Music popular in the Third Reich

[Kaan Caglar]

[Several topics dealing with the same subject have been merged and renamed by the host, Ivan Ž.]

It may be discussed before(i'm sorry if it is) but i'm curious about the music listened by the nazis, i watched a film i guess it was Bruce Willis' Hart's War, and the german general loved to listen to classic jazz... Anyway then i learned that jazz was forbidden in Germany because it is "black peoples music ", but then i saw a nazi poster saying "Pop or Jazz?,Enemy or Mother?,Blood or Gold?,Bolshevizm or Nazizm", you see the ones on the right sides are to be chosen.. So i'm confused. Do you know any book,site,document telling what the germans liked most?? I like Jazz thats why i'm curious this much

[Ebusitanus]

There was plenty more that was listened by the Landser besides march music. I have right beside me a CD from a Rosita Serrano ("Die Chilenishen Nachtigall"), a Chilean singer that was very popular in Germany in the late 30´. My grandfather listened to her back then and still has an old record he sometimes plays for old times sake. Then you have swedish Leander and many more..ridiculous to think that German youth only enjoyed with march music.

[HaEn]

Another singer that was very much liked: Lale Andersen; also Zarah Leander. Next, rhytmic music was NOT forbidden; there were a number of bands playing on the radio. Just the American style (misnamed "negroid") was not allowed. And of course "Hava na gila hava" was out of the question HN

[PAK]

My grandfather used to listen to jazz, he always laughs when he tells me the stories, as far as this music was forbidden someone had to guard the door and watch out for gestapos, btw my grandmother was the guard and that's the way hwo they met, anyways, the gestapo men always weared a dark coat so everybody who wanted to join the club had to not wear a coat and tada exposing the gestapo was no problem
They never got caught.

[Kaan Caglar]

My grandfather used to listen to jazz, he always laughs when he tells me the stories, as far as this music was forbidden someone had to guard the door and watch out for gestapos, btw my grandmother was the guard and that's the way hwo they met, anyways, the gestapo men always weared a dark coat so everybody who wanted to join the club had to not wear a coat and tada exposing the gestapo was no problem
They never got caught.

Forbidding a kind of music is so silly!!

Cool

[amon969]

Hitler for example liked Classical Music and was a great Wagner-Fan. Wagners arrangements often sound like war Hitler´s Butler said in an intereview he thought Marlene Dietrich was the greatest singer on earth - but the nazis had problems with her because she left germany and regrets the offers of Goebbels because she could have been the archetype of a aryan Singer. In the late 30´s she was en envy because he made propaganda with US-Soldiers and a lot of germans (even until now) have problems with her attitude. The biggest Stars during the Nazi-Era were Zarah Leander (Ich weiss, es wird einmal ein Wunder geschehen - Nina Hagen covered it in the laate 80´s) and singing actors like Heinz Rühmann (Die 3 von der Tankstelle), Hans Albers (Grosse Freiheit Nr 7) etc. and this musical-kind "light-music" and ”Operette" style.

[Geli]

Some German radio hits:

Ein Lied geht um die Welt, Joseph Schmitz 1933
Ich liebe dich und kenn' dich nicht, Magda Schneider/Willi Forst 1934
Regentropfen, Orchester Ludwig Rüth & die Metropol Vocalisten, 1935
Wenn ich vergnügt bin, muss ich singen, Peter Igelhoff & die Goldene Sieben 1936
Jowohl, meine Herr'n, Heinz Rühmann & Hans Albers 1937
Der Wind hat mir ein Lied erzählt, Zarah Leander 1938
Musik! Musik! Musik!, Wilfried Sommer & Otto Stenzel 1939
Wenn du einmal ein Mädel magst, Ilse Werner 1940
Man müsste Klavier spielen können, Johannes Heesters 1941
Es klopft mein Herz bum-bum!, Marlene Mathan & Eugen Wolff 1942
Frauen sind keine Engel, Margot Hielscher 1943
In der Nacht ist der Mensch nicht gern alleine, Marika Rökk 1944

[Fubbik]

The Germans were like any other people, there was a multitude of taste. Understandably, the music of the enemy (negro jazz that is) was forbidden. We can´t have people listen to the enemy, can we?

[waldorf]

I was curious to know what bands and singers were popular in Germany underneath Hitler's rule? In the U.S. we had Benny Goodman, the Andrew's Sisters, Bing Crosby, Irving Berlin, Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, etc. In my readings though, I have never come across any types of German entertainment except for music the Nazi's banned. I did come across accounts that Hitler was a big fan of Richard Wagner.

Also another question. How did Nazi Germany handle music by Jewish composers such as Mendelssohn (sp?) or classical composers from either already occuppied countries or countries they eventually were at war with? Examples like Tchaikovsky, Stravinsky, Chopan, Debussy, etc. Would Germans be able to hear these composers on German radio or attain records, or were these classical composers banned as well?

W.

[Doggowitz]

1.No Music by Mendelssohn or any other Jewish Composer were forbidden.
I don't know about the Other (Slavic) Composrers, But I guess some of them were forbidden too becuase the Music was "entartet" and too modern.

2.In Germany Popular Musicians: Zarah Leander (she once held a Concert, and because she was so tall, the girls in the background were Men from the LSSAH who dresed as Woman), Lale Andersen, Richard Strauss,Leon Furtwängler, Hans Albers, Heinz Rühmann (He was an actor, but I'm not sure whether he was a cabaret singer too), Karl Schwedler, and many more, I'm just a bit too tired to think...

[Arminiusder Cherusker1]

waldorf, I used to play violin in the Stadtkapelle /townband) of Rothenburg ob der Tauber during wartime. I remember that we played the music of the named composers if it was necessary. You just couldn`t play Jazz, Boogie or something else, they called it Negermusik and didn't send it on Radio.
Best Regards

Rudi

[BDMhistorian]

Rudi,

It's great to get a first-hand perspective. If you don't mind my asking, what kind of music did you play most of the time, and what kind of music did you personally like at that time period? Did you have a favorite singer or musician?

[waldorf]

Thank you all for the information. It is especially nice to have Arminiusder Cherusker1's view since he was actually present during the time period in question. I had the chance to visit Rothenburg once and found it to be both a beautifal as well as a charming city.

W.

[BDMhistorian]

Same here. Rothenburg (ob der Tauber, since there's another one...) is a lovely little town.

[Arminiusder Cherusker1]

Rudi,

It's great to get a first-hand perspective. If you don't mind my asking, what kind of music did you play most of the time, and what kind of music did you personally like at that time period? Did you have a favorite singer or musician?

I can't remember anymore for the special music we played at that time, because we had to play for every occasion. I prefered Mozart and Grieg or Brahms.
Rudi