Between Pop Culture and Politics. Festivals of popular music in the Federal Republic of Germany from the 1960s up to the 1980s

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Pop festivals were a key element of german youth culture of the 1960s to 1980s. On account of the fact that they were linked to political and cultural alternative movements, the project considers them to be important agents of political matters and political culture. In their function as communication centres, they emphasised the historic development of cultural scenes and alternative movements as well as negotiation processes about alternative social concepts and protest strategies. As a novel form of youth festive culture and visible public events they attracted wide general attention. The manner in which the public responded can illustrate negotiation processes about lifestyles and about social, cultural and political values and norms in the German society. It also gives the opportunity to examine whether and how popular music festivals can influence the development of political culture and the transformation of political and cultural values. To illustrate both historical continuity and changes in the festival culture, and to analyse the function and effect of festivals, the project embeds their development over a longer period as well as the social, cultural and political context of the period being examined.