Nordischer Klang (English: ''Nordic Sound'') is the largest festival of Nordic culture in

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

. It is a major platform for artists from

Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...

Finland Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, ...

Iceland Iceland is a Nordic countries, Nordic island country between the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between North America and Europe. It is culturally and politically linked with Europe and is the regi ...

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...

, and

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...

in Germany. The festival takes place in the town of

Greifswald Greifswald (), officially the University and Hanseatic City of Greifswald (, Low German: ''Griepswoold'') is the fourth-largest city in the German state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania after Rostock, Schwerin and Neubrandenburg. In 2021 it surpa ...

, which is situated about 200 km to the north of Germany's capital

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

at the Baltic shore. ''Nordischer Klang'' is organised by a non-profit society loosely associated with the Department of Nordic Studies at the

University of Greifswald The University of Greifswald (; ), formerly known as Ernst-Moritz-Arndt University of Greifswald, is a public research university located in Greifswald, Germany, in the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. Founded in 1456, it is one of th ...

History

The festival began in 1992 and has since then taken place every year. A wide range of activities is offered every year, covering the whole spectrum of culture in the form of live performances, exhibitions, shows, lectures and courses, e.g. about film, theatre, literature, social developments, comedy, and different types of music. The festival is usually under the patronage of one politician from Germany and one from the Nordic countries. 2007 The 16th festival in 2007 was under the aegis of Harald Ringstorff (then governor of

Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (MV; ; ), also known by its Anglicisation, anglicized name Mecklenburg–Western Pomerania, is a Federated state, state in the north-east of Germany. Of the country's States of Germany, sixteen states, Mecklenburg-Vorpom ...

) and the Minister of Culture of

. 2008 The 17th festival took place from 2 to 9 May under the patronage of Thorgerdur Katrín Gunnarsdóttir (Minister of Culture of

). Among the performing guests were the Scandinavian

Jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

stars Viktoria Tolstoy and LaGaylia Frazier. 2009 The 18th festival from 2 to 9 May was under the aegis of Erwin Sellering (the governor of

) and

Alexander Stubb Cai-Göran Alexander Stubb (, born 1 April 1968) is a Finnish politician who has been the 13th president of Finland since 2024. He previously served as Prime Minister of Finland from 2014 to 2015. Rising in politics as a researcher specialis ...

(Minister of Foreign of

). Headliners were the Finnish singer Johanna Iivanainen, who played together with the saxophonist Eero Koivistoinen auftrat, the Marilyn Mazur Group and the sami singer Sofia Jannok. There were also different comic-exhibitions, amongst others drawings by Steffen Kverneland. 2010 The 19th festival took place from 6 to 15 May. It was under the patronage of Norway and Erwin Sellering (the governor of

) and

(Minister of Foreign of

). Highlights were the concerts of the Danish progressive/rock-band The Savage Rose, the Swedish entertainer Sylvia Vrethammar and the Valkyrien Allstars, a folk/pop-group from Norway. 2011 In 2011 the Nordischer Klang celebrated its 20th birthday from 5 to 15 May. Lena Adelsohn Liljeroth the Swedish Minister of Culture had the patronage. Great acts were the Elin Larsson Group (S), the Jan Lundgren Trio & LaGaylia (S/USA; Special guest: Lars Danielsson), a Danish pop-night with the bands Bird and Catbird, the Finnish Wimme Saari Group and the event "Universum" (universe) from

Per Kirkeby Per Kirkeby (1 September 1938 – 9 May 2018) was a Danish Painting, painter, poet, film maker and sculptor. His works have been exhibited worldwide and are represented in many important public collections, including the Tate, Metropolitan Museum ...

. 2012 Under the motto "mächtig gewaltig" (mighty giant) the 21st Nordische Klang took place from 3 to 14 May under the patronage of Denmark's Minister of Culture Uffe Elbæk together with the Governor of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Erwin Sellering. The Olsen Gang was in town, when

Morten Grunwald Walter Morten Grunwald (9 December 1934 – 14 November 2018) was a Danish actor, stage director and theatre manager. Early life and education He was born in Odense, Denmark, attended Odense Theatrical School in 1958, and graduated from the Roy ...

alias Benny, the last living actor of the criminal trio, who showed together with the MDR-presenter Janine Strahl-Oesterreich a new Biographie of the Egon-actor Ove Sprogøe. Musical highlights were the Swedish jazz-trombonist Nils Landgren together with the NDR Bigband, the Polish-Danish pop group Czesław Śpiewa, the Norwegian EstherOrkester and the finish band The Irrationals. Even the founder of the avant-garde jazz in the former Soviet Union Wjatscheslaw Ganelin came to the festival with his trio Priority. 2013 Under the patronage of Iceland too the 22nd Nordischer Klang took place from 2 to 13 May. It was opened with the performance by the Icelandic artist Anna María Björnsdóttir. A special was a music video, which was produced for Greifswald. Kitty Von-Sometime made it with her Weird Girls Project. 14 young women were filmed in crazy costumes in Greifswald. Other highlights were the indie-night with Møll from Norway and

Tilbury Tilbury is a port town in the borough of Thurrock, Essex, England. The present town was established as separate settlement in the late 19th century, on land that was mainly part of Chadwell St Mary. It contains a Tilbury Fort, 16th century fort ...

from Iceland, the Finnish pop-group Popband Mariska & Pahat Sudet and the debut of the blues singer Jes Holtsøs alias Börge, a former actor of the Olsen gang.

External links

Nordischer Klang

moritzTV (student channel) video of Nordischer Klang 2006
{{authority control Greifswald University of Greifswald Events in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Music in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Folk festivals in Germany Music festivals established in 1992 Spring (season) in Germany

History

Sponsors

External links