Migration is a central theme in Jewish history. Whether through flight, expulsion or the search for a better life, Jewish existence has always been shaped by migration.
Every migration is ambivalent: it means loss of home, personal suffering and deprivation, but at the same time it opens up new opportunities, possibilities for development and a broadening of one's horizons. Mobility as a prerequisite for cultural exchange also plays an important role in the history of Jewish music.
The Via Regia, the most important west-east connection in Europe, is symbolic of Jewish history and the development of Jewish musical cultures along its route. In addition to cities with significant Jewish communities such as Frankfurt/Oder, Breslau, Krakow and Lemberg, Leipzig in particular – at the intersection of the Via Regia and the Via Imperii – became a central location for Jewish life and Jewish music.
Pianist and musicologist Jascha Nemtsov highlights the significance of the Via Regia and Leipzig as a centre for Jewish musicians and plays piano works by composers such as Fanny Hensel, Erwin Schulhoff, Alexander Weprik, Joachim Stutschewsky, Edi Tyrmand and Arthur Lourié.