# Ivan Cankar

> Slovene writer, playwright, essayist, poet and political activist (1876-1918)

**Wikidata**: [Q15809](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q15809)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivan_Cankar)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/ivan-cankar

## Summary
Ivan Cankar was a Slovene writer, playwright, essayist, poet, and political activist who lived from 1876 to 1918. He is recognized as a major literary figure, known for his contributions to poetry, novels, novellas, and sketch stories, and for his political engagement during the era of Austro-Hungarian rule.

## Biography
- **Born:** May 10, 1876
- **Died:** December 11, 1918
- **Nationality:** Slovene (associated with Cisleithania, Austro-Hungary; later the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes)
- **Known for:** Writing prose, plays, essays, and poetry; political activism.
- **Occupations:** Writer, playwright, essayist, poet, novelist, prose writer, politician.
- **Field(s):** Literature (Poetry, Prose, Sketch stories, Novellas).

## Contributions
Ivan Cankar contributed significantly to Slovene literature through a diverse body of work spanning multiple genres. His contributions include:
*   **Poetry:** He wrote works within the literary style characterized by strong expressiveness, employing rhythmic and metrical structures to convey emotions and the human experience.
*   **Prose and Novels:** As a novelist and prose writer, he produced fictional prose narratives, contributing to the development of the novella and sketch story forms.
*   **Plays:** He authored plays, serving as a playwright for the theater.
*   **Essays:** He wrote essays, contributing to intellectual discourse as an essayist.
*   **Political Activism:** He was politically active as a politician, engaging in the socio-political context of his time.

## FAQs
**What literary forms did Ivan Cankar work in?**
Ivan Cankar worked in a wide variety of literary forms, including poetry, novels, novellas, sketch stories, plays, and essays.

**What was Ivan Cankar's nationality and historical context?**
He was a Slovene writer who lived during the period of Cisleithania (the northern and western part of Austro-Hungary). He died in 1918, the same year the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (later Yugoslavia) was established.

**What defines the poetry written by Ivan Cankar?**
His poetry is characterized by a strong expressiveness of words, utilizing rhythmic and metrical structures to enhance emotional impact and explore the human condition.

## Why They Matter
Ivan Cankar is a pivotal figure in Slovene literature, representing a multifaceted talent who mastered poetry, prose, and drama. His work as a playwright and novelist helped shape the literary landscape of the region. His role as a political activist and politician further cemented his importance, bridging the gap between literature and the socio-political changes occurring in the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the subsequent formation of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. His diverse output—from sketch stories to essays—demonstrates a profound engagement with the human experience and the cultural identity of his people.

## Notable For
*   Being a prominent Slovene writer, playwright, and poet.
*   Serving as a political activist and politician.
*   Writing in diverse literary forms including the sketch story and novella.
*   Contributing to the literary heritage of the Austro-Hungarian region and the future Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes.
*   Being recognized as a human, novelist, essayist, and prose writer.

## Body

### Identity and Historical Context
Ivan Cankar was a human, specifically a male Slovene writer, playwright, essayist, poet, and political activist. He was born on May 10, 1876, and died on December 11, 1918. His life spanned a critical historical period, beginning in the Cisleithania region of Austro-Hungary (defined as the northern and western part with Dalmatia and Istria, extant from 1867 to 1918). He passed away in the same year that the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (the official name for the Kingdom of Yugoslavia until October 1929) came into existence.

### Literary Career and Genres
Cankar's career was defined by a versatility of roles. He is identified as a poet (a person who writes poetry), a writer (one who uses written words to produce literary works), a novelist (a writer of novels), a playwright (a person who writes plays), an essayist (a person who writes essays), and a prose writer (a person who writes in prose).

His work encompassed several specific literary forms:
*   **Poetry:** He engaged with poetry as a literary style emphasizing the expressive power of words, utilizing rhythmic and metrical structures to convey emotions and ideas.
*   **Sketch Stories:** He utilized the sketch story, a specific literary form.
*   **Novellas:** He wrote novellas, defined as written, fictional prose narratives normally longer than a short story but shorter than a novel.

### Political and Social Engagement
Beyond his literary output, Ivan Cankar was a politician, defined as a person who holds or seeks positions in government. This role as a political activist highlights his engagement with the governance and societal structures of his time, reflecting the turbulent political changes in the region during the early 20th century.

### Identifiers and Legacy
Ivan Cankar's legacy is preserved through numerous structured identifiers and properties, indicating his significant footprint in global knowledge bases. He is assigned the Wikidata ID Q70562 and has a substantial sitelink count of 53. His image is recorded as "Ivan Cankar 1915.jpg" and his signature as "Ivan Cankar signature 2.jpg."

His influence is cataloged across multiple international databases and library systems, evidenced by a wide array of identifiers including:
*   **Library of Congress Authority ID:** n50051574
*   **VIAF ID:** 56657726
*   **GND ID:** 118666908
*   **ISNI:** 0000000122803988
*   **IMDb ID:** nm0134009
*   **MusicBrainz Artist ID:** 41d34e68-4bbe-4dc9-9f8a-89312ffe061a

He is also documented in the Encyclopædia Britannica Online (biography/Ivan-Cankar), the Internet Encyclopedia of Ukraine, and various other national library and academic databases (e.g., BNF, NLA, SELIBR, PTBNP). His grave is noted with the image "ŽALE - moderna.jpg." His work continues to be studied and referenced, maintaining a presence in academic and literary communities worldwide.

## References

1. Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1969–1978)
2. Slovenska biografija
3. Integrated Authority File
4. Virtual International Authority File
5. BnF authorities
6. Czech National Authority Database
7. Find a Grave
8. International Standard Name Identifier
9. CiNii Research
10. IMDb
11. MusicBrainz
12. Brockhaus Enzyklopädie
13. Proleksis Encyclopedia
14. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
15. CONOR.SI
16. LIBRIS. 2012
17. Virtual Study of Theatre Institute
18. Bibliography of the History of the Czech Lands
19. performing-arts.ch