SNP80: Jan Brocko among Young Poets Who Fought in Uprising

Bratislava, August 8 (TASR) - Many young poets, novelists and translators took up arms and joined the Slovak National Uprising (SNP). Some were killed in the unequal struggle against the occupiers, while some succumbed to serious injuries or were captured and executed after being cruelly tortured. In a literary series called 'Youth in Eternity', literary and cultural historian Peter Cabadaj drew attention to long-forgotten authors who fought bravely and lost their lives at a very young age. Poet, playwright, translator and editor Jan Brocko (1924-1946) was one of those brave rebel authors. Born in Revuca (Banska Bystrica region), he studied at the Law Faculty of the Slovak University in Bratislava. "He didn't finish his studies, as immediately after the outbreak of the SNP in late August 1944, he joined the ranks of those fighting in the SNP," Cabadaj told TASR. Brocko edited the 'Our News' magazine, published by the District Military Headquarters in Revuca, and the press organ of the Revolutionary District National Committee - Our Journey. When the Uprising was pushed into the mountains, he immediately began to cooperate actively with partisan units, fell ill with tuberculosis, but happily saw the longed-for end of the war in the end," said Cabadaj. Brocko wrote poems as early as during his secondary-school studies. In his poems, he displayed the civic attitude and value opinions of a young author who, in the cruel times of WWII, was seeking the meaning of his own existence, declaring humanistic ideals and messages. "He didn't even hesitate to pick up a weapon and go to fight in order to defend these ideals," said Cabadaj, adding that the Uprising definitely had a decisive influence on Brocko's literary work. "Under the pseudonym Jan Rok, he published inflammatory verses condemning fascism and its domestic minions, agitation poems and poetry of unwavering faith in the victory of humanity," stated Cabadaj. According to Cabadaj, poems written by Brocko after the liberation organically follow on from his insurgent work. "You can feel sincere joy at the victory over fascism in them, warm words of thanks to the brave fighters and patriots, and the knowledge that the cost of liberation was a lot of blood and endless suffering," added Cabadaj. The talented poet succumbed to the tuberculosis that he caught in the extremely difficult conditions at the end of the war. He was only 22 when he died in his home town of Revuca after returning from spa treatment in Novy Smokovec in the High Tatra mountains. ko/df