"Just to Belong Somewhere". Czechoslovak and German Visual Aritist Exiled in London during the Second World War
Abstract
The submitted paper documents the destiny of Czechoslovak and German visual artists who, threatend by German fascism, were forced to go into exile due to their Jewish origin and the methods of expressions used in their works. The objective of this essay is to document these exiles attempts at integration into the British society, and the acceptance of their works by local critics and professionals.
The research work was carried out with a selected sample of Czechoslovak and German visual artists. It also observes the results of the aforementioned efforts within British society.
Compared to the multi-national features of artistic life and creation, the author of this article emphasises the specific conditions of wartime exile with had an impact on the artistic means of expression and especially the integration of the individuals. They are remarkably different to those than it was in peacetime.
The author also notes the role of anti-facist propaganda and cooperation of artist with the Czechoslovak government in exile, which facilitated their integration.