Latest News

Celebration of the 50th anniversary of KKI

2025 is a year of celebration for us. We are celebrating our 50th anniversary! In 1975, Klaus Kuhnke, Manfred Miller, and Peter Schulze founded the “Archive for Popular Music” in Bremen, which later became the “Klaus Kuhnke Institute for Popular Music.” Since 1991, i.e., for 34 years now, it has been part of the Bremen University of the Arts.
To mark this occasion, an anniversary celebration will be held on Tuesday, November 25, 2025, at 8 p.m. in the concert hall of the University of the Arts (Dechanatstraße 13-15).
The plan is to have a colorful and cheerful evening with good music and entertainment in a dignified setting. Musical greetings from the ranks of the HfK are planned, as well as humorous and, in some cases, thoughtful speeches. Friends, companions, and supporters of the KKI are cordially invited to attend. The event is, of course, open to anyone who is interested.

Music collection acquired from Uwe Warnken

Through the mediation of Michael Schmidt from the Bremen Community Foundation, we received the music collection of Uwe Warnken. The collection includes 250 mini discs with classic US jazz recordings as well as recordings of jazz concerts from Bremen and Hamburg. We also received several jazz books, vinyl records, and playback devices. We would like to thank the Bremen Community Foundation for their support!
More information: https://www.buergerstiftung-bremen.de/de/home.html

KKI shareholder Richard Weize has turned 80... and is as active as ever

Our friend, supporter, and co-partner Richard Weize turned 80 on August 4. On August 23, a birthday party was held in his honor with illustrious guests. One might assume that after a long and fulfilling life, he would slowly but surely retire from the music business and reap and enjoy the fruits of his labor. But far from it. After selling his label Bear Family Records a good 10 years ago, he continues to run two other labels or publishing companies called "... and more bears" and "RWA - Richard Weize Archives". The tireless music publisher/editor/publicist has recently published three books (each with an accompanying CD), which we would like to briefly mention here.
Firstly, an anniversary volume has been published under the simple title "Richard Weize 80. The Story Of A Record Producer 1975 - 2025", which pays tribute to the "old bear".
He has also published two books dealing with jazz music from 1955/56 and 1960:
"Caterina Valente & Chet Baker. Just You, Just Me" documents the collaboration between the singer and the trumpeter, who recorded and toured together with the Kurt Edelhagen Orchestra.
Dave Samuelson's "After the Riot at Newport. The Garden Party" is about the Nashville All-Stars and their concert recording from 1960, which was released on record by RCA Victor and has become a collector's item.
More information here:
https://andmorebears.com/de

KKI conference on local/regional music history in October

On Saturday, October 18, the KKI is organizing a conference entitled "History & Present of Popular Music in Bremen & the surrounding area" between 2pm and 7pm. The venue will be the Chamber Music Hall of the University of the Arts. In terms of content, the regional music history will be discussed, as it can be traced through artists, bands, clubs, festivals and labels as well as other multipliers and organizations.
The conference is open to all interested parties and free of charge.

Program:
14:00-14:20 _ Nico Thom: Local & regional music historiography using the example of Bremen & the surrounding area
14:20-14:40 _ Katrin Dietl & Tine Niggemann: History, present & future of Pop Office Bremen
14:40-15:00 _ Friedel Muders: Fuego – (Online) Label & publisher for Indie Rock & Alternative Pop
15:00-15:20 _ Peter Cronemeyer: Laika Records – Label & publisher for jazz & world music
15:20-15:40 _ Gregor Hennig: Schlager star Ronny, Studio Nord & my own musical projects
15:40-16:00 _ Break
16:00-16:20 _ Andrea Rösler: The Musikszene Bremen association & its projects
16:20-16:40 _ Peter Schulze: Concert productions & live recordings from Radio Bremen until the turn of the millennium
16:40-17:00 _ V. B. Schulze: 50 years of the Bremen Musicians' Initiative (MIB)
17:00-17:20 _ Klaus Friedrichs & Jürgen Thomas: The Rock Cyclus Bremerhaven Association
17:20-17:40 _ Break
17:40-18:00 _ Conrad Schwenke: Stadtlauscher.de – Online platform by & for musicians & cultural professionals from Bremen
18:00-18:20 _ Natalie Reinsch: Swing music & swing dancing in Bremen during the Nazi era
18:20-18:40 _ Willy Schwarz: World music in Bremen, as exemplified by the City Immigrant Orchestra
18:40-19:00 _ Iris Hinze & Filip Roolfing: Clubverstärker e.V. – Voice of live music venues & live music organizers with cultural & social aspirations in Bremen & the surrounding area

Annual meeting of the Pop Archive Network at KKI

The annual meeting of the "Archivnetzwerk Pop" (Pop Archive Network) took place on October 9-10 at our KKI. We exchanged information about the latest developments in our institutions and discussed further cooperation. Guests included colleagues from Berlin, Eisenach, Freiburg i.B., Graz, Gronau, Leipzig, and Nortorf. After taking a closer look at the KKI as the host institution (in its anniversary year), we visited the Bremen Radio Museum together and were given a guided tour.
Further information here:
https://www.archivnetzwerk-pop.de
https://www.bremer-rundfunkmuseum.de

Small KKI double exhibition in fall/winter 2025

From October 1 to December 31, 2025, we will be showing a small double exhibition designed by two interns.
Janne Andersen explored the self-selected topic "Sweet vacation dreams within your own four walls: Advertising singles from West German airlines in the 1960s and 70s".
André Prange has devoted himself to a solo artist. His part of the exhibition is entitled: "'I don't sing lies!' Petra Pascal – an (almost) forgotten singer between pop songs and long radio nights".
The double exhibition is set up in front of the entrance to the KKI and can be viewed there, as well as shortly in digital form in our online magazine "S[æ]itenanschläge".

Continuing education student from Hamburg completes long-term internship
(October to January)

Marcus Bühler is currently completing a postgraduate study program in library and information management at the Hamburg University of Applied Sciences (HAW). Prior to that, he completed a degree in musicology at the University of Hamburg and conducted research for his master's thesis at the KKI archive, among other places. He will now be doing a long-term internship with us between October 2025 and January 2026 as part of his continuing education. We are happy to give him an insight into our daily work and look forward to his support!

FaMI intern in September

From September 8 to 26, Justin Kox will be completing a three-week internship with us as part of his training to become a specialist in media and information services (FaMI). Justin works at the State and University Library in Bremen and is currently in his second year of training. We are happy to give him an insight into our everyday work and look forward to his support!

Intern in September

In September, Janne Andersen will be completing a four-week internship with us. She has just completed her bachelor's degree (cultural studies and art, media & aesthetic education) at the University of Bremen and has been intensively involved with vinyl records both in her bachelor's thesis and in her part-time job at a record store and as a passionate collector. We are happy to give her an insight into our everyday work and look forward to her support!

KKI Cooperation Exhibition "The Collision of Freedom"
from August 22 to September 14, 2025, at the HfK Gallery

Picture: Paweł Jóźwiak

A project group of young historians, in cooperation with the KKI among others, has conceived a trinational exhibition dedicated to the Nazi persecution of Czech, German, and Polish swing dancers and jazz musicians. Entitled "The Collision of Freedom", the exhibition will be on display in the gallery of the University of the Arts Bremen (Music Department, Dechanatstraße 13-15) from August 22 to September 14. Admission is free.

There will be an accompanying program for the exhibition.
Four of these events will be offered (free of charge) at the HfK gallery alone:

August 22, 7:00 p.m., exhibition opening with partners from the Czech Republic, Poland, and Germany,
followed by live music from Jakub Šafr & Swing Trio Avalon with social dancing

September 6, 7:00 p.m., film screening "Django – A Life for Music",
followed by a discussion with Django Heinrich Reinhardt and Giovanni Steinbach, moderated by Natalie Reinsch (BBfd-tZ)

September 10, 7:00 p.m., theater performance "Gegen das, was da oben ist [Against What Is Up There]" – a documentary collage with motifs from "Swinging Bremen" (novel by Birgit Köhler)
with the student course "Performing Arts" by Helene Finck (Altes Gymnasium Bremen)

September 12, 7:00 p.m., Discussion about Sinti Swing with Dardo and Armando Balke, moderated by Nico Thom (KKI Director)
followed by a concert by the Dardo Balke Swing Ensemble with social dancing

More information about the exhibition and accompanying program here:
https://www.bremer-buendnis.de/2025/07/24/ausstellung-the-collision-of-freedom-programm-in-bremen/

New long-term intern (August to November)

From August 18 to November 14, André Prange from Bremen will be completing a three-month long-term internship with us. We are happy to give him an insight into our day-to-day work and look forward to his support!

Recently

KKI music exchange at the "Open Day: Fête de la Musique" of the HfK on June 21

On Saturday, June 21, we will once again be taking part in the "Open Day: Fête de la Musique" of the Department of Music at the University of the Arts Bremen (HfK) - with a small music exchange. From 3 to 7 pm, you can visit us in the courtyard of the HfK (at Dechanatstraße 13-15) and pick up duplicates from our stock at low prices.
More information on the overall program here:
https://www.hfk-bremen.de/en/events/open-house-fete-de-la-musique/13360

Reorganization of the sheet music collection

We have once again tackled our sheet music collection and reorganized it. A big thank you to our expert intern Zoë Stevens, who delved deep into the material and unearthed many cheerful titles. As a result, we were able to rediscover some gems of salon orchestra sheet music from our collection.

Intern in June

Zoë Stevens, who lives in Bremen, will be completing an internship with us in June. We are happy to give her an insight into our day-to-day work and look forward to her support!

New KKI flyer

After careful consideration, we decided to combine two mottos for our long overdue new KKI flyer: “Keep it simple” and “Simple is beautiful”.

Cooperation project: Swing dance evening at the HfK on May 27

On 27 May, the KKI is organizing a swing dance evening together with the jazz department of the University of the Arts Bremen and historians from a transnational project group called "Nazi Injustice 'Degenerate Music'". At 8 p.m. we will start with a panel discussion in which contemporary witnesses from the 1940s and 1950s will also give their accounts. The music for the evening will be provided by the Hamburg band "Bun-Jon & The Big Jive", who will be sure to get everyone dancing.
More information here:
https://www.hfk-bremen.de/de/veranstaltungen/hfk-jazzclub-swingtanzabend/13324

Bremen musicology student completes internship in May

In May, our team will be supported by Leon Mai. It is of course a coincidence that his name is the same as the merry month. Leon is currently studying for a Bachelor's degree in musicology at the University of Bremen. We are happy to give him an insight into our day-to-day work and look forward to his support!

KKI at the jazzahead! CLUBNIGHT on April 25th

In 2025, we will once again be taking part in CLUBNIGHT as part of jazzahead! (trade fair & festival). On Friday, April 25, Nico Thom (KKI director) aka DJ EnTee will be playing in Mensa 13 / Music Cellar at the University of the Arts Bremen. After three bands have presented live jazz, the dance party will start at 11:30 pm (end: 03:00 am). This year's motto is: "Jazziest Hip-Hop in Town".
Jazz has had an influence on many younger styles of music, especially hip-hop. But hip-hop has also left its mark on jazz. In the 1990s in particular, jazzy hip-hop and jazz with spoken words had golden years. But even in the present day, the interactions are omnipresent. We will celebrate this exciting musical melange. All friends of cultivated breaking, popping and locking are cordially invited, as are head-nodders of all ages.
More information here: https://jazzahead.de/festival/#clubnight

Friends of the HfK as guests

On Wednesday, April 9, the Friends of the University of the Arts Bremen visited us. During a guided tour, the HfK supporters had the opportunity to get to know the KKI and learn about the history and present of our institution. The Friends of the HfK were extremely interested and impressed by our collections and activities. More information about the Friends can be found here: https://hfk-freunde.de

KKI takes part in the "Night of the Libraries" on April 4

In 2005, the "Night of the Libraries" took place for the first time in North Rhine-Westphalia. On April 4, 2025, libraries from all over Germany and all 16 federal states will be taking part for the first time, including Bremen. In total, well over 1,200 institutions will be offering events on this evening under the motto "Knowledge. Share. Discover.".
The KKI is also happy to take part in this campaign. We are opening our doors to all interested parties (young and old) from 3 pm to 10:30 pm. Under the heading "Cheerful, lively & archived - the whole world of popular music at the KKI", we offer guided tours with music and film examples and anyone who likes can purchase one or more of our duplicates at our small flea market.
More information here: https://www.nachtderbibliotheken.de/veranstaltungen/bremen/338974861.heiter-beschwingt-archiviert-die-ganze-welt-der-populaeren-musik-im-kki/

Long-term intern in April, May and June

Frithjof Natho from Bremen will be completing a three-month internship with us from the beginning of April to the end of June. We are happy to give him an insight into our day-to-day work and look forward to his support!