Spieltexte der Comoedianten: Teil 1: Deutsches ›Internationaltheater‹ aus dem Kodex Ia 38.589 der Wienbibliothek

Abstract

First edition of manuscripts of professional theatre troupes from the 17th and early 18th century. In Europe, the emergence of a modern professional theatre in many places became a focus of national self-esteem. The Commedia dell’arte, works by Shakespeare, Lope de Vega or Molière, became a weighty cultural capital. In German-speaking countries, however, corresponding cultural “achievements” are connected with the repression of the traditional theatre profession in accordance with the Enlightenment. To show what is being repressed in German theatre history is one aim of this edition. For example, the published plays are related to the Elizabethan Theater, the Amsterdam Schouwburg, the Jesuit Theater or Molière, thus revealing a German-language “international theatre” that was oriented towards the expectations of its audience.