This thesis deals with different types of individuals in modern popular plays of Ödön von Horváth. In the first part the development of popular plays is outlined from its beginnings to the present, and there also is a brief description of the Vienna theaters at the turn of the 19th and 20th century. Followed by an analysis of the characters in Horváths popular plays, which are: "The Mountain Railroad", "Tales from the Vienna Wood", "Italian Night" and "Kasimir and Karoline".

ANNOTATION This submitted thesis is to record the picture of World War I in fiction comparing Czech and Austrian literature. Connections are supposed to be based on historical- cultural contacts and close geographical vicinity in both conceptions. A comparative study of the representative texts which relate to a specific key stage of common history should confirm or doubt these connections. In the introduction the reality of the war conflict, its main consequences and the concrete situation in Bohemian countries is outlined, which serves the purpose of depicting of the atmosphere of the period and simultaneously better understanding of the meaning of literature works. Subsequently the list of basic texts which became the firm part of the common knowledge of given problems is created and at the same time the aspect of the common thematic units is pointed out. And finally two key works of both national branches of literature were chosen and compared analytically. Both principal themes - the attitude towards war, and main motive complexes and the general way of narration are emphasized. The aim of the thesis is not to present the complete list of works dealing with war but to confront literature depiction of the war in Austria and Bohemia from comparable points of view.