Call for Papers

Namenstafel am Hochschulgebäude
Die HfM erhält den Namen Hanns Eisler, 1964 © Archiv HfM

Interdisciplinary Symposium
„The Hanns Eisler School of Music Berlin in its dynamic historical and cultural contexts“


Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler Berlin / Zoom, 1 to 3 October 2025

At the beginning of the winter semester 2025/26 the Hanns Eisler School of Music Berlin will celebrate the 75th anniversary of its foundation. To commemorate this occasion the School is hosting an interdisciplinary symposium from 1 to 3 October 2025 on the subject of the changes the institution has undergone during these three-quarters of a century.
Up until now there has been no academic research into the eventful and successful history of the Hanns Eisler School of Music, founded in 1950 under the name „Deutsche Hochschule für Musik“ in the eastern part of Berlin and renamed in honour of the composer Hanns Eisler (1898–1962) in 1964; nor are there any in-house archives documenting this history. The symposium is therefore intended to contribute to fundamental questions for future research. The aim is to look at the School on the one hand as an important part of Berlin’s cultural life and on the other hand as a place of musical education with international appeal – and both of these aspects in the context of the two political systems the School has been part of.
We are asking for interdisciplinary contributions dealing with all facets of this history; papers from the perspective of artistic disciplines or personal testimonies of alumni are explicitly encouraged. Welcome are:

  • contributions on important events in the history of the Hanns Eisler School of Music (e. g. founding of the School in the context of post-war history and remigration; effects of the Berlin Wall; the School in the pre- and post-reunification period; the School after the BA/MA Bologna reform);
  • contributions on the cultural and political significance of the Hanns Eisler School of Music (e. g. the School in the context of higher music education in GDR times and present-day Germany; the School in the context of the cultural policy of the „Eastern Block“; significance of the School in Berlin’s cultural life of the past and present; cooperations with other Berlin based cultural institutions);
  • contributions on the Hanns Eisler School of Music as a place of education (e. g. changes and consistencies of educational goals; changes in pedagogical concepts; history of the engagement with contemporary music; dealing with politically undesirable or oppositional behaviour in GDR times; diversity of gender relations as well as the cultural and political origins of teachers and students during the course of time; the work of individual artistic personalities; old and new buildings of the School).

The symposium will take place in person at the Krönungskutschensaal of the Neuer Marstall (Schlossplatz 7) and online. Congress languages are German and English. A publication of the contributions following the symposium is planned as part of the 75th anniversary celebrations.

Proposals for papers (30 minutes plus 15 minutes discussion) should include:

  • a short biography of max. 70 words;
  • an abstract of max. 250 words.

Please send your proposals to musikwissenschaft@adm.hfm-berlin.de or  stefan.drees@doz.hfm-berlin.de by 31 December 2023. Feedback on the selection for papers will be provided in spring 2024.