Cultural Studies paper by T. Szabó, Levente
Struggling Modernities and Visions of Capitalism in the Összehasonlító Irodalomtörténelmi Lapok (Accepted)
Type of Abstract (select):Abstract (max. 250 words):
The invention of international fairs in the 19th century revolutionized both nationalism and modern thinking on global relationships since they showcased, reinforced, vindicated, but also contested and negotiated national, imperial, and global identities. From the Great Exhibition at Crystal Palace to the 1900 Paris Exposition, the international fairs / expositions universelles were landmarks of histoire croisée of nationalism, global thinking, and capitalism. Even though they seem to be showcasing industrial progress, they also created a completely new frame for the self-fashioning, vindication, and negotiation of national arts and literatures, interpreted in a global setting and in capitalist terms. My paper will focus on the reception of the first international literary congress in the Összehasonlító Irodalomtörténelmi Lapok (later Acta Comparationis Litterarum Universarum). The capitalist overtones of the congress, organized at the Paris international exposition in 1878, were passionately contested by Hugo von Meltzl and the first international journal of comparative literary studies for offering a non-aesthetic vision of world literature.
Brief Professional Bio (max. 100 words):
Associate Professor (dr. habil.) in Hungarian and Comparative Literature (Babes-Bolyai University, Dept. of Hungarian Literary Studies). Currently finishing a book on the history of the first international journal of comparative literary studies.