Jaroslav Hašek Memorial Plaque in Světlá nad Sázavou

The Jaroslav Hašek memorial plaque is mounted on the western wall of the railway station building in Světlá nad Sázavou, a small town in the Bohemian-Moravian Highlands (Vysočina) region of the Czech Republic. The bronze plaque marks the spot where one of the most celebrated Czech writers — the author of "The Good Soldier Švejk" — once stepped off a train and began the final chapter of his life.

What exactly does the plaque commemorate?

The plaque refers to a specific event: on August 25, 1921, Jaroslav Hašek arrived by train in Světlá nad Sázavou together with academic painter Jaroslav Panuška. The two men did not linger in the town itself — from the station they set off on foot toward Lipnice nad Sázavou, stopping at several inns along the way. It was in Lipnice that Hašek found his last home and dictated much of "The Fates of the Good Soldier Švejk During the World War" before his death in 1923.

The station in Světlá nad Sázavou was therefore the starting point of the writer's final journey — the place where the road to the town forever linked with his name began.

When and why was the plaque installed?

The plaque was unveiled in 2008, on the anniversary of that August arrival. Marking this episode fits into a broader effort in the Vysočina region to preserve the memory of Hašek, who spent his last years there and whose legacy still draws visitors following in the footsteps of his fictional Švejk.

Where exactly is it located?

The plaque is fixed to the railway station building in Světlá nad Sázavou, on its western side — the section that corresponds to the platform from which Hašek and Panuška actually began their walk toward Lipnice. The station has undergone modernization in recent years, but the memorial plaque has remained part of its facade, visible to travelers passing through on this rail line.

Why is it worth a stop?

For anyone tracing Jaroslav Hašek's footsteps across the Bohemian-Moravian Highlands, this modest station plaque serves as a natural starting point for a route that continues to Lipnice nad Sázavou — home to the house where the writer spent his final months and to Lipnice Castle. The station itself, an otherwise ordinary stop on the rail network, gains a literary dimension thanks to the plaque, a reminder that great literary stories sometimes begin with an ordinary step off a train.

Frequently asked questions

Who was Jaroslav Hašek? A Czech writer and satirist, author of the unfinished novel "The Good Soldier Švejk," one of the most significant works of 20th-century Czech literature.

Why is the plaque at the station and not in Lipnice? Because it commemorates a specific moment — Hašek's arrival by train and his walk from the platform in Světlá nad Sázavou toward Lipnice, the town where he actually settled.

Who was Jaroslav Panuška, Hašek's travel companion? An academic painter and friend of the writer who accompanied him on this 1921 trip into the Vysočina region.

Can the plaque be seen without entering the station building? Yes, it is mounted on the exterior western wall and is visible to any passerby or traveler.