Mikławš Kral

Mikławš Kral (German Nikolaus Krahl, * 30 June 1791 in Temritz near Budissin, Upper Lusatia; † 1812 or later) was a Sorbian folk musician. In his estate was found the Kralsche Geigenspielbuch, a valuable document on the Sorbian folk song culture in Upper Lusatia.

Life

Mikławš Kral attended elementary school in Bautzen and learned to play the Sorbian violin and other instruments. He played at weddings and other festivities.

In 1812 he went east with Napoleon’s army as a member of the Royal Saxon Leibtrabanten. Since then there is no more information about him.

In his estate was found a manuscript from about 1780/90 with 182 mostly Sorbian songs and melodies, called Kralowy huslerski spěwnik(Krahl’s violin playing book), which was added to the library of the Maćica Serbska by Michał Hórnik. The book was not written by Kral himself, but probably came from circles of the Sorbian bourgeois intelligentsia in Bautzen.

Literature

• Jan Raupp: Das Krahlsche Geigenspielbuch als deutsche Volksliedquelle. In: Lětopis C 5 (1961/62), p. 128-37
• Jan Raupp (ed.): Das Kralsche Geigenspielbuch. Photomechanical first edition. VEB Domowina-Verlag, Bautzen 1983

Web links

• Mikławš Kral Sorbian Institute Bautzen.