THE SLOVAK NATIONAL UPRISING IN SLOVAK DRAMA BETWEEN 1945-1949

The paper discusses five plays, written between 1945 and 1948, which deal with a historical event - with the Slovak National Uprising of 1944. These are: 'Nepokoreni...' (Not Subjugated...), staged in 1945 by Rudolf Latecka-Repicky, 'Basnik a smrt' (Poet and Death), staged in 1946 by Ivan Stodola, 'Styri strany sveta' (Four Sides of the World), staged in 1948 by Leopold Lahola, 'Basta' (Stronghold), staged in 1948 by Peter Karvas, and 'Za frontom' (Behind the Front Line), staged in 1948 by Viera Markovicova-Zaturecka. The Slovak National Uprising provided playwright with a dramatic and potentially tragic situation. It enabled them to incorporate the documentary and authentic elements into their plays. On the other hand, the importance of this historical event caused that drama often shifted towards a 'chronicle', 'apotheosis', or a 'commemorative evening'. The interpretation of events depended on the author's perceptions. For Stodola, the Uprising was the culmination of the nationalist struggle, whereas for Karvas, it was an integral part of the international history. Latecka emphasized its mass character, whereas Lahola focused on each person's emotions when approaching death. The Uprising was a suitable moment to create a perception of 'two worlds' ('ours' and 'theirs'). It was also one of the last occasions to reconsider seriously the value of life and death - before the Slovak drama got completely infected by the Communist enthusiasm.