Ján L. Kalina

JÁN L. KALINA (2011)

* 23^rd February 1913, Košice
† 3^rd January 1981, Munich

Writer, screenwriter, translator, humorist Ján Ladislav Kalina, originally named Ladislav Schwarz, was devoted to the humour and satire from his youth. Even as a high school student (Real Gymnasium of Šafárik in Prešov), he presented two plays from Voskovec and Werich in Prešov’s theatre. As a college student (studying law) in Prague, he wrote film critiques. He was successful as an assistant director at Barrandov and contributed to cabaret performances for Radio Košice. This rescued him during the so called Slovak State from racial persecution – the Bratislava Radio formally employed him as an audio-technician, but in fact as an author of entertaining programs that he largely wrote under the name Ján Kalina. After World War II he became the founder of feature films creation and he worked as an artistic director of the Slovak film production until 1952. Furthermore, he was writing for radio, preparing satirical cabaret performances for theatres in Prešov and Košice, as well as for the theatre Nová scéna in Bratislava. He contributed to Roháč and to several newspapers. During the sixties he was the co-founder and first dramaturge of the legendary cabaret Tatra revue where they also had presented his programs. He founded the department of film and television dramaturgy at the University of Performing Arts, he qualified as college lecturer by work About patterns of film laughter. He published several satirical miscellanies and books: Svet kabaretu (The world of cabaret) and Tisíc a jeden vtip (Thousand and one joke). After 1968, Ján Kalina was persecuted and imprisoned for his political opinions and attitudes for two years. It afflicted his family, too. Despite the constant prohibition of publishing and threat of perquisitions, he still wrote “into drawer”. Among other things, the two-volume – still unpublished – work on the history and theory of satire Vážne slová o smiechu (Serious words about laughter). Even in exile in West Germany (since 1978) he published anecdotes – books Nichts zum Lachen (Nothing to laugh) and Das lachende Lexikon (Laughing lexicon). His four books of memoirs Obzri sa úsmevom (Glance back with smile), Zavinili to židia a bicyklisti (It was caused by Jews and bikers), Usmievavé Slovensko (Smiling Slovakia) and Odpočúvaj v pokoji (Tap in peace) were published in Slovakia yet in the years 1999 - 2004 at Albert Marenčin publishing house. His wife Agneša was the editor of Radio Free Europe in FRG.

Author of the relief: Acad. sculptor Milan Ormandík
Born 22^nd March 1943, Gáň
1957 – 1961 Secondary Artistic School student, Bratislava
1961 – 1967 Student AFAD, Bratislava (under prof. Jozef Kostka)
1968 – 2005 Specialist teacher at Secondary School, later ŠÚV Kremnica
1980 – 1990 Freelance artist
Since 1968 he lives and works in Kremnica, carry on small and monumental creation, the author of many memorable medals and insignia. Participant of international exhibitions in the Czech Republic, Poland, Italy and Russia along with his son Marek. Since 1996, he exposes the project father and son in all around of Slovakia and abroad. He has received several awards and his works are in the collections of many Slovak galleries.