Bavarian Sounds in Tartu – A Musical Journey for Peace and Freedom

On a sunny August afternoon, the sound of Bavarian brass music filled the garden of the German Cultural Institute in Tartu. What at first appeared to be a cheerful summer concert also carried a much broader message: one of human connection, European solidarity and a shared appreciation of peace, freedom and democracy.

On 9 August, musicians led by Reinhardt Reissner were welcomed to the German Cultural Institute in Tartu as part of a journey taking them through all three Baltic States – Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. The journey was inspired by the anniversary of the Baltic Way, the approximately 600-kilometre human chain formed by Estonians, Latvians and Lithuanians in 1989 as a powerful demonstration for freedom and independence.

The visit had been organised with great personal dedication by Vaike Hint, Director of the German Cultural Institute, who warmly welcomed the musicians to Tartu and took care of the guests throughout their stay. Her hospitality helped turn the concert into a warm and personal afternoon of encounters.

The Estonian team of the German-Baltic Future Foundation (DBJW) also joined the event. The German Cultural Institute in Tartu is a long-standing partner of DBJW, making the afternoon a wonderful opportunity to strengthen existing ties, meet new people and experience German-Baltic friendship in a very immediate and personal way.

A Musical Journey for Peace and Freedom

The musicians had not come to the Baltic States simply to give a series of concerts. Their journey was dedicated to peace, freedom and democracy. Travelling through Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, they sought to meet people and use music to remember the history of the Baltic nations and the freedom they regained.

Here, that message carries particular significance. The Baltic Way remains a powerful symbol of the peaceful determination of millions of people to shape their own future. It reminds us that freedom and democracy should never be taken for granted – and of the strength that can emerge when people stand together across borders for shared values. In Tartu, this message required no grand speeches. The music itself created the connection.

Reinhardt Reissner – Decades of Crossing Borders Through Music

Behind the Bavarian visitors lies a remarkable musical history. Reinhardt Reissner has been involved in brass music since 1963, when his father founded the Blaskapelle Feldkirchen. A few years later, Reissner took over its direction and in 1978 developed the village ensemble into the Stadtkapelle Neuburg. Over the years, he also dedicated himself to nurturing young musicians and led his ensembles to considerable success.

For Reissner, however, music has always been closely connected with travel, discovery and encounters with people. Multi-day concert tours began in the 1970s, followed by major international journeys in the early 1980s. The musicians performed in Brazil and took part in New York's Steuben Parade. Later tours took them to France, Italy, Romania, Poland and Russia, as well as Southeast Asia, Malta, Australia, South Africa, Canada and the United States.

With the school orchestra he founded at the Paul-Winter-Realschule in Neuburg, Reissner also undertook numerous concert tours across Europe. Among the memorable highlights were providing music during a General Audience with Pope John Paul II in Rome and participating in the Carnival of Venice.

The Baltic journey therefore continues a tradition stretching back decades: taking music out into the world and using it as an invitation to meet one another.

A Little Piece of Bavaria in the Heart of Tartu

For several hours, the grounds of the German Cultural Institute became a little piece of Bavaria. In beautiful summer weather, guests gathered to listen to the musicians, enjoy conversations and share the relaxed atmosphere. The Bavarian spirit extended to the culinary side of the afternoon as well: Restaurant München in Tartu provided German draft beer, pretzels and food to accompany the festivities.

Yet it was precisely this combination that gave the afternoon its special character. This was not simply about presenting one culture to another. Instead, it created a place where people could meet naturally – musicians and visitors, Germans and Estonians, long-standing partners and new acquaintances.

Such personal encounters are an essential part of German-Baltic cooperation. After all, relationships between countries ultimately grow from relationships between people.

Through Tartu with Vintage Cars and Brass Music

The day was far from over when the concert ended – and what followed took the celebrations onto the streets of Tartu. Andrus Miilaste, a member of the German Cultural Institute in Tartu, brought along his vintage cars and invited the musicians on a drive through the city. Soon, an extraordinary procession was making its way through Tartu: historic automobiles carrying Bavarian musicians, with the orchestra continuing to play along the way.

The drive through the summer streets became an experience not only for those taking part, but also for people who happened to encounter it. When the vintage cars reached Raekoja plaza, Tartu's historic Town Hall Square, the vehicles and musicians immediately attracted attention. Tourists stopped to film and take photographs, soon forming a circle around the cars and their musical passengers.

By then, what had begun as a concert had turned into a spontaneous German-Estonian experience in the heart of the city – joyful, memorable and impossible to overlook or, indeed, to miss hearing.

Discovering History – Martin Pabst's Exhibition

Visitors to the German Cultural Institute that afternoon could also discover another dimension of German-Baltic history. The Institute is currently hosting the exhibition “Life of the Nobility”, curated by Potsdam-based historian Martin Pabst, a long-standing friend and supporter of the German-Baltic Future Foundation.

The exhibition at the German Cultural Institute explores the life of the nobility in historic Livonia. Through texts and numerous images of manor houses and estates, it opens a window onto a world that helped shape the history of Estonia and the wider Baltic region for centuries.

Different strands came together that afternoon: Bavarian music, Baltic history, German and Estonian culture – and, above all, people who continue to bring these connections to life today.

Through Estonia in Lederhosen and Dirndls

The journey continued the following day – and so did the Bavarian attire. Still dressed in lederhosen and dirndls, the musicians set out to discover more of Estonia. Their route took them to sights across Tartu County and Jõgeva County, as well as Ida-Viru County, turning the concert tour into an opportunity to experience very different parts of the country.

By evening, they were back in Tartu. Between Restaurant München and the university, the musicians gave another concert – and once again demonstrated how quickly music can bring people together. Members of Tartu's historic student fraternities and societies joined in with particular enthusiasm. German and Estonian songs were sung together, including patriotic songs from both countries. One especially meaningful moment came when the Bavarian musicians performed the Estonian national anthem, which they had learned especially for their journey.

Amid the lively celebrations, it was a deeply personal gesture of respect towards their host country. German and Estonian, Bavarian brass music and Tartu student traditions, lederhosen and a Baltic university city – elements that might at first seem worlds apart came together that evening with remarkable ease.

Partnerships That Create Encounters

The German Cultural Institute in Tartu is an important partner of the German-Baltic Future Foundation. Through its work, the Institute helps keep German culture and language alive in Estonia while continuing to strengthen cultural relations between Estonia and Germany. These two days in Tartu offered a wonderful example of just how varied and personal such partnerships can be.

International cooperation does not always have to begin with a major conference or an official programme. Sometimes it begins with musicians packing their instruments and setting out on a journey through three countries. Sometimes it grows from a conversation in a garden, a drive through a city or spontaneous singing at the end of an evening.

Moments like these become shared memories – and personal encounters can develop into connections that reach far beyond a single event. A similar idea was at the heart of our initiative “Midsummer Brings Us Together – Connecting Through Culture, Language and European Values”, which explored how traditions, language and personal stories can connect people from different backgrounds.

The setting in Tartu was different, but the underlying idea was the same: Culture creates opportunities to meet – and personal encounters give European cooperation a human face.

The Freedom to Meet One Another

The musicians' journey through Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia also reminds us of something that can easily seem self-evident in everyday European life. Today, musicians from Bavaria can pack their instruments, travel through the Baltic States and meet people along the way. Germans, Estonians, Latvians and Lithuanians can come together, celebrate, exchange stories and form new friendships across borders.

That freedom has a history. In the context of the Baltic Way, a journey like this takes on an additional meaning. More than three decades ago, people stood hand in hand for freedom and self-determination. Today, people from different European countries can use that freedom to visit one another, make music together, share their traditions and create new connections.

It is difficult to imagine a more fitting conclusion to these days of friendship than German and Estonian songs being sung together and a Bavarian orchestra playing the Estonian national anthem.

Perhaps that is one of the most beautiful ways to celebrate freedom: by using it to come together.