The Popakademie is partnering with MARCHIVUM and the University of Mannheim

Prof. Dr. David-Emil Wickström, Program Director of the B.A. in Pop Music Design & Global Music at the Popakademie Baden-Württemberg: “Thanks to its postwar history, Mannheim has become one of Germany’s centers for popular music. We are delighted to begin, through this collaboration, to explore this history and document the experiences of these individuals for future generations through interviews with eyewitnesses.”
“Pop history is also city history,” says Dr. Thomas Throckmorton, Deputy Director of MARCHIVUM. “That is why we are very pleased that this project will allow us to permanently preserve and present a significant part of Mannheim’s cultural heritage for posterity.”
Hiram Kümper, professor at the University’s Department of History, adds: “Mannheim has been a UNESCO City of Music for many years. By joining forces and using different approaches, we want to highlight just how much music is part of Mannheim’s DNA.”

The course at the University of Mannheim, “Mannheim Pop History – Self-Directed Research,” is part of the minor in “Curating and Communicating History” at the Department of History and is led by Prof. Dr. Hiram Kümper. In this course, students independently explore local music history using sources from the MARCHIVUM. The course at the Popakademie is led by Prof. Dr. David-Emil Wickström and is part of the required elective “Popular Music of the World.” Here, students conduct interviews with prominent figures in the Mannheim music scene—the videos are later archived and published on the MARCHIVUM’s eyewitness portal. Also affiliated with the project is the Popakademie’s project workshop with students from the Music Business B.A. program, who, under the guidance of the Mannheim tourism company VTM Mannheim GmbH and the Mannheim musician and artist David Julian Kirchner, are tackling the topic of “Music Walks” in Mannheim. The aim is to shed light on the topic of music in Mannheim in various ways.

Popakademie Talks
In the “Popakademie Talks” series, guests from the music and cultural sectors discuss various aspects of Mannheim’s musical history. The Popakademie launched the series in 2021 to respond to current events and invite artists and creative professionals to address contemporary topics.

• Tuesday, April 14, starting at 6 p.m. at the Popakademie, Room 001, with Angie Taylor and Gagey Mrozeck on the topic of musical generations in Mannheim
• Tuesday, May 19, 6 p.m. at the University of Mannheim (Aula) on the topic of music and politics in Mannheim
• Wednesday, June 10, starting at 6 p.m. at the MARCHIVUM on the topic of music venues in Mannheim with Klaus Hiltscher, Peter Seiler, and representatives from the Milk Club. Afterward, Klaus Hiltscher—Mannheim’s oldest DJ—will spin records during a get-together.

The talks are open to the public; participation is free of charge, and registration is not required.