Jazz was banned in Austria during the Nazi era and came into the country after the end of the war, mainly through the American occupation forces after 1945. It soon became an important cultural force and is still an inseparable part of the local music world today. Unique archive material, interviews with musicians and contemporary witnesses as well as original music recordings trace the social phenomenon in Austrian post-war society.

How jazz contributed to cultural and social renewal and became a symbol of freedom and individuality is highlighted in the new film by Andreas Felber and Dietmar Petschl, which will be broadcast on International Jazz Day. (original german Text by ORF)