Peter W. Marx: Cartographing the Long Nineteenth Century

The "long nineteenth century" has long been marginalized by a form of theatre historiography that focused on the achievements and innovations of Modernism. In contrast to such an approach, I will suggest a reading of the period that neither follows the master-narrative of the nation state and its homogeneous culture, nor will focus on aesthetic processes alone. Instead, I suggest a polyphonic history of the nineteenth century that describes formative processes and political interpretations as the framing conditions of this period.

Peter W. Marx (born 1973 in Limburg an der Lahn) is a German Theatre and Performance studies Scholar. He holds the Chair of Theatre and Media Studies at the University of Cologne where he functions also the director of its Theaterwissenschaftliche Sammlung. Marx is recognized for his research on metropolitan culture at the beginning of the 20th century as well as on Max Reinhardt with an emphasis on Cultural Studies. In addition, his work focuses on contemporary theatre and Shakespeare in performance, particularly on "Hamlet" as a figure of cultural mobility.