Socialist Escapes

Breaking Away from Ideology and Everyday Routine in Eastern Europe, 1945-1989
1. Auflage 2015
ISBN: 978-1-78238-925-5
Verlag: Berghahn Books

Buch, Englisch, 294 Seiten, Format (B × H): 152 mm x 229 mm, Gewicht: 432 g

During much of the Cold War, physical escape from countries in the Eastern Bloc was a nearly impossible act. There remained, however, possibilities for other socialist escapes, particularly time spent free from party ideology and the mundane routines of everyday life. The essays in this volume examine sites of socialist escapes, such as beaches, campgrounds, nightclubs, concerts, castles, cars, and soccer matches. The chapters explore the effectiveness of state efforts to engineer society through leisure, entertainment, and related forms of cultural programming and consumption. They lead to a deeper understanding of state–society relations in the Soviet sphere, where the state did not simply “dictate from above” and inhabitants had some opportunities to shape solidarities, identities, and meaning.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Giustino, Cathleen M.

Plum, Catherine J.

Vari, Alexander

Fachgebiete

• Geisteswissenschaften Geschichtswissenschaft Weltgeschichte & Geschichte einzelner Länder und Gebietsräume Europäische Geschichte
• Sozialwissenschaften Ethnologie | Volkskunde Ethnologie Sozialethnologie: Familie, Gender, Soziale Gruppen
• Sozialwissenschaften Politikwissenschaft Politische Ideologien Marxismus, Kommunismus
• Geisteswissenschaften Geschichtswissenschaft Geschichtliche Themen Mentalitäts- und Sozialgeschichte
• Sozialwissenschaften Politikwissenschaft Politikwissenschaft Allgemein Politische Studien zu einzelnen Ländern und Gebieten
• Sozialwissenschaften Politikwissenschaft Politikwissenschaft Allgemein Politische Geschichte

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Preface with Acknowledgments

List of Figures

INTRODUCTION

Chapter 1. Escaping the Monotony of Everyday Life under Socialism

Alexander Vari

CONCERT HALLS AND ESTATE MUSEUMS

Chapter 2. Instrumentalizing Entertainment and Education: Early Cold War Music Festivals in East Germany and Poland

David Tompkins

Chapter 3. Open Gates and Wandering Minds: Codes, Castles, and Chateaux in Socialist Czechoslovakia before 1960

Cathleen M. Giustino

CABINS IN THE WOODS

Chapter 4. Encountering Poland’s “Wild West”: Tourism in the Bieszczady Mountains under Socialism

Patrice M. Dabrowski

Chapter 5. Summer Camp for Socialists: Conformity and Escapism at Camp Mitschurin in East Germany

Catherine J. Plum

BEACH PARTIES

Chapter 6. From the Party to the Beach Party: Nudism and Artistic Expression in the People’s Republic of Romania

Irina Costache

Chapter 7. Smoke and Beers: Touristic Escapes and Places to Party in Socialist Bulgaria, 1956-1976

Mary Neuburger

ROADSIDE ADVENTURES AND BRIGHT CITY LIGHTS

Chapter 8. Hitchhikers’ Paradise: The Intersection of Mass Mobility, Consumer Demand, and Ideology in the People’s Republic of Poland

Mark Keck-Szajbel

Chapter 9. Nocturnal Entertainments, Five-Star Hotels, and Youth Counterculture: Re-Inventing Budapest’s Nightlife under Socialism

Alexander Vari

SPORTS AND STADIA

Chapter 10. Getting off Track in East Germany: Adolescent Motorcycle Fans and Honecker’s Consumer Socialism

Caroline Fricke

Chapter 11. Power at Play: Soccer Stadiums and Popular Culture in 1980s Romania

Florin Poenaru

CONCLUSION

Chapter 12. Escapes and Other Border Crossings in Socialist Eastern Europe

Cathleen M. Giustino

Selected Bibliography

Notes on Contributors

Index

Über Autor(innen)

Giustino, Cathleen M.
Cathleen M. Giustino is Professor of History at Auburn University where she teaches courses on modern Central and Eastern European history.

Plum, Catherine J.
Catherine J. Plum is Associate Professor of History at Western New England University where she teaches courses on modern European and German history.

Vari, Alexander
Alexander Vari is Associate Professor of Modern European History at Marywood University.

Catherine J. Plum is Associate Professor of History at Western New England University where she teaches courses on modern European and German history.