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.
Tabla de materias
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
Sobre el autor
Alexander Vari is Associate Professor of Modern European History at Marywood University.
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