Jazz throughout German History

Abstract

This project focuses on the reception of American Jazz in Germany in the 20th century, from the Weimer Republic, to the Nazi state, and to the post World War II period, ending with the significant Louis Armstrong 1965 Berlin tour. At the beginning of the 20th century Jazz music had became a global sensation. Germany had a complex relationship with Jazz, first accepting it as part of American popular culture but then challenging it as corrupt and representative of decadent Western culture. The paper discusses the many cultural nuances of this music genre.