Subject and City (and Politics): Five Decades in Bratislava in Janko Alexy’s Texts Cover Image

Subjekt a mesto (a politika): Polstoročie Bratislavy v textoch Janka Alexyho
Subject and City (and Politics): Five Decades in Bratislava in Janko Alexy’s Texts

Author(s): Matej Masaryk
Subject(s): Fine Arts / Performing Arts, Cultural history, Visual Arts, Slovak Literature
Published by: Ústav slovenskej literatúry SAV
Keywords: Janko Alexy; Bratislava; periphery; centre;

Summary/Abstract: The article aims at providing a picture of how Bratislava was portrayed in the texts of the Slovak author and painter Janko Alexy (1894 – 1970), written between 1921 and 1968. The paper combines the knowledge of Slovak and Czechoslovak culture and history with biographical and artistic facts about Alexy’s life and work. With regards to the biography of the author, the article drew on his own memoirs, Ján Abelovský’s monograph, texts by Ján Smrek and various period articles. The paper also makes use of the work of O. Mongin, P. Málek and V. Barborík. It provides an insight into the relationship between the city and the subject and reconstructs the complex image of the period circumstances in its background. It outlines several periods that document Alexy’s changing attitude towards the city and the gradual national appropriation of Bratislava. The identity of the current capital of Slovakia was changing from a multi-ethnic town to a city occupied by a single majority ethnic group. These shifts are illustrated on several Alexy’s texts.

  • Issue Year: 68/2021
  • Issue No: 3
  • Page Range: 222-234
  • Page Count: 13
  • Language: Slovak