Day of the diatonic hand harmonica

• World Music
• Lectures & Discussions
• Folk Music
• Celebrations

Seminars and lectures on "Treckfidel" with Ralf Gehler on June 28, 2025 at the Schwerin-Mueß Open-Air Museum.

The diatonic harmonica originated in the German-speaking world at the beginning of the 19th century. It first spread to neighboring countries and later worldwide. Today, the instrument is mainly played abroad. It had almost disappeared in Germany and is now increasingly shaping the local consciousness of the younger generations again.

Since the 1860s, playing the diatonic hand harmonica has been a style-defining practice in the performance of instrumental music in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Vorpommern. The relatively small instrument quickly conquered the dance halls of the villages and formed the musical background to communal entertainment.

Robust, loud and universally applicable, the hand harmonica initially replaced violin ensembles in traditional music. Thanks to its specific construction, it shaped new melodies in dance music and song. During the First World War, playing the harmonica became a comfort to the soul in the trenches. In the 1950s and 1960s, rock'n'roll and the beat made the instrument disappear more and more from dance bands. And it led a life at company and family parties until the 1970s.

Playing the diatonic accordion has been a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Site since 2020. Ralf Gehler from the Center for Traditional Music e.V. in Schwerin once submitted this application. He plays this instrument at concerts, song and dance evenings. As a historian, musician and instrument maker, he has gathered knowledge and expertise on this song and dance instrument that was once so popular in Mecklenburg. On June 28 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Schwerin-Mueß Open-Air Museum, there will be an opportunity to experience this instrument with all its stories and sounds. Who dares to play this instrument? Who perhaps already plays it? Those interested can take part in lectures, seminars and workshops. Information/registration with Ralf Gehler: 0173 5247793.