Every year loads of European artistic works enter into the public domain, that is, the copyright protection granted to the work expires and the material becomes free for use (with or without attribution depending on jurisdiction). In 2013 te works from all over Europe passing into the public domain are works for which the author died in 1942 will enter into the public domain, except in Spain where the author must have died in 1932. Some examples of authors that entered into the public domain in 2011 in most European countries can be found here, and include Mikhail Bulgakov, Selma Lagerlöf and F. Scott Fitzgerald.

We are investigating the opportunities of organising an event at the European Parliament celebrating the new entrants into the public domain. To do this, we must however first locate works from all the member states that enter into the public domain. Preferably from many authors, musicians and film makers. And we need your help!

If you know an author, musician, film-maker or other kind of creator whose work will come into the public domain in 2013, please put their name and some works in the comments. We will maintain an updated list of all the works we accumulate in this blogpost. It appears the challenge will be to find not only the authors but also suitable works for a reading - our office can only manage so many of all the 23 official languages of the European Union so if you can provide any help please put in the comments!

If you know of an author or a work that you believe will enter into the public domain in 2013, you can also check the work for its true public domain status at OutOfCopyright.EU ! Since every national copyright law has unfortunately its own quirks, we would very much appreciated the help of volunteer lawyers to make sure that the works that we will select are indeed entering the public domain.

In the list below are all the member states (including Croatia which will join next year in July and so can be encompassed by 2013 public domain calls, we feel):

Austria

Robert Musil

Stefan Zweig, one of the most famous authors in the world of the 1920s and 1930s. Long list of works.

Belgium

Neel Doff, Dutch proletarian writer working in Belgium, mostly in French.

Bulgaria

Croatia

Cyprus

Czech Republic

Vladislav Vančura (1891-1942). Czech writer, playwright, film director and screenwriter. Arrested by Gestapo and executed.

Jaroslav Ježek (1906-1942) – Czech composer and pianist.

Otakar Batlička (1895-1942) – Czech adventurer and writer. Executed in Mauthausen concentration camp.

Josef Svatopluk Machar (1964-1942) – Czech poet, writer, journalist and politician.

Hanuš Fantl (1917-1942) – Czech Jewish poet. Killed in Mauthausen concentration camp.

Jindřich Štyrský (1899-1942) – Czech Surrealist painter, poet, editor, photographer, and graphic artist.

František Josef Čečetka (1971-1942) – Czech writer and playwright.

Vojtěch Kuchynka (1871-1942) – Czech composer and bassist.

Erwin Schulhoff (1894-1942) – Czech Jewish-German composer and pianist. Died in Wülzburg concentration camp.

Sigismund Ludvík Bouška (1867-1942) – Czech Catholic priest and poet.

Josef Vašata (1884-1942) – Czech composer and conductor.

Jan Janák (1971-1942) – Czech composer.

Denmark

For a long list of public domain authors from Denmark see this search list from Runeberg.

Estonia

For a long list of public domain authors from Estonia see this search list from Runeberg.

Finland

Tatu Vaaskivi, author. Not translated.

Artturi Järviluoma, author and playwrite. Composed opera.

For a long list of additional public domain authors from Finland see this search list from Runeberg.

France

Léon Daudet, a known conservative! Journalist, writer and famous for his memoirs. (Text?)

Germany

Greece

Hungary

Ireland

Peadar Toner Mac Fhionnlaoich, Gaelic revival author, known for his handbooks on teaching Irish language. Wrote also for Irish nationalist newspapers.

Italy

Latvia

Lithuania

Luxembourg

Malta

Netherlands

Michel van Campen (1874-1942), linguist, originally a diamond cutter. His first book ”Bikoerim” contained novellas about Jewish day-to-day life.

Neel Doff (1858-1942, see also under Belgium): her novels ”Keetje” and ”Jours de famine et de détresse” were turned into a movie in 1975 by Paul Verhoeven starring Rutger Hauer and Monique van de ven. Said about Zola: ”he wrote it, but I lived it.” Was called the Dostojevski of the North.

Dinah Kohnstamm (1869-1942), a Jewish artist who found her calling late in life. Came from an unreligious family. Converted to Christianity later in life. Murdered by the Nazis in Auschwitz. Book: Pukjes droom (1907).

Roeland Anthonie Kollewijn (1857-1942), linguist, wrote an article called ”Onze lastige spelling” (Our difficult spelling) in which he suggested a spelling reform. Although not all of his suggestions were adopted for Dutch, his spelling did form the basis for Afrikaans. Belgian poet Paul van Ostaijen (”Music hall”, ”Occupied City” etc.) followed Kollewijn’s spelling.

Herman Salomonson (1892-1942) was a journalist and novelist. He often published using the pseudonym Melis Stoke. His 1937 novel Hoogwaardigen (Dignitaries) is a satire describing the competition between a high-brow and a sensationalist newspaper. He was murdered by the Nazis in Mauthausen.

Poland:

Janusz Korczak, although it is not currently known whether or not his works will actually enter into the public domain in 2013. Ongoing project to republish all of his works in Polish. Ref.

Bruno Schulz, most known outside of Poland for Sklepy Cynamonowe.

Portugal

Romania

William Pierpont Black (William Peter Negrescu), woodcarver and author born in Romania, later emigrated to New Zealand. Wrote much criticism on the then premier of New Zealand Joseph Ward. see here.

Slovakia

Terézia Vansová, author of Sirota Podhradských, the first ever Slovakian novel written by and published from a female author.

Slovenia

Spain

Ramon Casas i Carbó, Catalan modernist painter.

Sweden

Wilhelm Peterson-Berger, composer. Intåg i sommarhagen

Ludvig Lubbe Nordström, radio journalist.

For a long list of additional public domain authors from Sweden see this search list from Runeberg.

United Kingdom:

Ernest Bramah ("May you live in interesting times" may be a quote from him?)

Violet Hunt