!!!Volkskultur

Popular Culture (in German: "Volkskultur" as opposed to 
"Hochkultur" - "high culture"), term introduced 
around 1900 to distinguish from "high culture" a variety of 
fields of cultural activity mainly regional in character and related 
to the middle and lower classes; it is pre-industrial, originates 
chiefly in the agricultural and craftsmen´s milieu and is 
expressed mainly in a festive culture rich in symbols, e.g. varied 
expressions of piety that originated in the Baroque era,  Pilgrimages, 
regional  Trachten, regional  Farmhouse Types, the specific use of 
certain foods, knowledge of traditional  Folk Medicine, art trends ( 
Popular Art,  Rustic Furniture,  Eglomise Painting), forms of social 
interaction and communication that are part of oral tradition ( Fairy 
Tale,  Legends and Sagas,  Folk Music,  Folk Song,  Folk Dancing), and 
 Customs and Traditions that have a fixed place in the lives of 
Austrians and are often associated with the various seasons.

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While it was earlier assumed that these traditions were mainly of 
Germanic origin, recent studies have shown the strong influence of 
churches and monasteries during the Baroque era and the importance of 
rules laid down by authorities, e.g. sumptuary regulations, building 
regulations. Other important influences were the invention of  
Printing and the distribution of printed works as well as patterns of 
town life that brought about changes in rural popular culture (e.g.  
Christmas Tree). Tourism started influencing popular culture during 
the 19%%sup th/%  century. The bourgeois opinion that urban-industrial 
life was the root of the destruction of popular culture gave it new 
impetus in the late 20%%sup th/%  century and led to the cultivation 
of  Folklore Studies as a field of academic interest. In modern days 
popular culture is also regarded as part of urban culture.

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Promotion of popular culture takes place at provincial level. On a 
national level, the interests of organised popular culture are 
represented by "Forum Volkskunst" (founded in 1984), which 
encompasses 9 federal associations catering for different fields of 
activity: "Bund der Oesterreichischen Trachten- und 
Heimatverbaende" (traditional costumes etc.), 
"Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft Oesterreichischer Volkstanz" 
(folk dancing), "Oesterreichischer Arbeiter-Saengerbund" 
(workers´ singing groups), "Oesterreichischer 
Blasmusikverband" (brass bands), "Oesterreichischer 
Bundesverband fuer Schulspiel, Jugendspiel und Amateurtheater" 
(school, youth, and lay theatre), "Oesterreichischer 
Saengerbund" (choirs), "Oesterreichisches 
Volksliedwerk" (folk songs), "Verband der 
Arbeiter-Musikvereine Oesterreichs" (workers´ music 
groups), and "Verband Oesterreichischer Bildungswerke" 
(adult education). In the provinces, the promotion of regional values 
and traditions is increasingly in the hands of various institutions 
concerned with popular culture, e.g. the "Institut fuer 
Volkskultur" (Institute for Popular Culture, established in 1991) 
in Upper Austria, the "Referat Salzburger Volkskultur" 
(Department of Popular Culture, 1993) in Salzburg, the "Institut 
fuer Volkskultur und Kulturentwicklung" (Institute for Popular 
Culture and Cultural Development), established and supported by 
provincial funds in Tirol in 1993. Alongside these there are various 
initiatives in the towns.

!Literature
R. Johler, Die "Wiederkehr der Volkskultur" - 
eine Zwischenbilanz, in: W. Deutsch and M. Walcher, Sommerakad. 
Volkskultur. 1993, 1994.


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