University/Organization
Department of Languages, Cultures and Linguistics
Bucknell University, Lewisburg, Pennsylvania
Title
Cats and Alligators: Jazz in Berlin after 1945
Synopsis
This paper intends to shed light on the reception of jazz in post WWII Berlin, an area of research that has only come into focus within the last 20 years. After briefly outlining the history of jazz in Berlin, from the 1920s to the mid-1940s, the paper focusses on the positive qualities of and the fascination with the music itself. Louis Armstrong’s (1901-1971) gig in East-Berlin in 1965 and concert tour paved the way for a broader social and cultural acceptance of jazz in East Germany.