Cabaret as a Social and Media Practice. Austrian Stage Performances 1955–2000

This project examines the development of Austrian cabaret between 1955 and 2000 and investigates how this popular performing art evolved at the intersection of society, media, and cultural practices. Although cabaret has been an integral part of Austrian cultural life for more than a century and has significantly shaped political and social debates, it has rarely been studied in a systematic manner. Research has largely focused on historical surveys or individual performers, while the media, social, and institutional conditions of cabaret have received comparatively little attention.

At the heart of the project lies the question of how cabaret functions as a social and media practice. The project is based on the premise that cabaret cannot be understood solely as a literary text or a stage performance, but rather as the interaction of performers, audiences, media, institutions, and specific performance contexts. Cabaret responds to current political developments, social conflicts, and changes in the media landscape, while simultaneously helping to shape them. As such, it represents a particularly fruitful site for examining processes of cultural transformation in Austria's Second Republic.

The period from 1955 to 2000 encompasses a phase of profound change. While ensemble-based cabaret dominated the post-war years, solo performances became increasingly prevalent over the following decades. Touring activities gained importance, festivals and awards established new forms of cultural visibility, and professional agencies exerted growing influence on careers and market structures. At the same time, cabaret diversified into distinct subgenres and audiences.
Particular attention is paid to the interactions between cabaret and other media. The project analyses, among other examples, the television productions of Karl Farkas and the cross-media work of Otto Grünmandl. In this way, it seeks to trace how cabaret was disseminated and transformed through radio, television, and other media formats.
Another focus is placed on the discursive negotiation of cabaret. The project examines debates concerning the significance and boundaries of the genre, its distinction from comedy and cabaret films, as well as recurring narratives of decline found in the press, critical reviews, and performers' own self-descriptions.
Furthermore, the project brings into view actors and perspectives that have received little scholarly attention to date. Feminist forms of cabaret, in particular, as well as other marginalized positions, are analysed as independent contributions to the development of Austrian cabaret. In doing so, the project aims to broaden the history of the genre by incorporating perspectives that have often been treated as peripheral in previous accounts.

Methodologically, the project combines historical praxeology with discourse analysis, performance studies, and media analysis. It draws on archival collections, newspaper and magazine coverage, media recordings, programme booklets, cabaret texts, and a wide range of additional written and audiovisual sources. The research is based at the Archive of Contemporary Arts (Archiv der Zeitgenossen) in Krems and is conducted in close collaboration with the Austrian Cabaret Archive (Österreichisches Kabarettarchiv) in Graz and the Brenner Archive (Brenner-Archiv) in Innsbruck. The project seeks to reframe the history of Austrian cabaret as a dynamic art form that is deeply intertwined with social developments, media transformations, and cultural practices, and whose significance extends far beyond the realm of entertainment.

Head of Project:

Dr. Mario Huber