Biedermeier in Slovak Literary Historiography Cover Image

Reflexia biedermeieru v slovenskej literárnej historiografii
Biedermeier in Slovak Literary Historiography

Author(s): Miloslav Vojtech
Subject(s): Slovak Literature
Published by: Ústav slovenskej literatúry SAV
Keywords: Slovak literature; Biedermeier; literary historiography; periodization of literature;

Summary/Abstract: The article provides an insight into the conceptualisations of Biedermeier in Slovak literary historiography from the 1930s to the present day. It maps the process of establishment of the term in literary-historical discourse in the first half of the 20th century and points out the role German Literary Studies played in it. The article analyses the transformation of the term adopted from German literary theory in the 1930s and 1940s. In these decades, M. Pišút and A. Mráz applied Biedermeier to the study of Slovak literature. They identified features of this style – alongside the dominant Classicism and the early Romanticism – in several literary works and authorial styles. In the latter half of the 20th century, Biedermeier was researched by S. Šmatlák, V. Marčok, and J. Noge. The article also touches upon typological definition of Biedermeier in Slovak poetry and fiction of the 19th century, the relationship of this style with pre-Romantic and Romantic literature, the revitalisation of Biedermeier in the second half of the 19th century, and current research that focuses on Biedermeierian configurations of Realism and looks for its origins in pre-1815 texts.

  • Issue Year: 68/2021
  • Issue No: 5
  • Page Range: 479-494
  • Page Count: 16
  • Language: Slovak