Commemorative stamp: 100 years of Schnitzler's scandalous play "Reigen“ ("La Ronde“) in Vienna
On the occasion of the Viennese premiere of Arthur Schnitzler's "Reigen" a century ago, the postal service is dedicating a commemorative stamp to the scandalous stage play, which schematically depicts the characters involved.
Arthur Schnitzler (1862-1931) wrote what is probably his most famous theatrical text around 1897, but it was not published until six years later. In 1904 it was censored in Germany, but sold very well. It took until 1920 for the premiere to take place at the Kleines Schauspielhaus in Berlin, but the first performance in his hometown of Vienna was finally celebrated at the Kammerspiele on February 1, 1921. It triggered an unprecedented scandal including an anti-Semitic smear campaign against Schnitzler. After all, "Reigen" depicts the erotic relationships of five women and five men in ten dialogues. The characters were drawn from the various social classes of the time: the play spans the arc from the strumpet and the soldier to the parlor maid, to the young gentleman, to the young woman and her husband, to the sweet girl, to the poet, to the actress, to the count, and finally back to the strumpet. After violent demonstrations and the storming of the theater, further performances were banned. However, the Constitutional Court lifted the ban again. Schnitzler himself prohibited further performances in 1922. It was not until 60 years later, from 1982, that his son Heinrich released the play again.
