Das Vergnügen der Anderen. Unterhaltungsmusiker avant la lettre im Kaiserreich

Abstract

This article sheds light on the urban working worlds of musicians who cared for musical entertainment in Imperial Germany. I argue that a social history of urban pleasures remains incomplete if the conditions of those delivering such pleasures are not taken into account. Following this perspective, two distinct ”pleasures of others” come to the fore: On the one hand, the discourse about the so-called ”musicians' misery”, which intensified around 1900, as well as the everyday working experiences reflect the downside of the entertainment business. On the other hand, working in this occupational area was complicated by keen competition with German military music bands. Consequently, urban pleasures in Imperial Germany were shaped by an increasing social gap both between producers and consumers and between civic and military musicians.