1921day.year
World premiere of the science fiction play R.U.R. by the Czech writer Karel Čapek in a theater in Hradec Králové.
Karel Čapek’s pioneering play R.U.R. premiered on January 2, 1921, in Hradec Králové, introducing the term robot to the world.
Written by Czech author Karel Čapek, R.U.R. (Rossum’s Universal Robots) imagines an assembly line of artificial workers who ultimately revolt against their human creators. The drama explores themes of humanity, industrialization, and the ethical limits of scientific progress. Upon its world premiere, audiences were captivated by the haunting portrayal of dehumanization and the urgent philosophical questions it raised. The play coined robot, derived from the Czech word for labor, a concept that swiftly entered global vocabulary and inspired future science fiction. Its success in Europe led to rapid translations and international stagings, cementing Čapek’s legacy. R.U.R. remains a foundational work in theatrical and literary history, influencing generations of writers and thinkers.
1921
R.U.R.
Czech
Karel Čapek
Hradec Králové