# Festival of Political Songs

The Festival of Political Songs (German: Festival des politischen Liedes) was one of the largest music events in East Germany, held between 1970 and 1990. It was hosted by the Free German Youth and featured international artists.

## History

The Festival of Political Songs was founded by the group Oktoberklub and took place in East Berlin every February from 1970–1990 as an official event of the Free German Youth. The event was first organized by the Berlin division, but from 1975 on was directed by the Central Committee of the Free German Youth.
Artists from 60 countries participated in the event during its durations, and the event would usually feature between 50 and 80 artists across around 30 countries. Prominent artists who have performed at the festival include Mikis Theodorakis, Miriam Makeba, Quilapayún, Inti-Illimani, Silvio Rodríguez, Mercedes Sosa, Gabino Palomares, Canzoniere delle Lame [it], and Pete Seeger accompanied by Chilean-exile and Berkeley based folk group Grupo Raiz. The mascot of the festival was a red sparrow named Oki (derived from Oktoberklub).
After the collapse of East Germany, the festival lost financial support and infrastructure. In order to continue the tradition, a new festival called the ZwischenWelt Festival was held between 1991 and 1995. Its supporting organization dissolved in 1995 because of financial difficulties.

## Festivals and featured artists

| Date | Artists featured |
| February 15–21, 1970 | Reinhold Andert , Kurt Demmler , Singeklub der Lessing-Oberschule Hoyerswerda , Hartmut König [de] , Gisela May , Oktoberklub , Gruppe Pasaremos , Die Conrads , Judith Csaba , Gerilla-Gruppe , Il Contemporaneo , Cynthia Nokwe , Iskateli , Joan & José |
| February 7–13, 1971 | Lyrik-Song-Klub , Singeklub Traktorenwerk Schönebeck , Renate Richter and Hilmar Thate , Jürgen Walter + Günther-Fischer-Gruppe , Münchner Songgruppe , Perry Friedman , Quilapayún , Agit-Prop , Francesca Solleville , Laura Panti + Sergio Liberovici , Maryla Rodowicz , Luís Cília , Lutschina Group , Vietnamese Singing Group |
| February 13–19, 1972 | Hartmut König , Singeklub Potjomkin , Helga de Wroblewsky + Thomas Natschinski , Dieter Süverkrüp , Isabel Parra , Silvio Rodríguez , KOM Teatteri , Canzoniere delle Lame , Kaláka , Bhupen Hazarika , Aleksander Kulisiewicz , Sergei Nikitin , Fria Proteatern , Barbara Dane |
| Political Song Festival of the 5th World Festival of Youth and Students (July 29–August 5, 1973) | Reinhold Andert , Klaus Renft Combo , Spartakus , Franz Josef Degenhardt , Floh de Cologne , Lokomotive Kreuzberg , Lamari , Cuatro Tiempo , Klara Amandova , Inti-Illimani , La Columna de Fuego , Agit-Prop , Max Rongier , Vízöntő , Canzoniere Internazionale , the Singing Voices , Pesniary , National Service Jazz-Band |
| February 10–16, 1974 | Songgruppe TU Dresden , Jahrgang 49 , Floh de Cologne , Klara Amandova , Inti-Illimani , Quilapayún , Claude Réva , The Laggan , Muszti & Dobay , The Sands Family , Miriam Makeba , Daniel Viglietti , Guy Carawan |
| February 9–15, 1975 | Jack & Genossen , Franz Josef Degenhardt , Lokomotive Kreuzberg , Perth County Conspiracy , Tiempo Nuevo , Pablo Milanés , Søren Sidevinds Spillemænd , Kumiko Yokoi , Los Folkloristas , Kalambur , José Afonso , Elvina Makarjan |
| February 7–14, 1976 | Schicht , Helga + Clement de Wroblewsky , Ekkes Frank , Peter, Paul & Barmbek , Santocas , Quinteto Clave , Isabel Parra + Arturo Cipriano , Moncada , Pia Colombo , The Whistlebinkies , Deepa Mukhopadhyay , Gruppe aus dem Irak , Bots , GEM + Krystyna Giżowska , Mircea Florian , Marcos Velásquez |
| February 12–19, 1977 | Reinhold Andert , Singeklub Hoyerswerda , Bernd Rump , Floh de Cologne , Fasia Jansen , Suni Paz , Aparcoa , Inti-Illimani , Pedro Luis Ferrer , Jatarí , 25. Theater Budapest , Canzoniere del Lazio , Aliança Operario-Camponesa , Bots , Luis Enrique Mejía Godoy , Mustafa El-Kurd , Cuatro Tablas , Carlos Paredes , Víctor Manuel , Mike Glick |
| February 13–20, 1978 | Schicht , Barbara Thalheim , Dieter Süverkrüp , Hannes Wader , Wilhelm Zobl , Quilapayún , Yaki Kandru , Os Kiezos , Moncada , Mike Westbrook’s Brass Band , Maria Dimitriadi , Tamás Berki , Singing Group of Revolutionary Youth , Al Mayadine , Trovante , Rosa León , Grenada , Ernst Born , Timur Selçuk , Frederic Rzewski |
| February 10–18, 1979 | Brigade Feuerstein , Folkländer , Jahrgang 49 , Karls Enkel , Hanns-Eisler-Chor , Uschi Flacke , Taller Luis Emilio Recabarren , Gruppe aus Äthiopien , Claude Réva , Maria Farandouri , Stormy Six/Macchina Maccheronica , Singing Group of the Mongolian People's Republic , Carlos Mejía Godoy , Spring Group , ASHEED |
| February 9–17, 1980 | Reinhold Andert , Brigade Feuerstein , Gruppe Neue Musik , Jahrgang 49 , Liedehrlich , Franz Josef Degenhardt , Los Parra de Chile , Agit-Prop , Tamás Berki , the Sands Family , Macchina Maccheronica , Gruppe aus Kampuchea , Ballada , Daniel and Cédar Viglietti |
| February 8–15, 1981 | Chor Berliner Parteiveteranen „Ernst Busch“ , Chor der EOS Kreuzschule , Gerhard Schöne [de] , Wacholder , Floh de Cologne , Dosti , Schmetterlinge , Los Jaivas , Bjarne Jes Hansen , José W. Armijo , Francesca Solleville , Battlefield Band , Maria Dimitriadi , Lajos Boros , Abdullah Ibrahim , Bongi Makeba , Panorama , Dean Reed |
| February 14–21, 1982 | Arbeiterfolk , Kurt Demmler , Gerhard Gundermann , Hannes Zerbe–Blechband , Pietsch/Körbel , Liederjan , Hannes Wader , Hanns-Eisler-Chor , Quinteto Tiempo , Sigi Maron , Illapu , Chris Cutler , Duo Voga/Turnowski , Bots , Orkest de Volharding , Ad Hoc Singers |
| February 13–20, 1983 | Ina Deter , Orchester der Musikhochschule Dresden , Jürgen Eger , Lin Jaldati , Silly , Jürgen Walter , Cassiber , Duo Goebbels/Harth , Patricio Manns , Noel Nicola , Mikis Theodorakis , Willem Breuker Quartett , Letta Mbulu , Oskorri , New York Street Theatre Caravan |
| February 12–19, 1984 | Pialkowski/Rieck , Schicht, Wenzel & Mensching , Duck and Cover , Hannes Wader , Zupfgeigenhansel , Mercedes Sosa , Erste Allgemeine Verunsicherung , Los Jaivas , Ángel Parra , Khaled el Habr , Gabino Palomares , Jackson Kaujeua (Namibia), Czesław Niemen , Schanna Bitschewskaja , Utamaduni |
| February 10–17, 1985 | Karls Enkel , Gina Pietsch , Rotdorn , Dieter Süverkrüp , Zupfgeigenhansel , Atahualpa Yupanqui , Eric Bogle , Bruce Cockburn , Quilapayún , Silvio Rodríguez + Afro-Cuba , Budka Suflera , Miriam Makeba , René Bardet , San Francisco Mime Troupe |
| February 16–23, 1986 | Norbert Bischoff , Kerschowski , Pension Volkmann , Franz Josef Degenhardt , Cuarteto Cedrón , Aroona , Francis Bebey , George Hewison , Pony , Billy Bragg , Leon Rosselson , Herman van Veen , Grupo Pueblo , Amandla , Pi de la Serra , Grupo Raiz/Osvaldo Torres , Pete Seeger |
| February 15–22, 1987 | Gerhard Gundermann , Wenzel & Mensching , Maike Nowak , Dietrich Kittner , León Gieco , Mercedes Sosa , Attila the Stockbroker and The Neurotics , Red Music , Maria Dimitriadi , Luis Enrique Mejía Godoy , Heber Bartolome , Elżbieta Wojnowska , Abdullah Ibrahim , Maria del Mar Bonet , Luci Murphy |
| February 14–21, 1988 | Aufwind , Arno Schmidt , Gerhard Schöne , Duo Sonnenschirm , Sturmvögel , Cassiber , Wolf Brannasky , Johannes Hodek , No Fixed Address , Erika Pluhar , Maria da Paz , Moncada , Ewan MacColl + Peggy Seeger , Amparo Ochoa , Norma Gadea , Carlos Mejía Godoy , Tania Libertad , ANC-Ensemble , the Kalahari Surfers , Yarınistan , Sweet Honey in the Rock , Stella Chiweshe |
| February 12–19, 1989 | Gerhard Gundermann , Jams , Jalda Rebling , Arno Schmidt , Die Zöllner , Heinz Rudolf Kunze , Zwei Drittel , Chalk Circle , Santiago Felíu , Billy Bragg , Oyster Band , Angelo Branduardi , DPRK Youth Ensemble , SWAPO Children's Chorus (Namibia), Michelle Shocked , Daniel Viglietti |
| February 11–18, 1990 | Reinhold Andert , Norbert Bischoff & Gesellschaft , Gerhard Gundermann , Bolschewistische Kurkapelle , Oktoberklub , Duo Sonnenschirm , IG Blech , Ute Lemper , Konstantin Wecker , Mercedes Sosa , Inti-Illimani , Fanfare van de Eerste Liefdesnacht , Terem , The Klezmatics |

## Gallery

* Visitors to the festival from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, 1989
* German singer-songwriter Hartmut König [de] (right)
* Musicians gather at the 3rd festival
* Hartmut König with Bhupen Hazarika at the 3rd festival
* Palast der Republik, 8th festival
* Gerhard Schöne [de], 1988