Operetta State

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Operetta state is a colloquial derogatory term for a small state that attaches great importance to representative pomp in order to create the impression of being influential, although it is perceived as insignificant . Under constitutional law , the term has no consequence and is part of the language of journalism and journalism .

Word origin

The term is closely linked to the operettas by Jacques Offenbach from the time of the Second Empire . Operetta states on the stage are, for example, Gerolstein from The Grand Duchess of Gerolstein (1867) as well as Lahore from Barkouf (1860) by Jacques Offenbach, Pontevedrino from The Merry Widow (1905) by Franz Lehár and Sachsen-Karlsberg from The Student Prince (1924) by Sigmund Romberg . Furthermore, Freedonia in the movie Duck Soup (1933) of the Marx Brothers and Ruritania in novels by Anthony Hope (1894) well-known examples.

Historical background

Because in the 19th century people wanted to see beautiful uniforms and great state events on the stage, but were not allowed to portray any real political events due to the censorship , they turned to the realm of the imagination. Conversely, monarchs who, like z. B. Ludwig II of Bavaria were increasingly disempowered, only sovereign splendor. The representation therefore did not correspond to the real meaning in both cases. A large part of the citizens , especially in the German-speaking area, viewed small states with suspicion and supported an agreement on the nation-state . Since the 1860s, the image of the state in the operetta has been transferred to real states that opposed the aspired nation-state.

Examples

For a long time, the Principality of Monaco was sometimes referred to as an operetta state, but it has developed from such a state into a serious - and much criticized - tax haven . In Asia, Manchukuo , the empire set up by Japan in Manchuria, was considered an operetta state; also the Philippines during the Marcos regime . In Africa, in addition to some small West African states, Muammar al-Gaddafi's Libya was also referred to as an operetta state. The Dominican Republic is counted as an example of a Latin American operetta state during the Trujillo era .

literature

  • Michael Kilian: State - Small State - Smallest State: An International Law Consideration. In: Hans-Joachim Cremet, Thomas Giegerich, Dagmar Richter, Andreas Zimmermann (eds.): Tradition and cosmopolitanism of law. Festschrift for Helmut Steinberger (= contributions to foreign public law and international law. Vol. 152). Springer, Berlin et al. 2002, ISBN 3-540-42954-9 , pp. 197-240, see p. 226.

Web links

See also

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Operetta State . In: German word treasures. University of Graz, accessed on September 9, 2019 .
  2. ^ Deutsche Welle: Prince Rainier III. von Monaco is dead. April 6, 2005. Retrieved January 7, 2019
  3. ↑ Uwe Schmitt: "Kill everyone, burn everyone, loot everyone". In: The world. Axel Springer SE, July 1, 2016, accessed on September 9, 2019 .
  4. ↑ Axel Estein: Murder in Manila. In: Tagesspiegel Online. Der Tagesspiegel GmbH, August 7, 2009, accessed on September 9, 2019 .
  5. ↑ Muammar el-Gaddafi. In: Der Spiegel. Rudolf Augstein, November 26, 1984, accessed on September 9, 2019 .
  6. ↑ Dietmut Roether: Who rules with the sharks. In: taz. TAZ Verlags- und Vertriebs GmbH, April 21, 2001, accessed on September 9, 2019 .