"The Collision of Freedom" in Bremen - Bremer Bündnis für deutsch-tschechische Zusammenarbeit

22.08.2025
Exhibition opening

The exhibition opening took place on August 22, 2025 in the gallery of the Hochschule für Künste. It consisted of a vernissage followed by a concert and social dance. After a brief introduction by moderator Philipp Mangels (BBfd-tZ), Nico Thom, Institute Director and Managing Director of the Klaus Kuhnke Institute (KKI), and Elke Braun from the Foundation Remembrance, Responsibility, Future (EVZ) welcomed the attendees.

This was followed by short interviews with the authors of the exhibition: firstly, the curator of the exhibition, Michał Miegoń (Gdynia City Museum), spoke about the possibilities that this exhibition project revealed for the – previously incomplete – research into swing and jazz during the National Socialist era in Poland.
Project manager Natalie Reinsch (BBfd-tZ) then reported on the lives of two sisters from the Hamburg swing scene who were arrested by the Gestapo and deported to the Ravensbrück concentration camp for women.
Finally, Petr Koura (Charles University, Prague) spoke about his previous research on the subject, which included the subculture of the Czech Potápky and the fate of the ghetto swingers in Theresienstadt and is also featured in the exhibition.

After the exhibition was officially opened, the “best Czech swing band”, Jakub Šafr & Swing Trio Avalon, took to the stage. The band consists of Jakub Šafr (piano), Martin Voříšek (clarinet) and Jan Kubeš (drums) and was accompanied on vocals by Petra Chlebníčková. They created an atmosphere of swing music from the 30s and 40s, to which the guests present danced exuberantly.

24.08.2025
Lecture on Czech swing youth

On August 24, 2025, one of the exhibition’s themes was brought to Oldenburg. Šárka Jarská gave a lecture on the persecution of Czech jazz musicians and swing dancers at the Protestant Student Community in Oldenburg. Using a biographical approach, she talked about important figures in the Czech music scene of the 1930s and 1940s as well as their roots and inspirations.
Among other things, those present were given an insight into the famous Czech dance bands of the time, from the Karel Vlach Orchestra to Emil Ludvík’s orchestra. In addition to these male-dominated musical groups, Šárka Jarská also focused on famous female singers of the time, especially Inka Zemánková and Duca Fischerová.

She also talked about the Potápky, a subculture of young people who were enthusiastic about Anglo-American culture and swing music. With contemporary photos and illustrations as well as descriptions of her fashion, she drew an accurate picture of Czech subculture.

The lecture was followed by a tea dance with coffee and cake.

06.09.2025
Film screening "Django"

On Saturday, September 6, 2025, a film screening and discussion was held in the gallery of the University of the Arts. The film “Django” (2017), which takes a biographical look at the Sinti swing musician Django Reinhardt, was shown. The film traces the life of Django Reinhardt during the German occupation of France.

10.09.2025
Theater performance "Against what's up there"

On September 10, a theatrical performance by Helene Finck’s performing arts course (Altes Gymnasium Bremen) took place in the gallery of the University of the Arts. Under the title “Against what’s up there”, the students created a documentary collage with motifs from the novel “Swinging Bremen” by Birgit Köhler.

The play is about a group of friends from Bremen who were enthusiastic about swing music. However, their love of music put them in opposition to the Hitler Youth, who were focused on drill and obedience, and on the other hand on the radar of the Gestapo, who regarded so-called swing youths as enemies of the German people.

The actors were accompanied by the big band, which repeatedly added positive sounds of self-determination and hope to the dramatic performance.

12.09.2025
Talk about Sinti swing with concert

On the last weekend of the exhibition, a talk about Sinti Swing followed by a concert and social dance took place in the gallery of the University of the Arts. Nico Thom (KKI) spoke with the musicians Dardo Balke and Armando Balke from the Bremerhaven Sinti Association. Among other things, it was about the Balke family’s enthusiasm for music and the instrumental flexibility of the two musicians.
Both also have roots in the traditions of the Sinti community, which meant that the conversation focused on a look back at the history of the Sinti and Roma with personal anecdotes from the family history of the two musicians.

However, the special features of Sinti jazz were not only described in the discussion, but also demonstrated at the concert by the Dardo Balke Swing Ensemble afterwards. Dardo and Armando Balke played a varied repertoire of swing music with their band colleagues, to which the guests danced.

Accompanying
Swing Walk through Bremen

On both September 6 and 13, 2025, the project team offered a city tour in the footsteps of Bremen’s swing youth. The city tour, also known as the Swing Walk, is based on the research carried out and compiled by the “NS-Injustice ‘Degenerated Music'” project on Bremen’s swing youth.
Particularly noteworthy are the interviews with Bremen swing youths that Birgit Köhler conducted in 1997 for her master’s thesis. The Swing Walk aims to provide an insight into the lives of Bremen’s swing youths and bring to the fore a subculture that has so far played no role in the city’s culture of remembrance.
The tour visits central locations of the Bremen swing youth of the 1930s and 1940s, including mainly dance halls whose buildings now have other functions. With historical photographs, quotes and anecdotes from swing youths as well as a historical classification of the events, the Swing Walk traces the history of Bremen’s swing youth in the heart of Bremen.

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