In the course of the 20th century there was a growing discrepancy between literary dramatics and the modern stage which led to serious dislocations. Nowadays we are faced with a multiplicity of theatrical texts which can no longer be described using the categories of a poetology of drama a " including its epic extensions, nor can they be explained exclusively from the changes and conditions of stage aesthetics. The relationship between drama and the theatre is in a state of flux and constantly requires innovation from both sides.

Theatre relations between Poland and Germany since the war have developed in a variety of different ways. The reasons for this are to be sought in the association of the two German states with different political power blocs up to 1989, Austria's special status within Europe, and the specific cultural development undergone by Poland within the eastern political system. Also of crucial importance are factors rooted in varying developments in theatre history, e.g. the Polish avant-garde's orientation to the west initiated by Mrozek and Gombrowicz, the traditionally intensive links with Austria, and the worldwide significance accorded to Polish directors and drama theorists in the wake of Grotowski and Kantor. While there have been detailed records of the literary connections between the two countries covering the last 10 years or so, the 1996 conference the present volume stems from was devoted entirely to the identification of specifically theatrical factors providing new insights into the Central European theatre landscape in the second half of the 20th century.