Milan Kundera - Czech Men, Career and Family
Milan Kundera's Personal Details
Milan Kundera is a Czech-born French writer known for his erotic and political writings
| Information | Detail |
|---|---|
| Birthday | April 1, 1929 |
| Nationality | Czech, French |
| Famous | Writers, Novelists, Czech Men |
| Spouses | Vera Hrabankova |
| Universities |
|
| Birth Place | Brno |
| Born Country | Czech Republic |
| Religion | Atheism |
| Height | 186 |
| Gender | Male |
| Father | Ludvík Kundera |
| Mother | Milada Kunderova-Janosikova |
| Net Worth | $8 million as of Apr 12,2017 |
| Sun Sign | Aries |
| Born in | Brno |
| Famous as | Writer |
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Milan Kundera's photo
Who is Milan Kundera?
Milan Kundera is a Czech-born French writer known for his erotic and political writings. One of his best known works is ‘The Unbearable Lightness of Being’, which explores the artistic and intellectual life of Czech society in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Born into a middle-class family in Czechoslovakia as the son of a prominent musicologist and pianist, young Milan followed in his father’s footsteps to study musicology and musical composition. A teenager at the time of the World War II, his ideology was greatly influenced by the experiences of the war and the German occupation. As a young man he joined the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia though he was soon expelled because of his “anti-party” activities. He completed his higher studies at Film Faculty of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague and became a lecturer after graduation. He began his writing career as a poet and proceeded to write short stories and novels as well. Most of his works have erotic undertones and political elements which led him to be regarded as a political or dissident writer. He was forced to go into exile in France due to the controversial nature of his works and became a naturalized French citizen soon after. He is known to be a reclusive person who rarely speaks to the media.
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Childhood & Early Life
Milan Kundera was born on 1 April 1929 in Brno, Czechoslovakia, into a middle-class family. His father, Ludvík Kundera, was a prominent musicologist and pianist who served as the head of the Janáček Music Academy in Brno from 1948 to 1961. His mother’s name was Milada Kunderová.
He was trained to play the piano at an early age. He was a young boy when the World War II started, and much of his political ideology was shaped by the experiences of World War II and the German occupation. While in his teens he joined the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia only to be expelled later on.
He completed his schooling from Gymnázium třída Kapitána Jaroše in 1948 and proceeded to study literature and aesthetics at the Faculty of Arts at Charles University in Prague. He transferred to the Film Faculty of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague after a couple of terms and graduated in 1952.
Awards & Achievements
In 1985, Milan Kundera received the Jerusalem Prize.
He was presented with The Austrian State Prize for European Literature in 1987.
He won the international Herder Prize in 2000 and the Czech State Literature Prize in 2007.
Personal Life & Legacy
Milan Kundera married Vera Hrabankova in 1967.
In 2008, a scandal erupted when the Czech weekly ‘Respekt’ publicized an investigation carried out by the Czech Institute for Studies of Totalitarian Regimes which alleged that Kundera had denounced a young Czech pilot, Miroslav Dvořáček, to the police in 1950. Kundera denied the charges.
Major Works
His best known work is ‘The Unbearable Lightness of Being’, a story about two women, two men, a dog and their lives in the Prague Spring period of Czechoslovak history in 1968. The critically acclaimed work was later adapted into an American film.
His novel ‘The Book of Laughter and Forgetting’, composed of seven separate narratives united by some common themes speaks of Czech citizens opposing the communist regime in various ways. Wittily written with elements of irony, the book is one of the author’s most successful ones.
Career
Upon his graduation Milan Kundera was appointed as a lecturer in world literature in the Film Faculty. He also began his writing career in the 1950s and published several collections of poetry, including ‘The Last May’ in 1955 and ‘Monologues’ in 1957.
Around this time he was readmitted into the Communist Party in 1956 and remained a member until 1970 when he was expelled again.
The 1960s was a productive time for him as a writer. He published several volumes of short stories and a successful one-act play, ‘The Owners of the Keys’ (1962) which he followed up with the novel, ‘The Joke’ (1967), a comedic take on the life of Czechs during the years of Stalinism.
In 1968, Kundera along with other reform communist writers such as Pavel Kohout became involved in the Prague Spring. The reformist activities, however, were crushed by the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia in August 1968.
Following the Soviet invasion, Kundera lost his teaching position due to his involvement in the Prague Spring. His books were banned from the libraries in his country and in 1970, his books were banned from publication.
In 1975, Kundera along with his wife went into exile in France where he got a teaching position in the University of Rennes. The Czech government stripped him of his citizenship in 1979 and in 1981 he became a naturalized French citizen.
In 1984, he published ‘The Unbearable Lightness of Being’, a novel which would become his best known work. The story was about two women, two men, a dog and their lives in the Prague Spring period of Czechoslovak history in 1968.
In the 1990s he published ‘Immortality’ (1990), ‘Slowness’ (1995), and ‘Identity’ (1998). ‘Immortality’ was his last novel in Czech; ‘Slowness’ and ‘Identity’ were written in French. His books have been translated into many languages.
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Milan Kundera's awards
| Year | Name | Award |
|---|---|---|
Other | ||
| 0 | 1985 - Jerusalem Prize for the Freedom of the Individual in Society | |
| 0 | Austrian State Prize for European Literature | |
| 0 | 2009 - Prix mondial Cino Del Duca | |
| 0 | 1981 - Common Wealth Award of Distinguished Service | |
Milan Kundera biography timelines
- // 1948 To 1952He completed his schooling from Gymnázium třída Kapitána Jaroše in 1948 and proceeded to study literature and aesthetics at the Faculty of Arts at Charles University in Prague. He transferred to the Film Faculty of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague after a couple of terms and graduated in 1952.
- // 1950 To 2008In 2008, a scandal erupted when the Czech weekly ‘Respekt’ publicized an investigation carried out by the Czech Institute for Studies of Totalitarian Regimes which alleged that Kundera had denounced a young Czech pilot, Miroslav Dvořáček, to the police in 1950. Kundera denied the charges.
- // 1955 To 1957Upon his graduation Milan Kundera was appointed as a lecturer in world literature in the Film Faculty. He also began his writing career in the 1950s and published several collections of poetry, including ‘The Last May’ in 1955 and ‘Monologues’ in 1957.
- // 1956 To 1970Around this time he was readmitted into the Communist Party in 1956 and remained a member until 1970 when he was expelled again.
- // 1962 To 1967The 1960s was a productive time for him as a writer. He published several volumes of short stories and a successful one-act play, ‘The Owners of the Keys’ (1962) which he followed up with the novel, ‘The Joke’ (1967), a comedic take on the life of Czechs during the years of Stalinism.
- // 1967Milan Kundera married Vera Hrabankova in 1967.
- // 1968 To 1984In 1984, he published ‘The Unbearable Lightness of Being’, a novel which would become his best known work. The story was about two women, two men, a dog and their lives in the Prague Spring period of Czechoslovak history in 1968.
- // 1968His best known work is ‘The Unbearable Lightness of Being’, a story about two women, two men, a dog and their lives in the Prague Spring period of Czechoslovak history in 1968. The critically acclaimed work was later adapted into an American film.
- // Aug 1968In 1968, Kundera along with other reform communist writers such as Pavel Kohout became involved in the Prague Spring. The reformist activities, however, were crushed by the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia in August 1968.
- // 1970Following the Soviet invasion, Kundera lost his teaching position due to his involvement in the Prague Spring. His books were banned from the libraries in his country and in 1970, his books were banned from publication.
- // 1985In 1985, Milan Kundera received the Jerusalem Prize.
- // 1987He was presented with The Austrian State Prize for European Literature in 1987.
- // 2000 To 2007He won the international Herder Prize in 2000 and the Czech State Literature Prize in 2007.
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Milan Kundera's FAQ
What is Milan Kundera birthday?
Milan Kundera was born at 1929-04-01
Where is Milan Kundera's birth place?
Milan Kundera was born in Brno
What is Milan Kundera nationalities?
Milan Kundera's nationalities is Czech, French
Who is Milan Kundera spouses?
Milan Kundera's spouses is Vera Hrabankova
What was Milan Kundera universities?
Milan Kundera studied at Academy of Performing Arts in Prague, Charles University in Prague
What is Milan Kundera's religion?
Milan Kundera's religion is Atheism
How tall is Milan Kundera?
Milan Kundera's height is 186
Who is Milan Kundera's father?
Milan Kundera's father is Ludvík Kundera
Who is Milan Kundera's mother?
Milan Kundera's mother is Milada Kunderova-Janosikova
What is Milan Kundera's sun sign?
Milan Kundera is Aries
How famous is Milan Kundera?
Milan Kundera is famouse as Writer