The Prague Theatre Scene During the German Occupation (1939–1945)

The chapter analyses the multifaceted and contradictory nature of the theatre landscape in Prague under German occupation and looks at the interests of and measures taken by the occupying power to exert control over the theatre in Prague. The German authorities tried to control the Czech theatre landscape in various ways, but at no point did they achieve complete surveillance, not least due to its range and diversity. In addition, artists knew how to circumvent censorship and use gestures, facial expressions or specific pronunciations of text passages to convey a different meaning. For strategic reasons, the German authorities granted a certain amount of freedom to uphold the facade of an independent Czech cultural landscape, and big theatres, such as the National Theatre, continued to produce. At the same time, the occupiers invested a considerable amount of money in the development of an equivalent German theatre scene. This chapter is looking at the reasons why the results of the regime’s efforts lagged behind its expectations and why NS propaganda could not easily invoke a long-standing tradition of German-language theatre in Prague.