The book by Walter Puchner, "1821 and the Theater. From Mythmaking to Demythologization," provides a comprehensive picture of the fate of the heroic epic and its protagonists in European and Greek theater up to the early 21st century.

It is based on years of research in European and Greek libraries and archives, as well as several preliminary studies. It is essentially divided into three parts: 1) the narration of the involvement of theater in the preparatory phase of the Struggle and the participation of amateur actors from Greek stages in Bucharest, Iași, and Odessa, as fighters for freedom in the early phases of the Struggle in Moldavia; 2) it analyzes examples from the European dramaturgy of Philhellenism during and after the Struggle; 3) it describes Greek dramaturgy on the theme of '21, from the beginning of patriotic drama (the "Nikitaros" by Evanthia Kairi in 1826) through the poetic tragedies of Pan. Soutsos and the mass dramaturgy of university dramatic contests, to the first attempts at demythologizing the events of the Struggle in the 20th century.

The analyses also include precursor figures, such as Constantine Palaiologos and Rigas Velestinlis, and significant personalities after the Struggle, such as Kapodistrias. The thematology of '21 is also traced in the heroic performances of Karagiozis and the theatrical events in school celebrations on March 25th.

The historical excavation reveals important findings, such as the secret performance of "Constantine Palaiologos" by Zambelios in Constantinople itself during the winter of 1820/21. The Turks discover the performance, actors and spectators manage to escape, but the owner of the hall, a pharmacist from Pera, is beheaded in front of his shop.