This dissertation examines the theme of travel in the work of Karel Čapek (1890-1938), both in his travelogues and fiction. Instead of assuming travel as a conventional departure to another destination, journey and return home, Čapek experimented with the topic, popular in interwar literatures and arts, as an example of the avant-garde interconnectedness between different genres and arts. Čapek used three approaches to express his experiences of traveling. First, he founded his own aesthetics of the so called “marginal forms” or “low-brow genres” which he simultaneously interpolated in his prose. Their use, which greatly changes the perspective on travel writing, is visible in comparison between Čapek’s and previous travelogues (chapter 1). Secondly, he introduced skaz as stylized spoken language to Czech literature, and changed the traditional roles of the narrator and his addressees in travelogues (chapter 2). Thirdly, he used visual elements of language, combined verbal and visual arts (illustrations and drawings) in the narrative (chapter 3). Finally, all these elements he interpolated to his prose (chapter 4) through the intertextual links with travelogues. On the example of the theme of travel in Karel Čapek’s work, my dissertation revisits some current definitions of the historical avant-garde. It shows that the recent theories, predominantly developed on the examples from Western European and Russian arts, cannot be fully applied to local artistic movements. First, it shows that the notion of the avant-garde cannot be just confined to the writers who called themselves “avant-garde” (such as Karel Teige or Vladislav Vančura). Instead, it should be also expanded to other writers, such as Karel Čapek, marginal to the avant-garde mainstream. Second, the analysis of the theme of travel in Karel Čapek’s opus shows that the Czech avant-garde was not destructive towards its literary heritage. Instead, it offered an alternative reading of tradition through artistic experiments. In extension, it also provided a new understanding of the cultural and literary identity.

This dissertation examines the renovation of the modernist stage, from the beginning of the twentieth century to the late 1930s, via a retrieval of three artistic forms that had marginal importance in the commercial theatre of the nineteenth century. These three paths are the tradition of the commedia dell’arte, puppetry and marionettes, and, finally, what I denominate mysterium, following Elinor Fuch’s terminology in The Death of Character. This dissertation covers the temporal span of the first three decades of the twentieth century and, at the same time, analyzes modernist theatre in connection with the history of Western drama since the consolidation of the bourgeois institution of theatre around the late eighteenth century. The Theatrical Pendulum: Paths of Innovation in the Modernist Stage studies the renovation of the bourgeois institution of theatre by means of the rediscovery of artistic forms previously relegated to a peripheral status in the capitalist system of artistic production and distribution. In their dramatic works, Nikolai Evreinov, Josef and Karel Čapek, Massimo Bontempelli, and Federico García Lorca present fictional actors, playwrights and directors who resist the fact that their work be evaluated as just another commodity. These dramatists collaborate with the commercial stage of their time, instead of adopting the radical stance that characterized avant-garde movements such as Italian futurism and Dadaism. Yet they also question the illusionist fourth wall separating stage and audience in order to denounce the subjection of the modernist artist to the expectations of bourgeois spectators. Jan Mukařovský’s concept of practical function in art is central to understanding the didactic nature of the dramatic texts studied in this dissertation. By claiming the importance of Mukařovský’s phenomenological structuralism, I propose a new reading of the theoretical legacy of the Prague School in conjunction with recent contributions in the field of theatre studies by Elinor Fuchs, Martin Puchner and other scholars whose work will be discussed here.

Diss.--Fachbereich 10--Marburg--Philipps-Universität, 1989.

Submitted Thesis consists of two parts theoretical and practical. The theoretical part aims at the chronological mapping and analyzing of all available Czech editions of Karel Čapek's play R.U.R. from 1920 until 1989. It also deals with design-transformations of Čapek's Robot on the examples of selected theatre plays in Czech lands as well as in foreign countries performances. The Thesis pays attention to stage executions on the basis of period photographs, drawings and reviews. It is created a united survey of this Čapek's play in the Czech lands in the given time period from its origins until its theatre realizations and book publications. The practical part of the Thesis will then extend the historical play book covers given in the theoretical part by creating an original author book based on Čapek's play, which will be the visual interpretation of the text. By that will be produced a continuity between the theoretical and the practical part of the Thesis.

The doctoral thesis called "Five Plays of Karel Čapek:Primary Research" deals with drama works of one of the most outstanding and extraordinary personalities in the Czech theatre and culture. So why "primary research"? Because something like that is badly missing in his context - and therefore the interpratation of his work has been influenced by various interventions during its existence : above all the interrupted staging tradition, biased, and thus incomplete, perception by literary theorists, ignoring or simplifying by theatre theorists and even practitoners.

This thesis is focused on signifiant personality of Czech conductor Karel Ančerl (1908 – 1973). Thesis contains his curriculum vitae in context of his conductor’s career. One chapter is dedicated to Ančerl Gold Edition project.

Tato diplomová práce představuje mé umělecké zpracování a vizuální interpretaci dramatického textu Země mnoha jmen Josef čapka. Práce obsahuje umělecký i historický přístup autora a divadelní svět na začátku dvacátého století, obzvláště období První republiky Československa, dále pak vyjádření mých uměleckých zásad, referencí a analýzu hry a postav skrze tento filtr.

The master´s thesis deals with technology of hanging painting in the Baroque period and it is a source of inspiration for visual interpretation. The master´s thesis is devided into theoretical and practical part. Theoretical part deals with technologies of baroque painting on hanging painting and techniques of this period. Key figure is study of production of Czech painter Karel Škréta. The integral part is teoretical and technological process of prominent preservers. The technological process of Škréta's production, which is the part of practical part, is based on their cognition.

The diploma thesis looks into literary legends of the Sedlčany and its closest area which is defined by cultural and geographical demarcation of the region. The four-volume Legends of Sedlčany area by regional author Karel Bazal are understood as the essential material of the thesis. The diploma thesis also aims to briefly summarize life and work of this author as well as to place him to literary context of the period. Focus will be paid to interpretation of characters as well as to interpretation of legends which will be based on assorted heuristic material. The diploma thesis will not only use theory of regional literature and genologic demarcation of legends, but it will also include photos of chosen places in Sedlčany area and design of project based learning based on interdisciplinary relations (prepared for secondary school class).

Nowdays Karel Maria Drahotín baron Villani is practically unknown although he belonged to renowned and brilliant individualities of the Czech cultural life in the 19th century. First of all he was popular as liberal politician who held the same opinions like František Palacký. Villani gave himself to poetry as well though his poems did not reach the top. He was one of first authors who appreciated Mácha´s Máj. The thesis deals not only with baron Villani´s political opinions and his literary work but also his public activities, salon of his family and his legency created after his death as well.