Enlightened reformers perceived the theatre as a space for adjusting the taste and the political, religious, and moral attitudes of the recipients. When they realized that the theatre has, or can have, a different, wider, deeper, and therefore more significant, cultural influence compared to the printed book, theatre ensembles came under the pressure of censorship and its premeditated rules about what is allowed and what is not allowed to be told, performed, and shown on stage. The study points out the reception of original and translated German dramatic works in Hungary, based on source research on censorial reviews and related sources. The censors’ argumentation reveals problematic zones, themes, and expressions in terms of the censorial triad of politics-religion-morality. Despite supervision and disciplining, the theatre gave scope not only for the enlightened education of adult audiences, but also remained a place for the artistic reflection of social issues and social criticism.
The study uses a wide range of sources to uncover the spread of the ideas of Immanuel Kant outside philosophical circles in the Slovak part of the Kingdom of Hungary. The flow of philosophical ideas is shown not only by the works of Kantians in Hungary, but also by censorship records of the importing of Kantian texts in the 1790s. Critical debate in correspondence and in published texts uncovers anti-Kantian arguments. Information about the propagation and multiplication of Kant’s works give an idea of their popularity. Research into memoirs sheds light on how philosophical messages circulated in private communication networks, reaching beyond the philosophical and educational sphere, in spite of bans and repression.
The study analyses the censorship legislation and censorship records from the period of the Great French Revolution with the aim of pointing to the existence of a latent world in the history of communications as a result of the action of disciplining pressure. It captures the investigation of the distribution of anonymous political pamphlets and the unsuccessful search of the whole of Hungary for the secret private printing press with the aim of eliminating the problematic anonymous texts that threatened the public peace. Analysis of the innovative censorship legislation and sources on the investigation and testimony of importers enable us to generalize about not only the adaptation of importing practices to the adjusted conditions, but also about the methods of exculpation in the detention of suspected goods. The study shows that the illegal book trade was an important part of the history of communications, which spread and reproduced untolerated ideas in spite of prohibitions.
The study analyses the censorship legislation and censorship records from the period of the Great French Revolution with the aim of pointing to the existence of a latent world in the history of communications as a result of the action of disciplining pressure. It captures the investigation of the distribution of anonymous political pamphlets and the unsuccessful search of the whole of Hungary for the secret private printing press with the aim of eliminating the problematic anonymous texts that threatened the public peace. Analysis of the innovative censorship legislation and sources on the investigation and testimony of importers enable us to generalize about not only the adaptation of importing practices to the adjusted conditions, but also about the methods of exculpation in the detention of suspected goods. The study shows that the illegal book trade was an important part of the history of communications, which spread and reproduced untolerated ideas in spite of prohibitions.
The study analyses the socio-political discourse about freedom of the press in the Kingdom of Hungary in the context of the 1790-1791 parliament and the work of the commission for public and political affairs on the preparation of legislation on freedom of the press in the period 1791–1794. Against the background of Hungarian constitutionalism, it notices the opposition and argumentation of Hungarian county authorities concerning decrees on the closure of private printing presses. It analyses further philosophical, religious and political considerations, in order to point out their context in the philosophy of the European Enlightenment, the concept of the social contract, the French revolution and its liberal ideas. It shows how the concept of the nation and the development of its culture as an expression of Hungarian nationalism were brought into these considerations, and that the intensive debate on freedom of the press and expression had no impact on the growing pressure of censorship as an expression of a weakened political power.
The study is a continuation of research into human resources for censorship offices after the reform of Joseph II. The author analyses the adaptation of local censors in their positions through censorship cases, offenses and conflicts on the basis of preserved sources. It brings information about previously unnoted censors and offers a nonstereotyped perception of their role. The research shows the problems of complying with the valid regulations and the obedience of the local censors to the superior study director emerges as the most problematic area. Censors were often the authors of texts that can be regarded as pamphlets, so they tended towards the publishing activities. They were supposed to fight against. In the case of Professor at the Law Academy in Košice and censor Ignátz Gotzigh emerges a hitherto almost unknown, very interesting oppositional and peculiar personality with a non-dogmatic way of thinking. Research has shown that those who were sought after, put in their positions and paid to see to the reproduction of social obedience were not obedient themselves. From this point of view, the censorship administrations can be seen as a „hole in the fence“ protecting “the state, religion and morality”, as a weak spot in the protection of the rules and the social status quo.
JavaScript is turned off in your web browser. Turn it on to take full advantage of this site, then refresh the page.