Jirí Orten - Kutná Hora (Central Bohemia) - Childhood Homes on Waymarking.com

The birthplace of Czech-Jewish poet Jirí Orten (1919-1941) is located in Neo-Gothic residential house in Kollárova street in historic centre of Kutná Hora.

The small marble tablet on the facade bears following inscription in Czech:

V tomto dome se narodil básník Jirí Orten 30. srpna 1919 – 1. zárí 1941

Translation to English:

In this house was born poet Jirí Orten August 30, 1919 – September 1, 1941

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Jirí Orten (born "Jirí Ohrenstein" in Kutná Hora on August 30, 1919; died September 1, 1941) was a Czech poet. His work was influenced by surrealism and folklore. His first book of poems, Cítanka jaro (Reader of Spring), came out in 1939. He spent time in Paris, but ultimately returned to Prague. As a Jew his life under Nazi rule was extremely restricted, but for a time he continued to write under pseudonyms. On August 30, 1941 he was hit by an ambulance. He was taken to the General Infirmary, which refused him treatment because he was Jewish, so he was moved to another hospital. He died two days later. Although he gained a cult following for a few years after his death, the Communists later rejected him as "degenerative muck." His work gained renewed interest during the Prague Spring, and ultimately opinion of him rebounded. This re-appraisal led Czechoslovakia to create a literary prize named for him in 1987. [wiki]

Name of Famous Person: Jiří Orten Physical Address: Kollárova 315/4, 284 01 Kutná Hora, Czechia What is this person famous for?: Several books of poems. His work shows that he had great talent, was not a member of any group, but was influenced by existentialism. Orten's work greatly influenced Czech poetry. His poetry expresses the feelings of young people surprised and wounded by hard war times. Website verifying legitimacy of site: [Web Link] Additional Website verifying Site legitimacy: [Web Link] Personal Experience: Perfectly reconstructed Neo-Gothic residential house from 1903-1904. Other information about area: Not listed

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