Vývoj chápání termínu biedermeier v české literární historii

Bc. Nikita GEBAUEROVÁ

Master's thesis

Development of understanding of the term Biedermeier in Czech literary history

Abstract:

Diplomová práce se zaměřuje na vývoj a chápání termínu biedermeier v české literární historii. Jejím cílem je prostřednictvím zkoumání odborných a následně i didaktických textů zaznamenávat rozličné přístupy k termínu biedermeier a vytvořit komplexní syntetickou práci, zaštiťující pohled na biedermeier v českém prostředí. Přirozeným vyústěním práce je hodnocení terminologického uchopení pojmu biedermeier v didaktickém materiálu.

Abstract:

The aim of this diploma has been a research of specialist literarily-scientific texts, and via them to take down various terminological graspings of literary Biedermeier. Subsequently to attempt for own understanding and recognition of contexts in the Czech literary field. We were focused on the origin of the Biedermeier term in the first chapter. Even though we haven´t been interested in German Biedermeier, the origins of the Biedermeier term in German history are really important for this diploma. In the following chapter we´re focused on reflexion of the Biedermeier term in the Czech environment, even though it´s not related to literature at first. At that time when the term had a significant status in germanic science and was respected by some scholars, it was almost perceived with pejorative tinge in the Czech context everytime. The next part is focused on the Jirat´s concept of Biedermeier. His study, the Czech and German Biedermeier, not only responds to the ongoing debate, but its significance has far reaching consequences, especially for the Czech literary history. The Jirat´s concept is followed by the impressive monograph called Biedermeier in German writing by Stanislav Sahanek. The monograph responds, as the name suggests itself, primarily to the situation in German studies. It unifies the knowledge gained by the literary German studies and informs in a positive sense and its arguments. Although the impulses, which were given by Jirat and Sahanek up to now, have been highly encouraging, they were not linked-up in the post war-period. There were no responses to their approaches or their further development. The authors of literary-history handbooks and compendia, in which the term appeared, combined it with the political and cultural conservative backwardness, not with literature. The deposit of the ideological pathos made the Biedermeier pettifogging as well as worthless with pejorative colouring. Vladimir Macura succeeded in the partial survival of the term in the 1980s, even though it wasn´t his primary concern. He mentions the Biedermeier nearly solely in the context of flower speech. The greatest contribution to the Biedermeier term is the production by Dalibor Turecek, who stimulated an interest in the almost forgotten concept in the Czech literary history. Turecek wasn´t only interested in the Biedermeier term, but he was also focused on the whole period of national revival, where the Biedermeier is an indisputable part of it. Since the first Turecek´s study, which pushes the Biedermeier ahead according to Vojtech Jirat in the Czech literary science, there have arisen a number of studies, conferences and new approaches to the issue. The last chapter of the diploma thesis is occupied with approaches to the Biedermeier term in the most used text books of secondary schools. We have come to the fact that the most currently used textbooks aren´t suitable for teaching (they´re mostly intended for purpose of revision before taking maturita exam), they don´t mention the Biedermeier term either. If it appears, it is portrayed only marginally and in relation to arts, not to literature. The best score was achieved by a textbook for grammar school students, which describes the Biedermeier term in a comprehensive way, with an example of reading. Although the new studies, which consider the ambiguity of the Biedermeier term to be problematic, have still been released, the situation is currently more volatile than ever. Even though literary science knows about this situation and has been trying to cope with the problem, there is still a growing variety of opinion variations. The biedermeier becomes even more widespread than it was in its beginnings in the Czech literary science.

Keywords

termín biedermeier, německý biedermeier, vývoj biedermeieru, český literární biedermeier, biedermeier v učebnicích

Language used: Czech

Date on which the thesis was submitted / produced: 12. 12. 2018

Thesis defence

• Supervisor: Mgr. Jana Vrajová, Ph.D.

PALACKÝ UNIVERSITY OLOMOUC

Faculty of Arts

Master programme / field:
Philology / Czech Philology