1960s in Bratislava
The goal of the exhibition is to approach ten legendary years in the history of the city through original period artefacts and photographs that speak of everyday life. A prominent place belongs to the poster, one of the supporting media that also serves propaganda, and at the same time presents contemporary fine art.
In the sixties of the 20th century, the first post-war generation appeared on the world stage with a clearly defined attitude towards life. Student riots in Paris, hippie and beatnik protest against the established society in the USA, the advent of new media with a huge impact on the events of the time, the expanding opportunities for enjoying free time — all of this brought into question the traditional values of the West that had been valid until then.
In Bratislava, in socialist Czechoslovakia, the memory of pre-war cultural and social traditions, partially reduced by the repressions of the 1950s, still persisted, to which people from the countryside moving to the city for work also brought their customs. However, the overall atmosphere was significantly shaped by the loosening of the regime, which allowed us to react to events beyond the borders of the Soviet sphere.
The city was gradually rebuilt into the industrial and cultural center of Slovakia, and magnificent plans were created in the field of architecture and urban planning. Outwardly, it lived a life doubled by communist ideology. The traditional mandatory ceremonies of the regime were observed with construction songs on the lips, but at the same time, big beat music sounded more and more strongly among the young people, and the released cultural potential revived the society. Although people remained organized in mass socialist organizations, they also dared to express their religious beliefs more freely. Growing criticism of the regime among communists led to efforts to rebuild a society known as socialism with a human face, ended by tanks in August 1968.
