The early 20th Century saw the rise in the popular culture of Jazz music across America and most of Europe. In Weimar Germany the 1920’s saw the creation of a mixed Jazz Culture culminating in the Swing band hype of the 1930’s. Unfortunatley, the National Socialist ideals clashed with Jazz and Swing music, seeing the genre as being polluted by subvert races. Instead the Nazis favoured more traditional music genres. In 1937 the Reichs-Kultur-Kammer (culture chamber) imposed stringent legislation which restricted the playing of  popular foreign or “undesirable” Jazz music within the Reich. Nevertheless, Jazz remained in German popular culture throughout the Second World War -  even being used by Dr Goebbels in several of his wartime movies, highlighting the dual standards the Nazi regime operated within.

The early-mid war years saw a fresh intake of foreign bands from the occupied regions of the Reich, bringing with them a Jazz “imitation” to the popular ‘Wunschkonzert’s’ performed for Service personnel. Surviving German Jazz & swing artists were also favoured heavily by the troops during this period - such as Margo Hielscher, Lale Anderson (Lilli Marlene) and Kary Barnet. Unlike the perceived stereotype of German Soldiers being “automatons” who listened only to marching music and Wagner, Jazz was heavily favoured by German soldiers - who like any generation, picked up on popular culture. Nevertheless, the German Soldier listened to a wide variety of music, some of which is presented on this site for you to listen to.

Please choose a song from the 78 record above.

Reference: Different Drummers: Jazz in the Culture of Nazi Germany. By M.H.Kater 2003