FRANZ KAFKA IN ŠPINDL

Traveling exhibition and lecture on Franz Kafka.

Last year, the world commemorated the significant anniversary of Franz Kafka, one of the greatest writers of modern literature.

He was born in Prague, but traveled frequently—most often to northern Bohemia.

He had a close relationship with Frýdlant, where his sister Ottla studied. As an official of the Workers' Accident Insurance Company, he supervised working conditions in factories in Frýdlant, Liberec, Rumburk, and Jablonec.

At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, he witnessed the rapid development of industry here, the atmosphere of which later left its mark on his literary work. 

To mark the anniversary, an exhibition called KafkaOrte was created, mapping 39 places in his life in Prague, the Czech lands, and abroad. Each of them is presented with a period photograph, a description, and a quote from the author's texts. This year, the exhibition will be presented in four key cities in northern Bohemia, including Špindlerův Mlýn.

Franz Kafka and Špindlerův Mlýn

On Thursday, October 29, 2025, at 4:30 p.m., the Savoy Hotel (formerly Hotel Krone) will host a presentation of the exhibition and an accompanying lecture led by Gabriela Kalinová, translator and guide, accompanied by other experts. The event will also include a one-day panel exhibition.

It was at the Savoy Hotel (formerly Krone) that Franz Kafka began writing his masterpiece, The Castle. The snow-covered landscape of the Krkonoše Mountains inspired him to write a story that begins in a village covered in snow. The Castle is considered the author's most important, albeit unfinished, work and symbolically opens the way to the main theme of modern literature – the image of human existence in all its fragility, contradictions, alienation, and absurdity. The exceptional connection between the place and the work gives the Savoy Hotel a unique significance – it becomes part of literary history and a testimony to the moment when one of the most influential works of the 20th century was created. A hundred years later, a bust of Franz Kafka, created with the support of the Sekyra Foundation, was unveiled at the hotel, reminding today's visitors of this symbolism.

Admission is FREE to the public.