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

The exhibition was opened in Prague in the Lucerna Passage on September 27, 2025. It was thus exhibited in a place that is closely linked to the history of jazz and swing in the Czech Republic. Lucerna was considered the most important cultural and social centre of Prague – countless concerts, balls, meetings, conferences, fashion shows and sporting events took place here. Josephine Baker and Louis Armstrong, among others, also performed there. The Czech swing youths, the Potápky, met here for dance events.

The Lucerna Passage is still very popular today thanks to its location directly on Wenceslas Square. Many cultural events such as concerts and movie screenings still take place here. For around two weeks until October 12, 2025, passers-by were able to immerse themselves in the history of the persecution of jazz musicians and swing dancers. As the exhibition is available in both Czech and English, it appealed to locals and tourists alike.

The project partners from the Czech Republic, Poland and Germany came together for the exhibition opening on the afternoon of September 27 to talk about their historical research. This was followed by interviews that focused even more strongly on certain topics. Historian Petr Koura spoke about the significance of the Lucerna Passage in the interwar period. Project manager Natalie Reinsch took a closer look at the fate of two swing girls from Hamburg who were deported to the Ravensbrück concentration camp for women. Curator Michał Miegoń emphasized the role of jazz for the persecuted musicians as a space of freedom in an unfree world. Historian Šárka Jarská linked the musical careers of icons Inka Zemánková and Edita Fischerová to the occupation.

A very personal story was told by historian Petr Bjaček, whose grandmother Alena Dobišarová lived as a young woman during the Second World War. The history of the Czech Potápky is also described in the exhibition. Alena Dobišarová survived the Second World War, but her first love, the swing youth ‘Bobin’, did not.

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