Name: Czech Music Museum in Prague: The Comedy of Voskovec & Werich
Start: 2024-05-08T18:00:00-05:00
End: 2024-05-18T09:14:03-05:00
Location: Iowa City Public Library: Meeting Room A, Meeting Room B, Meeting Room C

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Wednesday, May 8, 2024 - 6:00pm to 7:00pm

05/08/2024 6:00pm 05/08/2024 7:00pm Czech Music Museum in Prague: The Comedy of Voskovec & Werich Thansatlantic Battlefront: How the Exiled Czech Comic Duo Continued Resistance to Nazi Occupation Via Radio Broadcasting. Jiri Voskovec and Jan Werich (V+W) were Czech comedians and pioneers of avant-garde performances in pre-war Czechoslovakia at the Prague Free Theater. V&W were also gifted comedians, singers and writers whose works encouraged resistance to Nazi aggression well into the mid-1930s. Both men were forced to emigrate from Czechoslovakia to the US in 1939. During this one hour program, you will be part of the Transatlantic journey of V&W, and learn about about their work in the US during WWII. This program is based on research, archival evidence, and wartime recordings which were recorded on discs and broadcast by radio stations WRUL in Boston, the BBC in Londan and by the US Office of War informaiton from the USA. Filip Sir, DiS. is the coordinator for digitization of audio documents in the Digitization & New Media Department of the National Museum, Prague. He plays a pivotal role in preserving and making available this historical audio legacy of the Czech Republic Mr. Šír is partnering with the University of Iowa’s Rita Benton Music Library and Endpoint Audio Labs that received a GRAMMY Museum Foundation Grant, dedicated to preserving the earliest recordings of Czech music made on American soil held in the Library’s Canter Rare Book Room. Iowa City Public Library Iowa City Public Library America/Chicago public

In-person event + Livestream
Meeting Room A, Meeting Room B, Meeting Room C

Thansatlantic Battlefront: How the Exiled Czech Comic Duo Continued Resistance to Nazi Occupation Via Radio Broadcasting.

Jiri Voskovec and Jan Werich (V+W) were Czech comedians and pioneers of avant-garde performances in pre-war Czechoslovakia at the Prague Free Theater. V&W were also gifted comedians, singers and writers whose works encouraged resistance to Nazi aggression well into the mid-1930s. Both men were forced to emigrate from Czechoslovakia to the US in 1939.

During this one hour program, you will be part of the Transatlantic journey of V&W, and learn about about their work in the US during WWII. This program is based on research, archival evidence, and wartime recordings which were recorded on discs and broadcast by radio stations WRUL in Boston, the BBC in Londan and by the US Office of War informaiton from the USA.

Filip Sir, DiS. is the coordinator for digitization of audio documents in the Digitization & New Media Department of the National Museum, Prague. He plays a pivotal role in preserving and making available this historical audio legacy of the Czech Republic

Mr. Šír is partnering with the University of Iowa’s Rita Benton Music Library and Endpoint Audio Labs that received a GRAMMY Museum Foundation Grant, dedicated to preserving the earliest recordings of Czech music made on American soil held in the Library’s Canter Rare Book Room.

If you need disability-related accommodations in order to participate in this event, please contact the Library.

This event is open to the public.