Czechoslovakia
1907 Received his law degree from Charles University
1918-1925 Member of the Czechoslovak National Democratic Party
1918 October Member of the National Committee in Brno, which proclaimed Czechoslovakia independent
1918-1920 Represented the Czechoslovak National Democratic Party in the Revolutionary National Assembly
1918-1927 Owner and chief-editor of Lidové noviny
1920 Member of the Czechoslovak Parliament, Czechoslovak National Democratic Party
1921 March Resigned as member of the Czechoslovak Parliament
1921-1925 Leader of the Moravian Opposition Wing of the Czechoslovak National Democratic Party
1925 Became owner of the publishing house Fr. Borový in Prague
  Resigned from the Czechoslovak National Democratic Party and founded the National Labor Party
1929-1938 Member of the Czechoslovak Parliament, Czechoslovak National Socialist Party
1930 The National Labor Party merged with the Czechoslovak National Socialist Party
1938 September 30 Protested, along with a group of other parliament members, president Beneš's accepting the Munich Agreement
1938 December 16 Resigned as member of the Czechoslovak Parliament in protest against president Beneš's signing the Munich Agreement
1939 March Emigrated to Great Britain
1941 October 27 - 1942 November 12 State Minister for the Ministry of Justice of the Czechoslovak Government in exile
1942 November 12 - 1945 April 5 Minister of Justice of the Czechoslovak Government in exile
1945-1948 Member of the Czechoslovak Parliament, Czechoslovak National Socialist Party
1945 April 4-November 6 Minister of Justice in Fierlinger's Government in Prague
1945 November - 1946 Deputy Prime Minister of Czechoslovakia
1946 July 2 - 1948 February 25 Minister of Education in Gottwald's Government in Prague
1948 February 20 Resigned from his post as Minister of Education, and after the coup d'etat emigrated to Great Britain
1951-1970 Broadcast weekly commentaries on Radio Free Europe under the name of Jan Zedník
1973 August 13 Died, London, Great Britain

Scope and Content Note

The papers of Jaroslav Stránský were acquired by the Hoover Institution Library & Archives from his son, Jan Stránský, in August 1982, and relate mainly to Stránský's anti-communist post-war émigré activities during the years he spent in his second exile. Shortly after the communist coup d'etat in February 1948 he emigrated to Great Britain, and in 1951 he started his regular broadcasts on Radio Free Europe.
The bulk of the collection consists of transcripts of these broadcasts on Radio Free Europe. From 1951 to 1970 Jaroslav Stránský delivered weekly commentaries to Czechoslovakia under the pen name Jan Zedník. His lively, often deeply philosophical speeches were objective, colorful, sober, and compassionate. He spoke about freedom and justice, spiritual and moral values, literature, theatre and art and their limited possibilities under the communist rule, and provided insightful analyses of the political and economic situation in Communist Czechoslovakia.
Of significant importance is Stránský's often very personal correspondence with prominent artists, writers, poets, composers, and politicians, such as Leoš Janácek, Arne Novák, Leopolda Dostálová, or Rudolf Bechyne, and reflects his life-long interest and involvement in the cultural and political life of the country.
The Lidové noviny file, a smaller but equally important part of the collection, relates to Stránský's activities as editor-in-chief of Lidové noviny, the daily newspaper founded by his father, Adolf Stránský. This series consists of letters written by artists and authors who contributed to the daily, and reflects their every day concerns about publishing issues.
Of special note are also Stránský's writings on the origins of the Czechoslovak exile, its crisis and tasks, as well as lectures on Czech and German relations.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Statesmen -- Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia -- Politics and government
Czechoslovakia -- Civilization

 

CORRESPONDENCE 1908-1966

Scope and Contents note

Letters, notes, postcards, and telegrams, arranged alphabetically by name of correspondent
box 1, folder 1

Axman, Emil 1926

box 1, folder 2

Bass, Eduard 1923

box 1, folder 3

Bechyně, Rudolf 1919-1937

box 1, folder 4

Beneš, Edvard 1923-1944

box 1, folder 5

Beran, Josef, Archbishop of Prague 1965-1966

box 1, folder 6

Bevin, Ernest 1950

box 1, folder 7

Bezruč, Petr 1913-1947

box 1, folder 8

Blažíček, Oldřich J. 1947

box 1, folder 9

Borský, Lev 1919

box 1, folder 10

Brod, Max 1929

box 1, folder 11

Burian, Karel 1915

box 1, folder 12

Čapek, Josef 1931

box 1, folder 13

Čapek, Karel 1925-1930

box 1, folder 14

Čapek-Chod, Karel M. 1924

box 1, folder 15

Černý, Jan 1924-1927

box 1, folder 16

Dostálová, Leopolda 1946

box 1, folder 17

Dušek, Cyril 1917

box 1, folder 18

Eisner, Pavel 1935

box 1, folder 19

Engliš, Karel 1933-1934

box 1, folder 20

Filla, Emil 1926

box 1, folder 21

Fischer, Otokar 1924-1928

box 1, folder 22

Florián, Josef 1929

box 1, folder 23

Foerster, Josef Bohuslav n.d.

box 1, folder 24

Franke, Emil 1929

box 1, folder 25

Gellner, František n.d.

box 1, folder 26

Hácha, Emil 1934

box 1, folder 27

Herrmann, Ignát 1923

box 1, folder 28

Houdek, Fedor 1925

box 1, folder 29

Hubnerová, Marie 1917

box 1, folder 30

Hýsek, Milan 1909

box 1, folder 31

Janáček, Leoš 1924-1927

box 1, folder 32

Jelínek, Hanuš 1930

box 1, folder 33

Kameníček, František n.d.

box 1, folder 34

Kelsen, Professor 1924

box 1, folder 35

Klofáč, Václav 1930-1937

box 1, folder 36

Kordač, František 1927

box 1, folder 37

Kvapil, Jaroslav 1923-1938

box 1, folder 38

Laudová-Hořicová 1913

box 1, folder 39

Lešehrady, Emanuel 1947

box 1, folder 40

Mahen, Jiří 1919

box 1, folder 41

Majerová, Marie 1947

box 1, folder 42

Mařák, Otokar 1928

box 1, folder 43

Markovič, Ivan 1922

box 1, folder 44

Masaryk, Jan 1924-1926

box 1, folder 45

Mičura, Dr. 1933

box 1, folder 46

Mixa, Vojtěch 1925

box 1, folder 47

Nasková, Růžena 1946-1947

box 1, folder 48

Nechleba, Vratislav 1912-1913

box 1, folder 49

Novák, Arne 1916-1938

box 1, folder 50

Novák, Vítězslav 1947

box 1, folder 51

Olbracht, Ivan 1933-1947

box 1, folder 52

Peroutka, Ferdinand 1924

box 1, folder 53

Prečan, Leopold 1946

box 1, folder 54

Pulda, J. 1910

box 1, folder 55

Rabas, Václav 1946-1947

box 1, folder 56

Rádl, Emanuel 1920-1928

box 1, folder 57

Rypáček, Jaroslav 1910

box 2, folder 1

Schieszl, Josef? 1924-1925

box 2, folder 2

Sedláčková, Anna 1946

box 2, folder 3

Sedlmayerová, Olga 1936

box 2, folder 4

Sekanina, František 1926

box 2, folder 5

Slovák, Alois 1913

box 2, folder 6

Sova, Antonín 1921-1922

box 2, folder 7

Svoboda, František Xaver 1908-1923

box 2, folder 8

Šrámek, Fráňa 1923-1947

box 2, folder 9

Štech, Václav 1934

box 2, folder 10

Švabinský, Max 1931-1946

box 2, folder 11

Talich, Václav 1946

box 2, folder 12

Trýb, Antonín 1928-1946

box 2, folder 13

Tusar, Vlastimil 1922

box 2, folder 14

Veris, Jaroslav 1931

box 2, folder 15

Vodák, J. 1922

box 2, folder 16

Vojan, Eduard 1913-1915

box 2, folder 17

Vrchlická, Eva 1932

box 2, folder 18

Weiner, Richard 1919-1934

box 2, folder 19

Weyr, Professor 1917-1923

box 2, folder 20

Zrzavý, Jan 1928-1931

 

LIDOVÉ NOVINY FILE 1920-1946

Scope and Contents note

Correspondence arranged under the names of the editor, František Šelepa, and of Jaroslav Stránský
 

Šelepa, František

box 2, folder 21

Averčenko, Arkadij 1922

box 2, folder 22

Čapek, Karel 1921-1935

box 2, folder 23

Dostál-Bystřina, Ferdinand 1924

 

Stránský, Jaroslav

box 2, folder 24

Boettinger, Hugo 1921-1924

box 2, folder 25

Chesterton, Gilbert Keith 1926

box 2, folder 26

Durych, Jaroslav 1921-1946

box 2, folder 27

Herben, Jan 1925

box 2, folder 28

Herriot, Edouard n.d.

box 2, folder 29

Jahoda, Jaroslav 1933

box 2, folder 30

Jirásek, Alois 1920

box 2, folder 31

Kisch, Egon Erwín 1924

box 2, folder 32

Křička, Petr 1922

box 2, folder 33

Lolek, S. 1924

box 2, folder 34

Neumann, Stanislav 1928

box 2, folder 35

Rais, Karel 1923

box 2, folder 36

Těsnohlídek, Rudolf 1925-1927

box 2, folder 37

Tilschová, Anna Marie 1922-1925

box 2, folder 38

Toman, Karel 1926

box 2, folder 39

Wolker, Jiří 1922

 

SPEECHES AND WRITINGS 1950-1958

Scope and Contents note

Articles, lectures, and speeches, arranged chronologically by title
box 2, folder 40

Speech on Czech-German relationship n.d.

Scope and Contents note

Typescript (in English)
box 2, folder 41

"The Czechs and the Germans," lecture, Frankfurt, Germany 1950?

Scope and Contents note

Typescript (in German)
box 2, folder 42

"Problém zásadní," lecture, London, Great Britain 1950?

Scope and Contents note

Typescript (in Czech)
box 2, folder 43

"Příčiny exilu a účel exilu," lecture, Frankfurt, Germany, . 1950 February 10

Scope and Contents note

Typescript (in Czech)
box 2, folder 44

"Ke krisi v československé emigraci," lecture, Ústav Dra. E. Beneše pro politické a sociální studium, London, . 1950 February 26

Scope and Contents note

Typescript (in Czech)
box 2, folder 45

"O naši nezávislost," Skutečnost, Paris, . 1950 December 12

Scope and Contents note

Printed copy (in Czech)
box 2, folder 46

"Plamínková a Horáková," speech, Národní dům, London, . 1952 June 20

Scope and Contents note

Typescript (in Czech)
box 2, folder 47

"O sudetoněmecké otázce," lecture, Ústav Dra. E. Beneše pro politické a sociální studium, London, . 1953 January 16

Scope and Contents note

Typescript (in English and Czech)
box 2, folder 48

"Politický doslov a úvod," lecture, Ústav Dra. E. Beneše pro politické a sociální studium, London, . 1954 April 11

Scope and Contents note

Typescript (in Czech)
box 2, folder 49

"Československo dnes a zitra," lecture, London, . 1958 January 1

Scope and Contents note

Typescript (in Czech)
 

RADIO BROADCASTS FILE, . 1951-1970

Scope and Contents note

Consists of typewritten and handwritten transcripts of broadcasts on Radio Free Europe arranged chronologically
box 3, folder 1-2

1951

box 3, folder 3-4

1952

box 3, folder 5-6

1953

box 4, folder 1-2

1954

box 4, folder 3

1955

box 4, folder 4-5

1956

box 5, folder 1-2

1957

box 5, folder 3-4

1958

box 5, folder 5-6

1959

box 5, folder 7-8

1960

box 6, folder 1-2

1961

box 6, folder 3-4

1962

box 6, folder 5-6

1963

box 7, folder 1-2

1964

box 7, folder 3-4

1965

box 7, folder 5-6

1966

box 8, folder 1-2

1967

box 8, folder 3-4

1968

box 8, folder 5

1969

box 8, folder 6

1970

 

ADOLF STRÁNSKÝ FILE, . 1904-1931

Scope and Contents note

Correspondence and obituaries of Adolf Stránský, father of Jaroslav Stránský, arranged alphabetically by physical form
 

Correspondence

box 8, folder 7

Kramář, Karel, . 1904-1925

Scope and Contents note

Includes a handwritten note by both T. G. Masaryk and Karel Kramář, exchanging views on the fate of Subcarpathian Ruthenia
box 8, folder 8

Masaryková, Alice 1923

box 8, folder 9

Sís, František 1917

box 8, folder 10

Obituaries 1931

 

JAN STRÁNSKÝ FILE, . 1949-1964

Scope and Contents note

Correspondence of Jan Stránský, son of Jaroslav Stránský, arranged alphabetically by name of correspondent
box 8, folder 11

Churchill, Clementine 1950

box 8, folder 12

Davies, Ernest 1950

box 8, folder 13

Desai, Morarji Ranchodji 1963-1964

box 8, folder 14

Hankey, Robin 1949

box 8, folder 15

Horák, Bohuslav 1950

box 8, folder 16

Macmillan, Harold 1950

box 8, folder 17

Sandys, Duncan 1950

box 8, folder 18

Shuckburg, Evelyn 1950

box 8, folder 19

Younger, Kenneth 1950

 

PHOTOGRAPHS n.d.

Scope and Contents note

One print depicting Josef Beran, the Archbishop of Prague, and one postcard depicting Kácov nad Sázavou, signed by J. B. Čapek and E. Lukáč
box 8, folder 20

One print depicting Josef Beran, the Archbishop of Prague

box 8, folder 21

One postcard depicting Kácov nad Sázavou, signed by J. B. Čapek and E. Lukáč