Jiří Grossmann (20 July 1941 – 5 December 1971) was a Czech theatre actor, poet and composer.
Life
Grossmann was born in Prague. After his graduation, he started at the Czech Technical University in Prague, but left in 1962 when he met Miloslav Šimek in the Olympik bar. Grossmann performed with Dixie Party Band in the Olympik Theatre Club, playing on contrabass also. They immediately established a theatre double and started writing poems, short stories and stage plays. Their first theatre group was called Mlok.Czech Radio Broadcast Article Grossmann and Šimek's most famous project was Navštěvní den, a theatre-styled show performed in theatre Semafor.Skálová, Johana. Nevyjasněná úmrtí V. 1st Ed. Praha : The World Circle Foundation, 2000. .
The duo was persecuted after the Soviet occupation of Czechoslovakia in 1968 following the Prague Spring.
When Grossmann realized he was dying of Hodgkin lymphoma, he wrote one of his most sad lyrics called Závidím (I am envious) expressing fears of death. On 5 December 1971, Grossmann died in the hospital.
The Jiří Grossmann TheatreJiří Grossmann Theatre and Prague's Jiří Grossmann's Archway commemorate him today.
Books Jiří Grossmann and Miroslav Šimek wrote together many short stories, which they read out as part of their performances. Their collections were also published as books, some only after Grossmann's death. The collections include: Besídka zvláštní školy (1969) Besídka bývalých žáků zvláštní školy (1990) Povídky aneb nechci slevu zadarmo (1993) Povídky (2008)
Filmography Year Name English Title Movie/TV 1968 Zločin v šantánu Crime in a Music Hall MovieCrime in a Music Hall at IMDB 1969 Návštěvní den Miloslava Šimka a Jiřího Grossmanna Visiting Day of Miloslav Simek and Jiri Grossmann TV 1969 Návštěvní den č. 2 Visiting Day No.2 TV 1969 Návštěvní den č. 3 Visiting Day No.3 TV 1969 Návštěvní den č. 4 Visiting Day No.4 not playedŠimek, M. – Wágner, M. Pro někoho šoumen, pro mě kamarád Slávek. 1st Ed. Praha : Brána : Knižní klub, 2004. 223 pp. . 1970 Návštěvní den č. 5 Visiting Day No.5 TV 1970 Návštěvní den č. 6 Visiting Day No.6 TV
Discography Year Name English Title Comment 1991 Své banjo odhazuji v dálSvé banjo odhazuji dál by SupraphonSvé banjo odhazuji dál by Countryworld I Am Throwing My Banjo Away published in memoriam 2002 Jako kotě si přístJako kotě si příst by Supraphon Purr Like A Kitten published in memoriam
Related quotes
References
External links
Supraphon Entry Czechoslovak Film Database Entry Jiří Grossmann On Broadcast