Perak – Prague Jack on springs (8 photos)

Late Victorian London was a strange and unsettling place. Frightening figures, murderous and threatening, roamed the streets at night. And perhaps the strangest of them all was Spring-Heeled Jack.





This man or ghost who jumped out of the shadows and attacked strangers, then made a superhuman leap to escape, was never solved. But London was not the only city where such creatures appeared.

Perak (jumper) is an urban legend that originated in Czechoslovakia, in the city of Prague. It appeared during the German occupation of Prague in the middle of World War II. After this, Perak began to be portrayed as a local superhero.

Living legend



Germans in Prague, 1939

This topic has been actively studied by historians Jan Kaplan and Callum Macdonald. According to their book “Prague in the Shadow of the Swastika: A History of the German Occupation 1939-1945.” Perak jumped out of alleys, out of the shadows and scared passersby.

During this time, numerous stories began to circulate that Perak's jumps were unusual. They were gigantic, and the phantom could even jump over train cars. It was very similar to the English Jack on springs.

In modern times, repeated attempts have been made to create interest and excitement around the legend of Perak.





In 2017, the book “The Myth of Perak. An urban legend between folklore and popular culture,” written by Czech journalist Petr Janeček. The author further explored the Perak phenomenon and traced the character's history back to Jack of England. It appears that the legend flourished there before passing into Czech folklore in the 19th century. It became popular after World War II and was subsequently used extensively in popular culture through novels, comics, and other works of fiction.

Reincarnation and fame



The legend of Perak has received several incarnations in films. In 1946, a 14-minute Czech cartoon was created called "Springman and the SS Man", which was also released around the world under the name "Chimney Sweep"

Perak is depicted as a mischievous and heroic chimney sweep in a black robe who wears a mask made from a sock. Perak could make huge, fantastic jumps because he put sofa springs in his boots. The main entertainment of the hero was to mock the sentries of the German army, the Gestapo and the Nazi collaborator, who was very similar to Hitler. It all ended with Perak surrealistically and comically escaping during the chase and freeing many of the citizens of Prague.



This idea of ​​Perak as a superhero who challenged German authority served as the basis for subsequent revivals of the character. In 2013, Perak was released in the noir genre.



Perak: Shadow over Prague

In 2016, Marek Berger created another animated story called "Perak: Shadow over Prague", which received two awards at the International Festival for Best Animated Film and Best Film.

In 1961, Perak became the subject of the story "Spring Man", written by Jan Weiss.



Perak: Shadow over Prague

In 1986, Czech science fiction writer Ondrej Neff portrayed Perak as a noble and heroic figure. Later in 2001, he also created a satirical and humorous comic book called Perak vs. Global Man.

In 2002, writers Monge and Morten, along with cartoonist Adolphe Lachlan, hoped to create a whole series of comics about Perak. However, only the introductory chapter was published. Petr Janeček devoted scientific research to Perak and collected many stories about it. He published them in 2017.

Other versions



There are even theater plays about Perak. In 2011, the Prague theater Vosto5 presented a historical performance called "Perak".

The plot placed the hero in the historical period of the Second World War. It opened with the arrival of Reich Protector Reinhard Heydrich in Prague and followed him until his assassination. The show used a combination of martial arts and extreme sports along with theatrical poetry and verbal humor to present a picture of Perak and occupied Prague as realistically and artistically as possible.

Just recently, a video game based on the legend of Perak has emerged. It was released in August 2023. In the story, Perak uses his spring heels to escape from various places in Prague.

The legend of Perak played an important role in the relationship between Prague and the history of its occupation. It is closely associated with English folklore and is a powerful example of how folklore and stories can create hope and help in resisting tyranny and striving for freedom.

But it looks like this character has become something more. Transcending its origins and becoming a symbol of resistance to oppression, Perak came to embody the spirit of the city and became a national idea.