Bratislava

The creation of a new theatre for performances in Bratislava by George Csáky in 1775–1776 has been the subject of research for several authors, most of them focusing on the building itself, the repertoire and the theatre directors. The present study, however, deals with the process of the establishment of this theatre from the point of view of the official documents of the Hungarian Royal Governor’s Council.

The present study traces the history of Summer Theatre in Bratislava, a matter long overlooked in current research, through a source-based and comparative approach enabling the art form to be viewed as a space of both popular culture and social control. In a time when Enlightenment thinking saw theatre as a tool for educating the populace and building loyalty to the regime, theatre for non-elites gradually became a form of entertainment no longer tolerated. The sensitivity of authorities to any hints of prohibited expressions or ridicule is evident in the sources.

Neoliberalism represents a key word for thinking about the dynamics of capitalism since the 70´s and can be used as an analytical tool that allows linking discussions of global economic changes to transformations at local scales. The key tenets of neoliberal ideology are discussed in the present study, including the fundamental reconceptualization of the position and the role of the state, as well as general aspects of actual executions of ideologically inspired and legitimized institutional and regulatory restructuring (neoliberalization).

The oldest preserved seal of the Pressburg Burghers is attached to a charter from 1302; the words SIGILLVM CIVIVM IN PRESPVRCH can be seen in its circular inscription. The seal was probably made in the second half of the 13th century and provides evidence of a common identity of the burgher community. However, who were these "cives" mentioned in the inscription when this seal was made? From which social classes did the town political elite arise that made crucial decisions on behalf of the entire community around 1300?

Ethnic and linguistic plurality was typical for Bratislava inhabitants in the period between the two world wars. Was this plurality valid also for the inhabitants of medieval Pressburg? The majority of Slovak medievalists support the model of "gradual ethnic plurality"- at the beginning at Slovak extramural settlements Hungarian guard settlements started to be formed in the 10th century, in the 12th century German and Romance-speaking settlers came and the German speakers had Germanized emerging towns in Upper Hungary since the 13th century.