A serious matter and true joy: philanthropy, the arts, and the state in Leipzig (1750-1918)

Abstract

"This book offers a novel approach to the history of high culture and new perspectives on the history of civil society in provincial Germany. It makes place a central means for understanding how art culture was defined, consumed, and, importantly, distributed over the course of the long nineteenth century. It shows how 'temples of culture' come to be built where they were built. It further demonstrates who participated in their planning, funding, construction, and ultimate evolution into public institutions, highlighting underexamined links between the history of art culture and that of urban history and civil society"--Provided by publisher.

Contents

Theater in the second city -- Pride and scandal : creating a municipal theater -- Kunstkammer - Kunstverein - Kunstsmuseum : the city art museum -- Art, commerce, and a global presence : the Grassi Museum -- Ensemble players : the Großes concert and musical life in Leipzig before 1850 -- Excellence and exclusivity : a new concert hall and local challenges.