From the Centre to the Periphery: Czech Reception of Herman Heijerman’s Dramatic Works in a Cultural-Historical Perspective

The article deals with the Czech reception of Herman Heijermans’ dramatic works. The aim is to give a survey of the translations and productions of Heijermans’ plays and to look into the aspects influencing the choice of the plays by Czech theatre companies. Four plays by Heijermans have been translated into Czech, and all of them were shown on stage repeatedly. The article provides an overview of the productions in chronological order and describes their reception in the Czech lands. It examines the extent to which the plays were chosen for esthetic, social or ideological reasons, both in the first and the latter half of the twentieth century, while taking into account the changing cultural and political circumstances.