City as a Stage. When Politics Takes to the Streets

The "The City as a Stage: When Politics Takes to the Streets" project focuses on mass events in the public space of Lviv during the Habsburg period, which took place in the open air – on the streets and squares of the city. As the political center of Galicia, the "royal capital city" of Lviv was simultaneously considered the "capital of the freest part of Poland" and the "capital of Prince Lev." Political and national confrontations were concentrated here. Although the population of Lviv at that time consisted mainly of Poles and Jews, followed by Ukrainians, it was the competition between Ukrainians and Poles that was most significant. These two groups declared their exclusive rights to the city and province as fundamental to their national projects. The street became an instrument not only for the political establishment but also an opportunity for various social groups to make their voices heard. The organizers of most of the events described in the project drew inspiration from existing practices of mass gatherings. First and foremost, these practices were rooted in church rituals and imperial court ceremonies. Added to this were examples of street demonstrations in Western European countries. On this foundation, local activists developed their own political activity.