Sven Kube

Historian of Culture, Business, and Technology

Recent Publications and Presentations

My work

My research taps previously unavailable source material to present a new angle on popular music in Cold War cultural competition.

I have presented my findings to a variety of academic audiences that ranges from the American Musicological Society to the Business History Conference. Funding for this work was provided through fellowships from Germany’s Dresdner Bank, the Government of Canada, and the National Endowment for the Humanities in the United States.

“How to Build a Communist Flagship Enterprise”

“Music Trade in the Slipstream of Cultural Diplomacy: Western Rock and Pop in a Fenced-In Record Market”

“Shop of the Pops: Socialist Consumers, Capitalist Performers, and the Record Market That United Them”

A DDR Recording Studio — “Socialist Riches to Capitalist Rags: The Disintegration of the GDR Music Industry during German Reunification”

“Richer Sounds: Capitalism, Musical Instruments, and the Cold War Sonic Divide”

i am currently a Research Fellow at Hagley Museum and Library

My Portfolio

I have built a portfolio of lower- and upper-division courses in American, European, and World History that reflect my interdisciplinary background and multifaceted outlook.

My first book project is currently underway, “Born in the U.S.A. / Made in the G.D.R.: How Western Popular Music Shaped a Communist Record Market.”

Publications

Invited Talks and Presentations

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Fellowships and Grants

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Unique Courses Taught

These are some of the courses I have Created and taught as instructor of record

My Courses

Whether you are taking my class in person or online, you’ll find yourself in a collaborative learning community.

As a European immigrant living in the United States, I teach with a global outlook.

I believe that sharing experiences rooted in identity and biography drive the most meaningful learning processes, students can expect to find a discussion-centered and student-focused course no matter the topic.