Jana Mezerová
Citizen guardsman parades – acts of mystification and the instrumentalization of history, their motivation and methods of putting guardsman associations into operation
Citizen guardsman corps (ostrostřelecké sbory) were undoubtedly one of the most picturesque phenomena in 19th century public life and their pseudo-historical costumes, like other traditions spiced up on occasion by obfuscations, were all part and parcel of them. Very interestingly, these corps combined both the past and the present. Their original resolve to defend the municipalities, which had given rise to them in the first place, was in close harmony with modern civic principles such as the protection of private property, self-help and the responsibility of the propertied burgher towards the muncipality. Hence elements of modernity were found in history, which could be referred to as the highest civic tradition, and so the sharpshooters enjoyed great respect in the civic milieu, even though their role changed slowly but irreversibly as society reorganized, from being a defensive to a primarily representative or even sporting body. However, perceptions of historical traditions and the actual function of guardsman corps also indicated differences, depending on the specific conditions of individual towns. An important role was played by the linguistic environment and the extent of industrialization. In the Czech and German environments social development was reflected differently and relations to history were different too.
guardsman corps – ostrostřelecké sbory – civilian corps – historicism
design by Bedřich Vémola
