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DAGMAR KROCANOVÁ
German and Hungarian, respectively).' The rise of professional theatre and
the development of drama written in a national language serve as a case study
to show how feeble the Slovak national identity in this period still was.
After the disintegration of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Slovak
national identity developed within the official concept of one Czechoslovak
nation”. Since the Czechoslovak Republic also served as a “buffer zone”
and its population included large German and Hungarian minorities, this
concept guaranteed the majority for the Slavic population in the state. Slovak
autonomy, originally granted by the Cleveland and Pittsburgh treaties, thus
became undesirable.* Besides, Slovaks could not base their demand for
autonomy on previous historical, political or territorial claims. Traditional
linguistic and cultural nationalism that perceived language as the core of
the national identity was still vital; however, the Slovak language was only
considered a “branch” or a “dialect” of the Czechoslovak language, or a
“literary language.” Slovak society was split: some segments of the Slovak
population and political representation voiced their dissatisfaction with the
national principle in the Czechoslovak Republic, whereas a part of the Slovak
population and representation adhered to a Czechoslovak orientation. Some
Slovaks also still felt their link with the Hungarian nation and the monarchy.
Complex geopolitical interests in Europe interplayed with the Slovak demands
for autonomy, and eventually lead to the split of the Republic in March 1939.
The Slovak National Theatre (Slovenské narodné divadlo) as a professional
theatre institution was only founded in 1919, and several paradoxes accompanied
its rise. First, the authorities of a new state negotiated about establishing the
Slovak National Theatre even though the official concept of the nation and
! "The Slovak name of the town referring to the Slavic prince Braslav became official in 1919. In
vernacular Slovak the town was called Presporok. After the disintegration of the monarchy,
there were plans to grant the town an autonomous status and call it Wilsonovo, after
President Woodrow Wilson.
? This political and ideological concept was based in the constitution of 1920. It is related
to the idea of Slavic reciprocity and the concept of one “Czechoslovak tribe” among Slavs,
influenced by J. Herder and phrased especially by Jan Kollar (1793-1852) in the period of the
national awakening
3 The Cleveland treaty was signed on 22 October, 1915. It stated that a foreseen new common
state of Czechs and Slovaks will be a federation, that Slovakia will have its territorial
autonomy, and that Slovak will be one of official languages of the state. The Pittsburgh treaty
was signed on 31 May, 1918, and it modified some aspects of foreseen state administration. It
abolished the idea of a federation but Slovakia was supposed to have an autonomous status,
its own parliament and administration. Slovak was still supposed to function as an official
language. Among major signatories of both documents were the Czech National Association
and Slovak League in the USA.
* "The language taught at schools in the Czechoslovak Republic was “Czechoslovak in a Slovak
variety”.
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