The Good Old Times? Sensory History of Master Paul Square in Levoča, 1948–1989

This article explores the sensory history of Master Paul Square in Levoča between 1948 and 1989, examining how visual and auditory elements shaped everyday life under socialism. It reveals how the square’s historical architecture anchored locally shared practices and meanings, constraining attempts at socialist transformation. While the regime sought to mould sensory experience through propaganda and modernization, the persistence of the town’s visual and auditory environment sustained continuity with the past. The study shows that Levoča’s inhabitants remembered socialism less for its ideology than for its lingering sense of community and shared sensory experience.