Polish issues in twentieth-century German operetta

Ryszard Daniel Golianek

Abstract

Operetta played a major role in bourgeois culture of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, as it developed and promoted national and local self-identification and awareness. Berlin and Vienna became the main centres of German-language operetta – a genre marked by the strong presence of characters and motifs associated with national and ethnic identities. Among the wealth of German operettas composed up to the outbreak of the Second World War, an important place is occupied by works referring to Polish subjects in their plots or featuring Polish characters. The predominant way of presenting Poles in operettas was to compare them with representatives of German (or Austrian) society.

The end of the First World War was a watershed for the Polish nation, as the country regained its independence in 1918. It might be assumed that this would alter the way Poles were depicted in German operetta of the post-war period. The proposed comparison of a few pre-war German operettas with Polish themes (Polnische Wirtschaft, 1909; Polenblut, 1913) with post-war works (Die blaue Mazur, 1920; Der letzte Walzer, 1920; Die polnische Hochzeit, 1937) will help to determine whether and how the political changes brought about by the First World War were reflected in the plots, characters and music of German operetta of the inter-war period.

These issues are important to our comprehension of how some nations are perceived by others still today. The vitality of operetta as an artistic genre during its heyday stemmed from its documental role, particularly significant before the emergence of modern mass media. The discussed theatrical works, written at the moment of historical change associated with the revival of independent Poland, provide excellent arguments in debate on the impact of these stereotypes on communication between neighbouring nations.