Folk Music of Germany

Germany has many special regions with their own traditions of music and dance. Much of the 20^th century saw German culture appropriated for the ruling powers (who fought foreign music at the same time). Most currently, the East German administration promoted traditional music as long as it was what they saw as an expression of pure German traditions, and a tool for spreading party propaganda.

source of picture: euroyankmyblackforestgermany.blogspot.com

Both the East and the West Germany, traditional songs is known as volkslieder were taught to children; these famous, sunny optimistic, and had little relation to authentic German folk traditions, inspired by American and English roots revivals, Germany underwent several of the same changes following the 1968 student revolution in the West Germany, and new songs, featuring political activism and realistic joy, sadness and passion, were written and performed in the growing traditional scene. In the East Germany, the same process did not begin until the mid-70s, when the traditional artists began incorporating revolutionary ideas in coded songs.

The famous traditional songs included emigration songs from the 19^th century, work songs of apprentices, as well as democracy-oriented folk songs collected in the 1950s by Wolfgang Steinitz. In the beginning of 1970s, the Festival des poltischen Liedes, an East German festival focusing on political songs, was held annually and organized (until in the year 1980) by the FDJ (East German youth association). Musicians from up to thirty countries would participate, and for many East Germans, it was the only exposure perhaps to foreign music. Among foreign artists at the festival, some were quite popular, like Billy Bragg (England), Dick Gaughan (Scotland), Inti- IIIimani (Chile), Pete Seeger (United States), and Mercedes Sosa (Argentina), while German performers included, from both east and west, Wacholder, Hannes Wader and Oktoberclub.