Jiří Karásek ze Lvovic was a writer, poet, literary critic, and avid collector of literature and Slavic art. Born in Prague on January 24, 1871, Karásek was particularly fascinated with death as a child, possibly stemming from the loss of his father and several siblings in his early life. Karásek studied theology at Charles University in Prague with intentions of entering the priesthood until increasing doubts led him not to complete his studies. Karásek wanted to pursue teaching but lacked the money to do so. Instead, he became a civil servant in the post office, eventually moving up to director of the Postal Museum and Archives. Karásek authored many poems and novels during this time, several of which explored the idea of decadence in Czech literature. He was also interested in occultism and belonged to the “Hermetik Universalia,” a Czech hermetic society. The “ze Lvovic” part of his name is something he added on later in his life, claiming to be a descendant of 16th century astrologer Cyprián Karásek Lvovický ze Lvovic.
In 1894, Karásek co-founded the Moderni Revue magazine, establishing himself as a leading force for Czech Decadence. It was at this point in his life when he came out as homosexual, which was an especially courageous and risky move, as homosexuality was illegal during this time. Despite the risks, Karásek still decided to be openly gay and became a staunch defender and advocate of the LGBT community. He published a collection of homoerotic poetry, supported Oscar Wilde during his trial, and founded a social organization for the LGBT community called the Enlightenment and Social Association of Friendship. He also published two magazines about sexual reform and the Czech homosexual community. Many modern authors view Karásek as “a founding father of gay Czech literature.”
In 1922, Karásek donated his collection of art and literature to the Czechoslovak Sokol Organization, which he personally managed until his death on March 5, 1951. His collection, which is perhaps one of the largest in Europe, was “nationalized” and became part of the National Literature Archive in 1954.
Written by James Travis
Sources:
https://www.czechlit.cz/en/feature/some-half-forgotten-treasures-from-the-czech-literary-corpus/
https://www.twistedspoon.com/karasek.html
https://www.themodernnovel.org/europe/europe/czech-republic/karasek/