1st Edition

The Volksbuhne Movement A History

By Cecil Davies Copyright 2000

    This publication is the first comprehensive account in English of the history of the Freie Volksb^D"hne, founded in Berlin in 1890 through the interaction of Social Democracy and Theatrical Naturalism. Cecil Davies details the nationwide growth of the Volksb^D"hne Movement during the 1920s through the 1990s - including Germany's stormy history up to World War I, the problems associated with building the Volksbühne's own theatre, and the reunification of Germany. Weight is given to the contributions of major figures in the movement such as Bruno Wille, Siegfried Nestriepke, and Erwin Piscator.

    Before 1890: The Prehistory of the Volksbühne; I: 1890–1914 From Brauhaus to Bülowplatz; I: The First Decade; II: Developments Outside Berlin; III: Into the Twentieth Century; 1914–1918: War and Revolution; II: 1918–1933 The Volksbühne in the Weimar Republic; I: Berlin; II: Nationwide Growth 1918–1930; The Nazis: ‘Night Over Germany’; III: The Volksbühne Since 1945; I: In Berlin and East Germany; II: The Later History of the Volksbühne Federation; Epilogue

    Biography

    Dr. Davies has been senior staff tutor in literature at the University of Manchester. In 1989 he received his Ph.D. for a study of The Plays of Ernst Toller, now published in this series.

    'The first comprehensive account in English ... Provides a fuller treatment of the subject ... Enhanced with sections of informative notes and principal sources, appendices, an index of names and a general index, the work is a goldmine of information.' - International Theatre Institute Newsletter

    'In this expansion and update of his Theatre for the People: The Story of the Volksbhne (1977), Davies moves his focus from Berlin to Germany, giving a clear and detailed picture of the Volksbhne Movement from the period before 1890 ... Complimenting the narrative are interesting photographs of the people involved and of the theaters and famous productions.' Choice