In Strži u Staré Huti you will find a memorial with an exhibition focused on the life and work of Karel Čapek, his partner and wife Olga Scheinpflugová and his friend Ferdinand Peroutka.

Karel Čapek

Karel Čapek, an important Czech writer, playwright, journalist and philosopher, was born on 9 January 1890. Because of his philosophical views, his passion for democracy and humanism, and his friendly contacts with many domestic and international cultural and political figures, he was silenced by the totalitarian regimes that first prevented the publication of his works in his own country between 1939 and 1945, and later after 1948.

Karel Čapek's work has been translated into many languages and has been republished in various countries around the world. Among the most notable is the publication of his works in Japan.

Olga Scheinpflug

Olga Scheinpflugová (1902-1968), Czech actress and writer, wife of Karel Čapek since 1935. She began acting at the age of eighteen at the Švand Theatre in Smíchov, then at the Municipal Theatre of Královské Vinohrady. From 1928 she worked at the National Theatre in Prague. She was a versatile artist with extraordinary talent. She wrote poetry, novels, plays, and books for children. The focus of her work, however, is on theatre acting. She drew attention to herself not only by the openness of her insights into the lives of women, but also by her unusually civil characterization, which distinguished her from the older generation of actresses. She avoided pathos in her portrayal of her roles. A distinctive feature of her characters was nervousness. She, too, was silenced for her democratic views and courageous civic stances, but unlike other artists, she never bowed to official authority. Towards the end of her life she also played several film and television roles.

Ferdinand Peroutka

Ferdinand Peroutka (1895-1978) was a friend of Karel Čapek. He often visited him at his summer residence in Strž. He was an outstanding journalist, writer and playwright. In 1919 he was appointed editor-in-chief of the newly founded daily Tribuna, and in 1923 he moved to Lidové noviny as editor. Peroutek's talent was recognised by President Masaryk, who offered him the management of the new weekly newspaper Přítomnost and also financially supported the creation of this periodical. Under Peroutek's leadership, Přítomnost was one of the top newspapers of the First Republic. After the arrival of the Germans, Peroutka was interned in a concentration camp and returned to his homeland in 1945. After February 1948, however, he was forced to leave the Czechoslovak Republic because of his democratic views and left for the USA via England, where he worked for many years as editor of Radio Free Europe.

Karel Čapek Nature Trail

More information can be found here.

Dášeňka Monument

In 2013, the Karel Čapek Memorial unveiled a monument to Čapek's most famous dog, Dášeňka, in the garden.

Come and see it with your children and dogs. The memorial also keeps the awareness of Dášeňka alive with its regular Dogs' Day event, where children and their four-legged pets can win the Dášeňka Prize.

Photos from the unveiling ceremony can be found here.