THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO THE RISE AND FALL OF JEWISH REPRESENTATION AND COMMUNIST REFORM IN CZECHOSLOVAKIA, 1945-75 A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF THE DIVISION OF THE SOCIAL SCIENCES IN CANDIDACY FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY BY ILANA R. MCQUINN CHICAGO, ILLINOIS DECEMBER 2019 Table of Contents List of Images…….…….…….…….…….……….…….…….…….……….…….…….…….…iii List of Figures…….…….…….…….……….…….…….…….……….…….…….…….………..v List of Tables…….…….…….…….……….…….…….…….……….…….…….…….………..vi List of Abbreviations…….…….…….…….……….…….…….…….……….…….…….……..vii Acknowledgements…….…….…….…….……….…….…….…….……….…….…….……...viii Introduction …….…….…….…….……….…….…….…….……….…….…….…….……….1 Chapter 1 Anatomy of a Trend: The Rise and Fall of Jewish Culture, 1945-1975...……....29 Chapter 2 Writing Jewish Experiences in Czechoslovakia, 1945-63….……………..…......59 Chapter 3 Homes, Heroines, and Countrymen: Living “Outside the Law” in Czechoslovak Literature and Film, 1959-1969……………………………………………….....97 Chapter 4 Co-Opting Tevye: Fiddler on the Roof Productions in Communist Czechoslovakia, 1968-69…….……….…….…….……………………..……..158 Chapter 5 Culture and Politics Collide: The ‘67 War, the anti-Zionist Campaign, and the Prague Spring ……………………………………………………………….....195 Conclusion …………………….…….…….…….……….…….…….………….…….……242 Appendix A: Literary Works Published About Jews in Czechoslovakia………...Available Online Appendix B: Feature Films about the Holocaust, 1945-1989…………………………………..254 Appendix C: Czechoslovak Feature Films about the Holocaust,1945-1969..…....Available Online Appendix D: Articles in the Czechoslovak Press, 1955-1971…………………...Available Online Appendix E: Biographical Data on Authors……………………………………………………262 Appendix F: Books Returned from Libraries, 1972-75………………………….Available Online Bibliography…….…….…….…….…….…….…….…….………………….…….…….…….267 ii List of Images Image 2.1. Cover of Elegy for 77,297 Victims…………………………………………………...71 Image 2.2. Illustration from Elegy for 77,297 Victims…………………………………………..71 Image 3.1. Hanka, heroine of Romeo, Juliet and Darkness…………………………………….107 Image 3.2. Kubiasová the collaborator, Romeo, Juliet and Darkness ………….…….………..108 Image 3.3. Pavel’s girlfriend Alena, Romeo, Juliet and Darkness……………………………..108 Image 3.4. Marta’s allure, Death is Called Engelchen…………………………………………115 Image 3.5. Marta’s despair, Death is Called Engelchen ……………………………………….116 Image 3.6. Hanka looking into the distance (1) ……………………………………….……….117 Image 3.7. Hanka looking into the distance (2) ……………………………………….……….117 Image 3.8. Marta looking into the distance (1) ……………………………………….…….….117 Image 3.9. Marta looking into the distance (2) ……………………………………….………..117 Image 3.10. Promotional material, Death is Called Engelchen…………………………….…..125 Image 3.11. Movie poster, Death is Called Engelchen…………………………….…….….…125 Image 3.12. Czech poster, The Shop on Main Street…………………………….…….….……125 Image 3.13. Hungarian poster, The Shop on Main Street…………………………….…….…..125 Image 3.14. German poster, The Shop on Main Street…………………………….…….….….125 Image 3.15. Staircase shot (1), Romeo, Juliet and Darkness……………….…….….…………131 Image 3.16. Staircase shot (2), Romeo, Juliet and Darkness……………….…….….…………131 Image 3.17. Pavel trapped by the house (1), Romeo, Juliet and Darkness……………….…….132 Image 3.18. Pavel trapped by the house (2), Romeo, Juliet and Darkness……………….…….132 Image 3.19. Braun’s flat, The Fifth Horseman is Fear……………….…….….…….….……...135 Image 3.20. Mrs. Šidlák, The Fifth Horseman is Fear……………….…….….…….….……...136 iii Image 3.21. The Veselý’s apartment, The Fifth Horseman is Fear……………….…….….….136 Image 3.22. The storeroom of Jewish property, musical instruments……………….…………137 Image 3.23. The storeroom of Jewish property, clocks……………….……………….……….137 Image 3.24. The storeroom of Jewish property, pianos……………….……………….…….....137 Image 3.25. Nazi posters, The Fifth Horseman is Fear.….....……………….…………………138 Image 3.26. Staircase shot, The Fifth Horseman is Fear……………….………………………139 Image 3.27. Covers of Romeo, Juliet and Darkness……………….…………………………...153 Image 4.1. The set of the Prague Romeo, Julie and Darkness opera…………………………...165 Image 4.2. Helena Tattermuschová as Esther, Romeo, Julie and Darkness opera………….….165 Image 4.3. Chagall’s The Dream (1939) ………………...………………...………………......172 Image 4.4. Chagall’s The Fiddler (1912) ………………...………………...………………......172 Image 4.5. Boris Aronson’s Fiddler on the Roof sets.………………...………………………..174 Image 4.6. Oldřich Smutný’s set designs for Prague Fiddler on the Roof……………………..175 Image 4.7. Smutný’s final set, The Inn……………………..……………………..……………176 Image 4.8. Smutný’s final set, Floating menorahs…..……………………..…………………...176 Image 4.9. Anatevkans in Bratislava…………………..…………………...………………..…178 Image 4.10. Yente and Golde in the Prague production…………………...………………...…178 Image 4.11. Scene in the Plzeň production…………………...………………..…………..…...178 Image 4.12. Anatevkans in Plzeň………………...………………..…………..…...……..…….179 Image 4.13. Perchik in Plzeň………………...………………..…………..…...……..………...181 Image 4.14. Hana Hegerová’s Noc………………...…………………………………………...190 Image 5.1. Poster in student dorm, Prague ………………...………………..…………..……..235 iv List of Figures Figure 1.1. Books about Jews Released by Year, 1945-1989 (Czech and Slovak Authors)…….35 Figure 1.2. Books about Jews Released by Year, 1945-1989 (Inclusive).………………………35 Figure 1.3. Global Releases of Films about Jews under Nazi Occupation………………………39 Figure 1.4. Authors’ Backgrounds, as a Percentage of Total Authors…………………………..42 Figure 1.5. Percentage of Total Titles, by Ethno-religious Background………………………...42 Figure 1.6. Authors’ Birthplaces and Ethno-Religious Background 1…………………………..44 Figure 1.7. Authors’ Birthplaces and Ethno-Religious Background 2…………………………..44 Figure 1.8. Correlations between Author Experiences and Number of Titles Written…………..48 Figure 1.9. Percentage of Total Author Group with Socialist Affiliation or Leaning…………...51 Figure 2.1. Books published about Jewish War Experiences…………...…………...…………..77 Figure 3.1. Global Distribution of Feature Films on Nazi Persecution of Jews……...………...156 Figure 5.1. Press dominance of Rudé právo, June – Dec 1967…...………...…...………...…...202 Figure 5.2. Press dominance of Pravda, June – Dec 1967……………………………………..202 Figure 5.3. Origin of Articles on the Middle East conflict, June – Dec 1967………………….203 Figure 5.4. Keyword markers in article titles…………………………………………………..204 Figure 5.5. Articles related to Israel and anti-Zionism in 1968………………………………...217 Figure 5.6. Origin of Articles on the Middle East Conflict, June ’67- Aug ‘68………………..219 Figure 5.7. Israel and anti-Zionism articles in 1968, Poland and the Slánský Trial.…………...224 Figure 6.1. Books Published about Jew, 1945-2010……………………………………………249 Figure 6.2. Books Published by Domestic Authors…………………………………………….249 v List of Tables Table 1.1. Average Number of Titles per Author………………………………………………..42 Table 1.2. Correlation between Author’s Dominant Experience and Number of Books………..46 Table 1.3. Correlation between Ethno-religious Background and War Experience……………..48 vi List of Abbreviations AAN – Archive of the Modern Era (Archiwum Akt Nowych) ABS – State Security Archives (Archív bezpečnostních složek) ČSF – Czechslovak Film (Československý film) FAMU – Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague (Filmová a televizní fakulta Akademie múzických umění v Praze) FN – National Film Archives, Warsaw (Filmoteka Narodowa) KSČ – Communist Party of Czechoslovakia (Komunistická strana Československu) LA – Literary Archive (Literární archív) LS – Literary Script (Literární scénář) MK – City Library (Městská knihovna) MLK – Municipal People’s Library (Městská lidová knihovna) MV – Ministry of the Interior (Ministerstvo vnítra) NA – National Archive (Národní archív) ND – National Theater Archive (Národní divadlo) NK – National Library (Národní knihovna) OZF – Division of Special Funds (Oddělení zvláštních fondů) PNP – Museum of Czech Literature (Památník národního písemnictví) RFE/RL – Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty ROH – Revolutionary Trade Union Movement (Revoluční odborové hnutí) SFU – Slovak Film Institute (Slovenský filmový ústav) SK – State Library (Státní knihovna) SSTS – Collection of Files on Confidential Informants (Sbírka Svazky tajných spolupracovníků) StB – State Security (Státní bezpečnost) TS – Technical Script (Technícký scénář) UK – Central Library (Ústřední knihovna) ÚPS – Central Publication Office (Ústřední publikační správa) ÚŘ – Central Directorate (Ústřední ředitelství) ŽNO – Jewish Religious Community (Židovská náboženská obec) vii Acknowledgements I'll start from the beginning. None of this would have come to pass if I hadn't taken an impromptu trip in Prague in 2007. Thank you to my parents for letting me tag along on that trip, and more importantly, for trusting me when I was lost and helping me to find my way. I am immensely grateful to Kasia Jerzak and John Morrow for providing ways for me to continue to explore my curiosity in Central Europe while at University of Georgia. Thomas Cerbu, too, influenced my interest in the act of processing the past through literature by introducing me to Sebald, and then agreeing to supervise a directed study in nearly all of Sebald's oeuvre. I am so appreciative of the two years I was able to spend at Indiana University. This project is particularly indebted to Padraic Kenney, who gave me the copy of Reportér that started this whole project; Jeff Veidlinger, who made me interested in Jewish history and was the first person to show me