Kleines Format, Kulturkritik, Nähe zum Leben. Über die literarischen Anfänge des deutschsprachigen Kabaretts.

This paper focuses on the relationship between literature, modern life and cultural criticism in German-speaking cabaret during the first three decades of the 20th century. Cabaret was based upon the concept of a form of art and literature that would correspond to the rhythm of the life of the modern city-dweller. The fast pace with which the several numbers alternated on the stage made it possible to connect social and cultural criticism and entertainment by means of many texts based on comic contrasts. This paper therefore also analyses the relationship between literary humour and cabaret performance and attempts to point out how comicality and short literary form fit together. At the same time it pays attention to the fundamental ambiguity characterising the form of cultural criticism in the cabarets of the period.