Archives

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  Theatre as a Venue and Tool of Social Change in the “Long” 19th Century

  Vol. 19 No. 2 (2025)

  Theatre and the dramatic art have been regarded in every historical period as performative instruments of social change. Through the live interaction of its protagonists within specific spatio-temporal contexts, theatre has contributed to the social transformation of both theatre makers and audiences. By applying the concept of ‘space’ to the study of theatre – one of the central cultural and economic phenomena – in the ‘long’ nineteenth century, we seek to transcend the (imaginary) boundaries that have traditionally defined theatre historiography in Central and East-Central Europe. It becomes necessary to reconsider established paradigms in historical theatre studies to reaffirm the autonomy and specificity of the discipline, and to chart new directions oriented towards an interdisciplinary setting, approaching theatre culture primarily in relation to social development.
  The Habsburg Empire was a time capsule of European history in which different phases of state formation remained alive in the present. As a multilingual region characterised by complex cultural processes – where the construction of cultural identities of various national and ethnic groups occurred within the same area, or even the same town – the Habsburg Empire offers a rich repository of sources for identifying the key features of the transformation of society occurring in and through the theatre. Such a perspective allows us to understand the performative role of theatre not only in the ‘centres’ (metropolises) but also on the ‘periphery’ (provinces).
  The individual contributions in this issue approach the central theme from political, economic, institutional, and sociological perspectives, with the authors investigating previously unexplored aspects of theatre culture. At the same time, they use innovative theoretical processes to interpret familiar objects. Our aim is to outline new directions in cultural historiography within the region – approaches that may enhance the potential for comparative analysis with other European developments.

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  Antifeminist Discourses in East-Central Europe from the 19th Century to 1945

  Vol. 19 No. 1 (2025)

  The recent rise in misogynistic and anti-feminist rhetoric in public discourses—considerably amplified by digital media—might suggest that antifeminism is a contemporary phenomenon. In fact, anti-feminist narratives gained visibility as early as the late 18^th century, emerging in response to emancipatory demands by women inspired by the French Revolution, and later in opposition to the growing influence of women’s movements.
  While the history of women's emancipation movements and feminist discourses has received considerable scholarly attention, the antifeminist discourses— particularly in Central and Eastern Europe—remain insufficiently explored.
  The present issue focuses on the period of first-wave feminism, especially within the Habsburg and post-Habsburg states. Contributors examine the rhetoric and strategies used to resist the push for women's rights, identify the social groups aligned with anti-feminist positions, and trace their evolution in response to changing social, political, and cultural contexts from the late 19^th to the mid-20^th century. The studies published here further reveal how actors of antifeminist discourses aimed to reverse changes in patriarchal structures brought by socio-economic modernization and the democratization of society, while also tracing the transfer of anti-feminist narratives and policies across Western and Eastern Europe.