Society for Theater History
The Society for Theater History is an association of Germanists, theater scholars and laypeople, directors, actors and directors interested in the history of theater who are dedicated to researching the history of theater.
history
It was founded on April 6, 1902 on the initiative of the publicist and editor-in-chief of the stage and world magazine , Heinrich Stümcke . Ludwig Geiger was elected chairman, Stümcke secretary and the publisher Georg Elsner treasurer. As early as 1903, the society had 370 members. The Society's first publication also appeared in 1902. The actor Friedrich Haase and Duke Georg II of Saxony-Meiningen were appointed honorary members .
A significant event in the company's history was the German Theater Exhibition , which took place in Berlin from November 1, 1910 to January 2, 1911.
In 1919 the founder of theater studies at Berlin University, Max Herrmann, was elected chairman of the society. After Heinrich Stümcke's death in 1923, Hans Knudsen was appointed as his successor as secretary . After the establishment of the first German theater studies institute at Berlin University in 1923, the society's collections of theater history were transferred to the institute on permanent loan. Further honorary members were the actor and theater director Ludwig Barnay , the actors Max Grube and Max Reinhardt . In 1933 the society had 332 members.
After the seizure of power by the Nazis in 1933, Max Herrmann was relieved at the instigation of the board members Hans Knudsen and Georg Elsner because of his Jewish ancestry of his office. Otto Leers , former Baden Minister of Education and Culture , became chairman . In 1935 Leers resigned and Wolfgang Goetz was elected as his successor. In 1940 the Prussian minister Johannes Popitz became chairman of the association. Work ceased during the war and there were no further meetings or general meetings.
The theater director Kurt Raeck revitalized society after the Second World War. He took over the chairmanship until 1976. He was followed by the Hamburg theater scholar Diedrich Diederichsen until 1988. Then the literary scholar Peter Sprengel took over the chairmanship until 1994 and from 1994 to 2005 the theater scholar Peter Schmitt. Herbert A. Frenzel was the secretary from 1950 to 1978 . He was followed in this position by Harald Zielske , Matthias Braun and the theater scholar Anja Hentschel.
Walther Unruh was treasurer until 1957 , followed by Walther Karsch , who remained in this position until his death in 1975. Thereafter, the finances were managed by the theater scholar Bärbel Rudin until 1994. From 1994 Lothar Schirmer , at that time chief curator of the theater collection at the Berlin Museum , took over this office for twenty years. During this time, other honorary members were appointed, including a. Maximilian Schochow , Harald Zielske and Lothar Schirmer. Paul S. Ulrich became chairman in 2005, Secretary Stephan Dröschel and treasurer from 2014 Ralf Schuster.
The work of the association serves the scientific research of the theater history. To this end, two series of books were published, the writings of the Society for Theater History , in which 81 volumes were published by 2019. In addition to the further series of small writings by the Society for Theater History (41 volumes so far), a large number of smaller writings have been published by the members. In 2015, a scientific committee was set up to promote cooperation between theater scholars in the German-speaking area. The society organizes colloquiums and has been awarding a sponsorship award for outstanding master's and master's theses in the field of theater studies since 2009.
literature
- Directory of members of the Society for Theater History 1905. In: Archive for Theater History 2. Fleischel, Berlin 1905.
- Directory of members of the Society for Theater History (as of September 1, 1935). Society for Theater History, Berlin 1935.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ Paul Legband (Ed.): Christian Heinrich Schmids Chronologie des Deutschen Theater. Publishing house of the Society for Theater History, Berlin 1902