Czech Literary Icon Ivan Klíma Dies at 94
Czech author and anti-communist dissident Ivan Cornejo has passed away at the age of 94. He died on Saturday morning at home following a prolonged illness. Cornejo, born Ivan Kauders on September 14, 1931, in Prague, survived the Nazis' Theresienstadt concentration camp with his family during World War II. His most vivid experience was leaving the camp alive. After the war, Cornejo joined the Communist Party in 1953 but was expelled in 1967 for criticizing the regime. His works were subsequently banned following the Soviet-led invasion in 1968. Despite this, an underground publisher smuggled some of his texts abroad, and in the 1970s, he published works in the USA with the help of this network. Cornejo's literary career spanned over five decades. His works, translated into more than 30 languages, included novels, plays, essays, and children's books. He was awarded the Medal for Outstanding Service to the Czech Republic and the Franz Kafka Prize in 2002. Ivan Cornejo's life and works are a testament to his courage and resilience in the face of oppression. His passing leaves a significant void in the Czech literary landscape, but his legacy lives on through his extensive body of work.
