OPERA PERFORMANCES IN ANTWERP DURING THE FIRST AND SECOND WORLD WAR

In an ideal world, the de nition of art would have nothing to do with race or politics. However, world history has proved that art can be promoted, rejected, or destroyed because of racial, political, and religious prejudices. Research on opera performances during the German occupation of Antwerp in the First and Second World War reveals that the programming of operas; the recruitment of soloists, stage managers, and conductors, as well as publication and reception in the press were censored and manipulated by both German occupying forces and Flemish activists. By focusing on two similar periods and their differences, this article lays a foundation for further comparative research on cultural policy (and its results) in both occupation periods. Until recently, little or no research had been done on opera performances in Antwerp during World War I and World War II. On one hand, it was believed that no performances took place between 1914-1918 because the municipal opera houses had been closed. On the other hand, the years 1940-1944 remained a delicate matter as long as several Antwerp personalities who had played an important political and cultural role during the Nazi-occupation were still alive. Nevertheless, Antwerp turned out to be the perfect subject for a comparative case study of opera performances during both world wars. Scrutinising archival documents, newspapers, and periodicals has not only provided substantial information on the organization, programmation, and performances of opera spectacles in the metropole on the river Scheldt during both wars but also an intriguing insight into the collaboration of Antwerp opera directors and conductors with National-Socialists during the Second World War.