Revising and completing music historiography
The persecution of musicians by the Nazi regime had a massive, lasting and worldwide impact on music as an intangible cultural heritage. In Germany as well as in the annexed and occupied countries, there were considerable losses, but in exile there were also productive developments in all areas of musical life. Exile music research began at the end of the 1970s, but the extent to which musical practice was destroyed has not yet been sufficiently researched. In particular, the long-term consequences of the forced migration of musicians remain largely unexplored. The prevailing perspective on 20th century music history does not adequately address these global distortions. The research project "Nazi Persecution and Music History" therefore aims to revise accounts of music history in the 20th century, making them more comprehensive.
Goals
- to reconstruct, based on paradigmatic examples, the contribution of persecuted people to musical life in the interwar period
- to explore aspects of forced migration and the work of displaced musicians in the most important destinations of exile
- to analyse the transfer dynamics between the refugees and the music cultures of the countries of exile, including their consequences up to the present day
Project Description
The project focuses on musicians from German-speaking countries. It will tap into a wealth of hitherto underexamined sources (especially unpublished material and archival holdings). The findings on individuals will be incorporated online into the Biographical Dictionary of Persecuted Musicians 1933-1945 (LexM), significantly expanding this information base. The LexM is freely accessible via the University of Hamburg's website. It is currently the most important research tool for this subject. It will be integrated into the new research project and significantly expanded.
The geographical data contained in the LexM forms the basis for the planned digital cartography, which enables spatio-temporal analyses of the persecution of musicians. Maps can be used to illustrate the geographical distribution of individual professional groups in exile and to trace the spread of musical knowledge or particular schools of interpretation. Artistic-scientific formats are also planned, for example in the form of research concerts, which will make the research findings accessible to a wider public.
Funding "Nazi Persecution and Music History"
The long-term project "Nazi Persecution and Music History" is funded as part of the Academies' Programme, which is coordinated by the Union of the German Academies of Sciences and Humanities.
The long-term project "Nazi Persecution and Music History" is funded as part of the Academies' Programme, which is coordinated by the Union of the German Academies of Sciences and Humanities. It is conducted by the Academy of Sciences and Humanities in Hamburg in cooperation with the University of Hamburg and the University of Music and Theatre Munich. Presiding over the overall management of the project is Prof. Dr. Friedrich Geiger, who also heads the research unit in Munich. Dr. Sophie Fetthauer is head of the Hamburg unit.
Complete title of the long-term project:
Nazi Persecution and Music History. Revisions from a biographical and geographical perspective
Director:
Prof. Dr. Friedrich Geiger
Duration:
01.01.2025 to 31.12.2042
Project Nazi Persecution and Music History
Contact:
Prof. Dr. Friedrich Geiger
e-mail: Friedrich.Geiger(at)hmtm.de