Abstract (eng)
This diploma thesis investigates the significance of a culture-historical source for the study of political history by concentrating on how selected text passages from the concert guide “Führer durch die Konzertsäle Berlins” reflect political developments of the Weimar Republic.
The thesis exclusively examines text passages in which the modernist composer Arnold Schönberg, who was of particular (cultural-)political significance during the Weimar Republic, is mentioned. The digital copies of the “Führer durch die Konzertsäle Berlins”, which are accessible on the website of the German research institution “Staatliches Institut für Musikforschung Preußischer Kulturbesitz”, and Eckhard John’s book “Musikbolschewismus. Die Politisierung der Musik in Deutschland 1918–1938“ serve as a scientific basis. Corresponding to John’s findings, the rise of musical modernism and the traditionalists’ politicisation of music after World War I are seen as consequences of the political events at that time. Thus, representations of these developments in the concert guide are also classified as representations of the associated political events. More precisely, it is assumed that the political developments of the Weimar Republic are reflected in the concert guide by means of the frequency of announcements of concerts with Schönberg’s music, the explicitly announced musical pieces of Schönberg, the advertising themes in the analysed text passages, and the metaphors detectable in the research material.
The results of the conducted quantitatively descriptive analysis, structured-thematic qualitative content analysis and metaphor analysis showed that the concert guide does indeed reflect political developments and, furthermore, also mirrors the political climate within the Weimar society.