Socialist Escapes : : Breaking Away from Ideology and Everyday Routine in Eastern Europe, 1945-1989 / / ed. by Cathleen M. Giustino, Catherine J. Plum, Alexander Vari.

• Superior document: Title is part of eBook package: De Gruyter Berghahn Books Complete eBook-Package 2000-2013
• MitwirkendeR: Costache, Irina,; Dabrowski, Patrice M.,; Fricke, Caroline,; Giustino, Cathleen M,; Giustino, Cathleen M.,; Keck-Szajbel, Mark,; Neuburger, Mary,; Plum, Catherine J.,; Poenaru, Florin,; Tompkins, David G.,; Vari, Alexander,
• HerausgeberIn: Giustino, Cathleen M.,; Plum, Catherine J.,; Vari, Alexander,
• Place / Publishing House: New York ;, Oxford : : Berghahn Books, , [2013]; ©2013
• Year of Publication: 2013
• Language: English
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (294 p.)

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.

Table of Contents

Frontmatter -- Contents -- Figures -- Preface -- Acknowledgments -- Introduction. Escaping the Monotony of Everyday Life under Socialism -- Part I. Concert Halls and Estate Museums -- Chapter 1. Instrumentalizing Entertainment and Education: Early Cold-War Music Festivals in East Germany and Poland -- Chapter 2. Open Gates and Wandering Minds: Codes, Castles, and Chateaux in Socialist Czechoslovakia before 1960 -- Part II. Cabins in the Woods -- Chapter 3. Encountering Poland’s “Wild West”: Tourism in the Bieszczady Mountains under Socialism -- Chapter 4. Summer Camp for Socialists: Conformity and Escapism at Camp Mitschurin in East Germany -- Part III. Beach Parties -- Chapter 5. From the Party to the Beach Party: Nudism and Artistic Expression in the People’s Republic of Romania -- Chapter 6. Smoke and Beers: Touristic Escapes and Places to Party in Socialist Bulgaria, 1956–1976 -- Part IV. Roadside Adventures and Bright City Lights -- Chapter 7. Hitchhikers’ Paradise: The Intersection of Mass Mobility, Consumer Demand, and Ideology in the People’s Republic of Poland -- Chapter 8. Nocturnal Entertainments, Five-Star Hotels, and Youth Counterculture: Reinventing Budapest’s Nightlife under Socialism -- Part V. Sports and Stadia -- Chapter 9. Getting off Track in East Germany: Adolescent Motorcycle Fans and Honecker’s Consumer Socialism -- Chapter 10. Power at Play: Soccer Stadiums and Popular Culture in 1980s Romania -- Conclusion Escapes and Other Border Crossings in Socialist Eastern Europe -- Selected Bibliography -- Notes on Contributors -- Index