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- Grillparzer, Franz / König Ottokars Glück und Ende (3) (remove)
The aim of this study is to present two older literary adaptations of the tragic life story of King Otakar (Ottokar) II – the "classic" play "König Ottokars Glück und Ende" by the Austrian dramatist Franz Grillparzer and the now forgotten drama "Král Přemysl Otakar Druhý" by the Czech author František Zavřel. The article focuses on the controversial depiction of the king and his Czech subjects, which led to a number of angry protests from Czech audiences. The study also explores the causes of the "anti-Czech sentiment" which is said to be found in these plays.
The Přemyslid King Otakar II is one of the most prominent figures in Czech (and Central European) history. However, he is also a highly controversial figure, primarily due to his unflagging support for the German-speaking communities on his territory, which figures such as František Palacký considered to be excessive. The theme of German medieval colonization and Czech/German coexistence naturally appears in literary works dealing with Otakar's life. The Austrian dramatist Franz Grillparzer's play "König Ottokars Glück und Ende" is no exception. The topic of German colonization is relatively peripheral within the work, however the brief scene featuring the King and the burghers of Prague (who protest at Prague Castle against the expulsion of the Czechs and the settlement of Germans in their place) so incensed the Czech literary scene that the work has still not yet been translated into Czech. This article aims to analyze the scene in question, comparing Grillparzer's drama with the novel "Královský úděl" by the Czech author Nina Bonhardová.
Franz Grillparzers Trauerspiel 'König Ottokars Glück und Ende' wurde lange Zeit als ein patriotisches Festspiel (miss-)verstanden. Ebenso interessant wie die Frage nach der Berechtigung dieses (Miss-)Verständnisses ist jedoch die Frage, wie Grillparzer in diesem Drama den Lauf der Geschichte darstellt. Die zwei rivalisierenden männlichen Hauptfiguren, nämlich Ottokar von Böhmen und Rudolf von Habsburg, lassen sich als Repräsentanten zweier historischer Epochen interpretieren. Während Rudolf eine neue Zeit proklamiert und sich gleich in deren Zentrum stellt, bleibt Ottokar dem Vergehenden verpflichtet und stirbt an der Peripherie einer kommenden Epoche, deren Gebot er zu spät erkennt.