The purpose of this Master's thesis was to present the status and position of Jerman, the protagonist of Ivan Cankar's drama Hlapci, in the 21st century, a hundred years since the first performance of Hlapci and the death of the plays author. Through the study of the drama emergence background, European influences, criticism, various interpretations and literary-scientific and theatrical reception, it was discovered that the status of the interpretation of Jerman coincided with the cultural-historical and social events over the years. Consequently, a more detailed analysis of the newest theater performances of Hlapci – ranging from the year 2000 to 2018 and directed by Samo M. Strelec, Matjaž Berger, Miha Golob, Sebastijan Horvat, and Janez Pipan – was made. In the analysis, a particular interest was placed on Jerman as a leading character, as well as the approach, idea and the actualization of work of various directors and other theater elements. Finally, a comparative method was used to condense the multitude of interpretations and conclusions in the totality of the similarities and differences of modern Jermans, placed on the stage in the new century. It was found that, nowadays, the main character is torn between tradition and modernity, his essential characteristic is the separation between political activity and passivity, revolutionary struggle and stagnation, and sacrifice and personal happiness.
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