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Title [sv]
Mellan öst och väst: Ideologi, estetik och politik i musikrelationerna Sverige–DDR 1949 -1989
Title [en]
Between East and West: Ideology, aesthetics and politics in the musical relations between Sweden and the GDR 1949–1989
Abstract [en]
Between East and West: Ideology, aesthetics and politics in the musical relations between Sweden and the GDR 1949–1989 Germany has since the 19th century been an important country of interest for musicians and composers from Sweden, both as a platform for international attention and in order to get a high standard musical education. During the Nazi period the musical connections were not cut off, but the reactions towards the excessive politicization of music were quite different. After World War II endeavors have been made in order to reshape the musical contacts between Sweden and the newly shaped German states. Sweden as a political neutral state had a special position during the Cold War. GDR authorities defined Sweden as an important country for their political propaganda. This project aims to study and analyze the musical relationship between Sweden and the GDR. Which role did music play in GDR’s attempted rapprochement with Sweden? And how did musicians, composers, musicologists and institutions in Sweden frame the musical encounters with the GDR and why? Central issues in the project will include the encounters between GDRs internationally oriented culture politics (and those operating in the field) and the musical organizations and stakeholders in Sweden. Main questions in the project are: How can the musical encounters between Sweden and the GDR been characterized regarding dimensions, key areas, organizations and alteration? How did esthetic and musicological ideas connect to politics and ideology in the musical relationship between Sweden and the GDR? How do analyses of the musical encounters contribute to a better understanding of the Cold War context? So far there are only a few studies which concentrate on questions of cultural encounters between Sweden and the GDR. In this project documents from Swedish and German archives will be studied and contemporary witnesses will be interviewed. Three researchers from the disciplines History, Ethnology and Musicology will tightly work together. From a historical perspective the context of the German musical heritage for national identity construction within Swedish-East German musical relations will be examined, ethnological perspectives offer analytical tools for studying opinions on music, esthetics and politics in different groups and societies, and musicology contributes with theories and methods for studying how different music genres and styles could be instrumentalized in political propaganda.
Publications (8 of 8) Show all publications
Österlund, P. (2024). Zur Entstehung der Musikethnologie als internationale Disziplin: Das Beispiel Erich Stockmanns und Doris Stockmanns. In: Kreide-Damani, Ingrid; Imeri, Sabine; Noack, Karoline; Scholze-Irrlitz, Leonore (Ed.), Kreide-Damani, Ingrid; Imeri, Sabine; Noack, Karoline; Scholze-Irrlitz, Leonore (Ed.), Ethnologie als Ethnographie: Interdisziplinarität, Transnationalität und Netzwerke der Disziplin in der DDR. Paper presented at Universität Bonn, Tyskland, 2019-02-01 - 2019-02-02: Ethnologie als Ethnographie: Interdisziplinarität, Transnationalität und Netzwerke der Disziplin in der DDR (pp. 447-471). Paper presented at Universität Bonn, Tyskland, 2019-02-01 - 2019-02-02: Ethnologie als Ethnographie: Interdisziplinarität, Transnationalität und Netzwerke der Disziplin in der DDR. Münster: Waxmann Verlag
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Zur Entstehung der Musikethnologie als internationale Disziplin: Das Beispiel Erich Stockmanns und Doris Stockmanns
2024 (German)In: Ethnologie als Ethnographie: Interdisziplinarität, Transnationalität und Netzwerke der Disziplin in der DDR / [ed] Kreide-Damani, Ingrid; Imeri, Sabine; Noack, Karoline; Scholze-Irrlitz, Leonore, Münster: Waxmann Verlag, 2024, p. 447-471Chapter in book (Refereed)
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Münster: Waxmann Verlag, 2024
Keywords
Ethnomusicology, Ethnology, GDR, Sweden, Erich Stockmann, Doris Stockmann, Stasi, Musikethnologie, Ethnologie, DDR, Schweden, Erich Stockmann, Doris Stockmann, Stasi, Musiketnologi, Etnologi, DDR, Sverige, Erich Stockmann, Doris Stockmann, Stasi
National Category
Ethnology
Research subject
Historical Studies; Baltic and East European studies
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:sh:diva-54316 (URN)978-3-8309-4820-9 (ISBN)
Conference
Universität Bonn, Tyskland, 2019-02-01 - 2019-02-02: Ethnologie als Ethnographie: Interdisziplinarität, Transnationalität und Netzwerke der Disziplin in der DDR
Funder
The Foundation for Baltic and East European Studies, 29/2015
Available from: 2024-06-22 Created: 2024-06-22 Last updated: 2024-06-26Bibliographically approved
Garberding, P. (2022). Gerd Schönfelder: Musicologist and Stasi Employee in Sweden (1ed.). In: Petra Garberding; Henrik Rosengren (Ed.), The Cold War through the lens of music-making in the GDR: Political goals, aethetic paradoxes, and the case of neutral Sweden (pp. 209-230). Lund: Universus Academic Press
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Gerd Schönfelder: Musicologist and Stasi Employee in Sweden
2022 (English)In: The Cold War through the lens of music-making in the GDR: Political goals, aethetic paradoxes, and the case of neutral Sweden / [ed] Petra Garberding; Henrik Rosengren, Lund: Universus Academic Press , 2022, 1, p. 209-230Chapter in book (Refereed)
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Lund: Universus Academic Press, 2022 Edition: 1
Keywords
Gerd Schönfelder, The Royal Swedish Academy of Music, Music, music-making, politics, GDR, Sweden, Germany, Cold War, Cultural Diplomacy, Gerd Schönfelder, Königliche Musikalische Akademie, Musik, Politik, DDR, Schweden, Kalter Krieg, Kulturdiplomatie, Musikkontakte Schweden-DDR, Gerd Schönfelder, Kungliga Musikaliska Akademien, Musik, politik, Östtyskland, DDR, Sverige, musikkontakter Sverige-DDR
National Category
Other Humanities Other Humanities not elsewhere specified
Research subject
Baltic and East European studies; Historical Studies
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:sh:diva-52948 (URN)978-91-87439-75-9 (ISBN)
Funder
The Foundation for Baltic and East European Studies, 29/2015
Available from: 2023-12-31 Created: 2023-12-31 Last updated: 2025-02-11Bibliographically approved
Garberding, P. & Rosengren, H. (2022). Introduction: Two Days in Arild (1ed.). In: Petra Garberding; Henrik Rosengren (Ed.), The Cold War through the lens of music-making in the GDR: Political goals, aesthetic paradoxes, and the case of neutral Sweden (pp. 9-23). Lund: Universus Academic Press
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Introduction: Two Days in Arild
2022 (English)In: The Cold War through the lens of music-making in the GDR: Political goals, aesthetic paradoxes, and the case of neutral Sweden / [ed] Petra Garberding; Henrik Rosengren, Lund: Universus Academic Press , 2022, 1, p. 9-23Chapter in book (Refereed)
Abstract [en]

This article is the introduction to the book "The Cold War through music-making in the GDR: political goals, aesthetic paradoxes, and the case of neutral Sweden". This introduction provides an insight into the political and musical situation in the GDR; it discusses terms that are fundamental to the entire book, such as cultural diplomacy, romanticism, classicism, cultural heritage, socialist realism and formalism, and it gives a short introduction to the political and musical relations between the GDR and Sweden. The individual contributions to the book are also briefly introduced.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Lund: Universus Academic Press, 2022 Edition: 1
Keywords
Music, music-making, politics, German Democratic Republic, Sweden, Germany, Cold War, Cultural Diplomacy, Musik, Politik, DDR, Schweden, Kalter Krieg, Kulturdiplomatie, Musikkontakte Schweden-DDR, Musik, politik, Östtyskland, DDR, Schweden, musikkontakter Sverige-DDR
National Category
Other Humanities Other Humanities not elsewhere specified
Research subject
Baltic and East European studies; Historical Studies
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:sh:diva-52946 (URN)978-91-87439-75-9 (ISBN)
Funder
The Foundation for Baltic and East European Studies, 29/2015
Available from: 2023-12-31 Created: 2023-12-31 Last updated: 2025-01-31Bibliographically approved
Garberding, P. (2022). "Politics is as important for me as art": Gisela May in Sweden (1ed.). In: Petra Garberding, Henrik Rosengren (Ed.), The Cold War through music-making in the GDR: Political goals, aesthetic paradoxes, and the case of neutral Sweden (pp. 187-208). Lund: Universus Academic Press
Open this publication in new window or tab >>"Politics is as important for me as art": Gisela May in Sweden
2022 (English)In: The Cold War through music-making in the GDR: Political goals, aesthetic paradoxes, and the case of neutral Sweden / [ed] Petra Garberding, Henrik Rosengren, Lund: Universus Academic Press , 2022, 1, p. 187-208Chapter in book (Refereed)
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Lund: Universus Academic Press, 2022 Edition: 1
Keywords
Gisela May, Wolf Biermann, Music, music-making, politics, German Democratic Republic, Sweden, Germany, Cold War, Cultural Diplomacy, Gisela May, Wolf Biermann, Musik, Politik, DDR, Schweden, Kalter Krieg, Kulturdiplomatie, Musikkontakte Schweden-DDR, Gisela May, Wolf Biermann, Musik, politik, Östtyskland, DDR, Sverige, musikkontakter Sverige-DDR
National Category
Other Humanities Other Humanities not elsewhere specified
Research subject
Baltic and East European studies; Historical Studies
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:sh:diva-52947 (URN)978-91-87439-75-9 (ISBN)
Funder
The Foundation for Baltic and East European Studies, 29/2015
Available from: 2023-12-31 Created: 2023-12-31 Last updated: 2025-02-11Bibliographically approved
Garberding, P. & Rosengren, H. (Eds.). (2022). The Cold War through the lens of music-making in the GDR: Political goals, aesthetic paradoxes, and the case of neutral Sweden (1ed.). Malmö: Universus Academic Press
Open this publication in new window or tab >>The Cold War through the lens of music-making in the GDR: Political goals, aesthetic paradoxes, and the case of neutral Sweden
2022 (English)Collection (editor) (Refereed)
Abstract [en]

In this book, researchers from different disciplines use the case of the German Democratic Republic to show how music was employed to further the state's cultural and political policies, as well as influence its international relations, culture, and politics. 

The study spans the Cold War, including the GDR's creation, the great-power struggle for control, the importance of returning war refugees for the construction of the GDR, the building of the 1961 wall, the central intelligence activities and the state's struggle for diplomatic recognition.

Contributors examine the function and position of music within East German cultural politics, focusing on the relationship between music and authoritarian state politicies. While most of the contributions emphasize classical music, referred to in German as ernste Musik, "serious music", some of them also touch on popular music and jazz. Music also constituted a major factor in the GDR's international outreach, particularly to "neutral" countries as Sweden (a central focus of the book).

The volume is editied by Petra Garberding, associate professor in European Ethnology at Södertörn University, and Henrik Rosengren, associate professor in History at Lund University. Contributors are Lars Klingberg, Andreas Lueken, Meredith Nicoll, Matthias Tischer and Stefan Weiss. 

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Malmö: Universus Academic Press, 2022. p. 257 Edition: 1
Keywords
Music, music-making, politics, German Democratic Republic, Sweden, Germany, Cold War, Cultural Diplomacy
National Category
Other Humanities not elsewhere specified
Research subject
Historical Studies; Baltic and East European studies
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:sh:diva-50569 (URN)978-91-87439-75-9 (ISBN)
Funder
The Foundation for Baltic and East European Studies, 29/2015
Available from: 2023-01-09 Created: 2023-01-09 Last updated: 2024-01-03Bibliographically approved
Garberding, P. (2021). Singing for and against the state: Ethnomusicology and folklore knowledge as a path to artistic and political freedom in the GDR. In: : . Paper presented at SIEF 2021, 15th Congress, Helsinki, Finland, June 21-24, 2021..
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Singing for and against the state: Ethnomusicology and folklore knowledge as a path to artistic and political freedom in the GDR
2021 (English)Conference paper, Oral presentation only (Other academic)
Abstract [en]

In the GDR there was a folk revival in the 1970s and 80s. Inspired by American artists, such as Pete Seeger, Joan Baez and Bob Dylan, among others, numerous folk music groups emerged during this period. Groups such as Folkländer, JAMS and Wacholder were very successful, and folk music and folk dance spread. These activities were often seen by the participants as an alternative to the official FDJ singing movement in the GDR. Within the GDR folk scene, musicians and the audience were able to gain a certain amount of political and artistic freedom. One important strategy for this was, among other things, the use of historical song collections published in the GDR, such as the “Steinitz”, the song collections of “German folk songs of a democratic character from six centuries” published by the folklorist and linguist Wolfgang Steinitz. Songs from the Steinitz in particular were often used by folk musicians to express a covert critique of society, which was usually understood by the audience, without risking interrogation by the Stasi. Another strategy was to contact key people, such as the music ethnologist Erich Stockmann, who was employed at the Academy of Sciences of the GDR in East Berlin and was able to arrange important contacts at home and abroad, as well as keeping the musicians informed about interesting musical innovations. This contribution provides an insight into how folkloric and music ethnological knowledge was transformed in order to protest against political injustices as unnoticed as possible by the authorities.

Keywords
Folkmusic, Politics, GDR, Sweden, Musicethnology, Music history, Folkmusik, Politik, DDR, Schweden, Musikethnologie, Musikgeschichte, Folkmusik, politik, DDR, Sverige, musiketnologi, musikhistoria
National Category
Ethnology
Research subject
Historical Studies; Baltic and East European studies
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:sh:diva-48014 (URN)
Conference
SIEF 2021, 15th Congress, Helsinki, Finland, June 21-24, 2021.
Funder
The Foundation for Baltic and East European Studies, 29/2015
Available from: 2022-01-12 Created: 2022-01-12 Last updated: 2022-01-13Bibliographically approved
Garberding, P. (2020). We could smell that he's Stasi: Power and Justification Strategies of the Stasi in Music Life in the GDR and in the Swedish-German Music Contacts. Ethnologia Scandinavica, 50, 43-66
Open this publication in new window or tab >>We could smell that he's Stasi: Power and Justification Strategies of the Stasi in Music Life in the GDR and in the Swedish-German Music Contacts
2020 (English)In: Ethnologia Scandinavica, ISSN 0348-9698, Vol. 50, p. 43-66Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Lund: Kungl. Gustaf Adolfs Akademien för svensk folkkultur, 2020
Keywords
Musical relations Sweden - GDR, Musicology, Ministerium für Staatssicherheit, Stasi, Royal Academy of Music Stockholm, Musikverbindungen Schweden - DDR, Musikwissenschaft, Ministerium für Staatssicherheit, Stasi, Königliche Musikalische Akademie Stockholm, Musikkontakter Sverige - DDR, Musikvetenskap, Ministerium für Staatssicherheit, Stasi, Kungliga Musikaliska Akademien Stockholm
National Category
Other Humanities
Research subject
Baltic and East European studies
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:sh:diva-42173 (URN)000852949600004 ()
Funder
The Foundation for Baltic and East European Studies, 3027302
Available from: 2020-11-09 Created: 2020-11-09 Last updated: 2025-02-07Bibliographically approved
Garberding, P., Rosengren, H. & Geisler, U. (2019). "Jag ser till att bli uppfattad som en vanlig DDR-medborgare": Musikforskaren Gerd Schönfelder, Kungliga Musikaliska Akademien och Stasi. Svensk tidskrift för musikforskning, 101, 103-135
Open this publication in new window or tab >>"Jag ser till att bli uppfattad som en vanlig DDR-medborgare": Musikforskaren Gerd Schönfelder, Kungliga Musikaliska Akademien och Stasi
2019 (Swedish)In: Svensk tidskrift för musikforskning, ISSN 0081-9816, E-ISSN 2002-021X, Vol. 101, p. 103-135Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

This article is a case study of the contacts between the music sector in Sweden and the GDR in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. The case is the activities of the East-German musicologist and music administrator Gerd Schönfelder (1936–2000) in Sweden at that time, and the debate that arose in the early 1990s when he was accused of having worked for the East German security service, Stasi. The purpose is to provide insight into how music-aesthetic and musicological aspects interacted with politics and ideology in the relations between Sweden and the GDR. In the early 1990s, the availability of material in the Stasi archive was still very limited, and so it was difficult to find out whether it was true that Schönfelder had worked for Stasi, what tasks he had received from the security service and what these tasks meant for his work with Swedish colleagues in the music field. In our article, we try to find answers to these questions by examining how Schönfelder established contact with the Swedish music sector, who were his closest partners in Sweden, and why they were of interest to him. Throughout, we explore Schönfelder’s relationship to Stasi and his work as an ”unofficial employee” for Stasi in Sweden. Finally, we offer a sociological perspective on Schönfelder’s activities in Sweden and the GDR, using Pierre Bourdieu's concepts of field and capital.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Stockholm: Svenska samfundet för musikforskning, 2019
Keywords
Gerd Schönfelder; Hans Åstrand; Eskil Hemberg; Per Skans; The Royal Swedish Academy of Music; Musical relations GDR – Sweden; Stasi; Unofficial employee; Pierre Bourdieu, Gerd Schönfelder; Hans Åstrand; Eskil Hemberg; Per Skans; Kungliga Musikaliska Akademien; Musikkontakter Sverige - DDR; Stasi; Inofficiell medarbetare; Pierre Bourdieu, Gerd Schönfelder; Hans Åstrand; Eskil Hemberg; Per Skans; Königliche Musikalische Akademie; Musikkontakte Schweden - DDR; Stasi; Inoffizieller Mitarbeiter; Pierre Bourdieu
National Category
Musicology
Research subject
Historical Studies; Baltic and East European studies
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:sh:diva-39233 (URN)
Funder
The Foundation for Baltic and East European Studies, 3027302
Available from: 2019-10-29 Created: 2019-10-29 Last updated: 2023-08-28Bibliographically approved
Principal InvestigatorGarberding, Petra
Co-InvestigatorGeisler, Ursula
Co-InvestigatorRosengren, Henrik
Coordinating organisation
Södertörn University
Funder
Period
2016-01-01 - 2018-12-31
Keywords [sv]
Östersjö- och Östeuropaforskning
Keywords [en]
Baltic and East European studies
National Category
Ethnology
Identifiers
DiVA, id: project:1899Project, id: 29/2015_OSS

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