A People's Music Jazz in East Germany, 1945–1990

"A decade ago, in May 2009, I had just returned to Berlin when a friend of mine, a music journalist, broke the news: Werner Sellhorn had just passed away. To students of East German history, Sellhorn was something of a mystery. During previous research work years earlier, I had learned that he was an established figure in the East German jazz scene, and that in his role as emcee and promoter he had also, in fact, been an occasional informant to the state security agency, the STASI. But we had never met, and prior to my arrival in Germany we had only ever spoken on the phone. At the time, he had been friendly, asking if I had read his discography of East German jazz, and I was looking forward to our in-person encounter, hoping he could fill some gaps in my understanding of the era. Sadly, we never got the chance: his funeral took place the day after my plane landed at Tegel Airport. Around eleven o'clock that May morning, still jet-lagged, I entered Georgen Parochial cemetery in Prenzlauer Berg, and walked through the rows of monuments and gravestones, not entirely sure where to go. Fortunately the cemetery was not large, and soon I spotted a crowd of people in front of a small church. Well over a hundred people had assembled outside, with many more packed inside-even from a distance, I could feel that this was an extraordinary gathering, so I was slightly nervous about approaching the crowd. Over the next several hours, first at Sellhorn's memorial service at the church, then at the gravesite, and finally at a local restaurant for an informal gathering, my unease only grew stronger"--Provided by publisher.