Activities per year
Abstract / Description of output
This article outlines the historical, ideological and political reasons why the SED denied that censorship existed in the GDR, and investigates how this denial affected the language, practice, and effectiveness of East German theatre censorship. The supporting evidence is drawn from case-studies ranging across the GDR's history.
The euphemistic language of GDR censorship presented officials as cultural facilitators and pedagogues, not as censors. By thus denying that pre-performance censorship was routinely practised, the regime was able to hold theatre practitioners fully accountable for their productions, even though they had been filtered through unofficial controls. Like the lack of clear, reliable guidelines, this apparent devolution of responsibility exposed the practitioners to considerable risks: even licensed scripts could encounter fierce criticism when premiered, so that essentially loyal practitioners like Wolfgang Langhoff unexpectedly found themselves treated as dissidents. Whilst directors and dramatists found ways of turning the regime's denial of censorship to their advantage, Helmut Baierl, Peter Hacks, and Heiner Müller argued that they would fare better if decisions were made openly and could be challenged. As a first step towards the abolition of de facto theatre censorship, they therefore called for its legalisation.
The euphemistic language of GDR censorship presented officials as cultural facilitators and pedagogues, not as censors. By thus denying that pre-performance censorship was routinely practised, the regime was able to hold theatre practitioners fully accountable for their productions, even though they had been filtered through unofficial controls. Like the lack of clear, reliable guidelines, this apparent devolution of responsibility exposed the practitioners to considerable risks: even licensed scripts could encounter fierce criticism when premiered, so that essentially loyal practitioners like Wolfgang Langhoff unexpectedly found themselves treated as dissidents. Whilst directors and dramatists found ways of turning the regime's denial of censorship to their advantage, Helmut Baierl, Peter Hacks, and Heiner Müller argued that they would fare better if decisions were made openly and could be challenged. As a first step towards the abolition of de facto theatre censorship, they therefore called for its legalisation.
Original language | English |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | 151-62 |
Number of pages | 12 |
Journal | German Life and Letters |
Volume | 59 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Jan 2006 |
Fingerprint
Dive into the research topics of 'GDR theatre censorship: A system in denial'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.Press/Media
-
Laura Bradley, Penny Fielding, and Rhodri Jeffreys-Jones discuss Edinburgh's Spy Week 2015
Laura Bradley, Penny Fielding & Rhodri Jeffreys-Jones
15/05/15
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Expert Comment
Activities
-
Who's Watching Who? Theatre and Surveillance
Laura Bradley (Contributor), Susan Kemp (Contributor), Camilla Baier (Curator) & Lauren Clarke (Curator)
18 Nov 2018Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Public Engagement – Festival/Exhibition
-
Screening of 'Writing Ensemble'
Laura Bradley (Speaker) & Susan Kemp (Speaker)
20 Feb 2018Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Public Engagement – Public lecture/debate/seminar
-
Creating Impact
Laura Bradley (Organiser)
20 Jun 2017Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Professional Development and Training