The Poles in Vienna in the literary works of Radek Knapp

Abstract

Abstract Migration is a phenomenon accompanying humanity from its beginnings. The issue of migration is dealt with not only by scholars, but also by writers and novelists. Among them is Radek Knapp (1964-) from Warsaw, who came to Vienna at the age of twelve, and where he lives to this day. In his novels and short stories, Knapp presents the reality of Vienna and its inhabitants from the perspective of ordinary people. Among them are people from Poland who settled in Austria looking for a better life there. They quickly experience that you have to work hard in the Western Paradise. Failures are not uncommon life experiences. Knapp, writing about Vienna and its inhabitants, those from many generations and the newest ones, does so with a specific sense of humour. One of his most popular works is the novel Mr. Kuka’s Recommendations (1999). It has been translated from the original German into the following languages: Croatian, Czech, Dutch, Italian, Polish and Russian. It became the basis for the script of a feature film with the same title (2007). It is worth emphasizing that no works by Knapp were published in English.