Hit lyricist Václav Fischer dies at 87

The Czech lyricist and poet Václav Fischer died on Monday at the age of 87. Fischer received state honours for his participation in the resistance during the war, but was punished for that same activity by the Communists following their takeover; he was sent to an army unit that was effectively a prison camp before being forced to work as a labourer. However, he later became known as the author of the lyrics of a great number of popular songs, including hits by the likes of Waldemar Matuška, Eva Pilarová, Hana Zagorová, Jiří Korn and Olympik. He also wrote a number of illustrated poetry books for children.

Author: Ian Willoughby