8/13/2019 1 CFP Theatres in Central and Southeast Europe

1/2

Centre for Research in Social Sciences and Humanities

www.socialsciencesandhumanities.com

International Conference on Culture and Cultural policiesVienna, Austria, Hotel Ambassador,

24-25.04.2014.

Call for papers for panel: Theatres and Nationalism in Central and Southeast

Europe

During 18thand 19thcentury, Europe experienced national revivals that eventually led

to the creation of the modern nation states, and artists had a significant influence over

these processes. This also applies to the creation and preservation of national

identities in Central and Southeast Europe.

For example, Czech national theatre was opened in 1881, and it is considered

as a milestone of Czech nationhood because it offered performances in Czech

language since 1881. Theatres that existed before the official national theatre was

opened were offering performances in German language, except certain translationsfrom German, and the history of Czechs theatre culture dates back to 12

thcentury.

However, public performances were opened during 1780s while the first play in

Czech was performed in 1771. Building of the national theatre attracted help even

from poor peasants who donated money as historical documents prove. This was

because of the activities of Czech patriots who were collecting support, even among

peasantry, to build a national theatre that will cherish national language and culture.

Year 1881 is, thus, considered as the year of the official establishment of the Czech

national theatre even though first performance in Czech language was displayed in1771.

In Croatia, with success of Croatian national movement, first performance inCroatian language was displayed in 1840 even though the theatre in various forms,

similarly to the Czech case, existed since 1607. Performances in German weresometimes displayed together with parts in the local dialect, or German performances

were translated to local dialect, etc. Building of theatre and its positioning as a

milestone of Croatian nationhood was supported and advocated by Croatian Peoples

movement that led Croatian national revival; however, there was no need for

collecting help for building the theatre because the building existed. First official

performance in Croatian language was displayed in 1840; however, the theatre was

still under large influence of German language, and this situation lasted until 1860

when the audience interrupted German performance and demanded performances in

Croatian language only. Croatian national theatre considers year 1840 as the year ofits inception since that was the date when the first performance in Croatian language

was displayed.

In Serbia, national theatre in Belgrade has been established in 1868 after

amateur performances were displayed earlier in Kragujevac, which was the capital of

Serbian Principality. Rationale for founding theatres was a fight against backwardness

and illiteracy, and not fostering national identity because Serbia had an established

national identity, and even though it was subordinated to large powers it did not haveto fight for preservation of its identity like other countries in Central and Southeast

Europe. Kragujevac is generally considered as the cradle of Serbian culture, which isalso why Kragujevac region has an important place in one of the most famous Serbian

20th

century writers Milica Jakovljevi!. In 1851, an idea for establishing the nationaltheatre in Belgrade emerged, and due to the lack of a suitable place performances

8/13/2019 1 CFP Theatres in Central and Southeast Europe

2/2

were displayed in various places such as hotels, breweries and restaurants. From

1868, Serbian national theatre offers regular performances, and it has been considered

as a place of particular importance for Serbian culture and Serbian national identity.

Papers are invited (but not limited to) the following topics:

Role of theatres in 19th

century CE and SE nationalism

Role of artists (actors, writers, performance directors) in 19thcentury nationalism in

CE and SEE

Position of theatres in CEand SEE after the fall of Communism

Role of theatres in preservation of national identities in CEE and SEE in a post-

national condition

Theatres in CE and SEE during the WWII

Popularity of theatres in CE and SEE

Theatres and cultural policy in CE and SEE

Theatres in national tourist offers in CE and SEE

We invite papers from all fields in social sciences and humanities. Historicalperspectives are particularly welcome.

Paper proposals should be sent to martina@socialsciencesandhumanities.comby 10th

March 2014.

Information about the International Conference on Culture and Cultural policies (fees,deadlines, other panels) is available at this link:

!""#$%%&'()*+&(),-(,&*-.!/0*-)"),&1('0%/#('0)-23('-4,5,-(,&3(*++34'53

#*#,5&%)-",5-*")'-*+3('-4,5,-(,3'-3(/+"/5,3*-.3(/+"/5*+3#'+)(),&%)-.,61!"0+

The Centre established a peer review journal entitledJournal of Culture and Religion,

as well as a Working Paper Series in Religion and Culture. Conference papers will beconsidered for publication. Information on publication possibilities is available at our

website.