Abstract
The phrase Street politics (Politics of street, in German Straßenpolitik) began to appear in the media - as to our knowledge - at the end of the 19th century. This phrase described demonstrations and riots as the tool for solving political problems, as the transfer of unrest from representative bodies to the "common people." In the Czech-German conflicts at the turn of the century, for instance, the term became a tool for criticising the influence of political parties on members of the lower classes.
The term made its way into scientific vocabulary in its own right in Germany in the 1930s, although its meaning at that time was rather different. To Paul Thimme, street politics meant rather a city-management strategy, the urban policy of assemblies and town halls leading to new constructions or otherwise affecting city life.
This way, the two basic concepts of the term entered the discourse and appeared in the titles of scientific articles. The topicality of street politics in the past and the present inspired employees of the Institute of History of the Czech Academy of Sciences to organize a seminar titled Street politics: conflicts, identity and public space in the 19th century, which was held in September 2019.
The research results presented there formed the basis of a thematic issue of Moderní dějiny you are reading now. Essentially all the following studies are in some way connected by the topic of spatial expressions of forming new collective identities during the 19th century.
Nina Milotová's case study illustrates Czech national celebrations in an ethically Czech town, influenced by the symbolism of the nearby historically-significant říp Mountain. Jakub Raška and Boleslav Šmejkal present their researches on the history of the labour movement, which has enjoyed a renaissance in Czech historiography in the last ten years.
New methodological and empirical studies on the Czechs-German conflict, perhaps the most traditional theme of the Czech historiography of the 19th century, are conducted by David Smrček and Martin Klečacký. The Czechs, however, did not merely "dispute" with Germans, but above all, "meet" them.
Martin Klement's research on symbolism in the parades of the Czech (Sokol) and German (Turnerschaft) gymnastic unions points to common inspiration, starting points, and mutual influences of both nations. The article by Jan Randák monitors street politics not as a view of those involved in demonstrations, strikes or marches, but from the perspective of urban planning and public hygiene.
As the study shows, however, not even those categories could have been perceived as "non-national" in the 19th century.