Українська версія нижче

Date: 14 February 2026, 5:00-7:00 p.m.

Location: Melanchthon Hall, Evangelisches Bildungswerk, Am Ölberg 2, 93047 Regensburg, Germany

Speakers: Dr. Olga Zaitseva-Herz and Marek Herz

Organizer: Evangelisches Bildungswerk Regensburg, Leibniz Science Campus “Europe and America,” University of Regensburg, Leibniz Institute for East and Southeast European Studies in cooperation with “Denkraum Ukraine,” funded by the DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) with funds from the Federal Foreign Office (AA), and the Ukrainian-Bavarian Association - Hromada Regensburg e.V.

Language: German with Ukrainian translation

Ukrainian songs that tell history

The concert lecture by Dr. Olga Zaitseva-Herz and Marek Herz tells the history of Ukrainian immigrants to Canada (late 19th century) through traditional songs and stories.

The focus is on the blending of multicultural traces from the Habsburg era, social and political themes with influences from the migration experience, and the musical connection between traditional and contemporary influences.

The highlight of the evening is a Ukrainian ballad about Empress Elisabeth (“Sisi”), which has also survived in the North American diaspora. The program shows how immigrants processed their experiences in new songs and how this heritage lives on today.

Admission is free, and the event is family-friendly.

Olga Zaitseva-Herz

Olga Zaitseva-Herz is a scholar, lecturer, composer, and artist. She holds a PhD in ethnomusicology from the University of Alberta and works as a researcher at the Kule Folklore Centre at the University of Alberta. In February 2026, she comes to Regensburg as a visiting fellow at the Leibniz Science Campus “Europe and America” and will work at the DAAD-funded Denkraum Ukraine at the University of Regensburg during this time.

Her research focuses on Ukrainian-Canadian music, folklore research, and Ukrainian ethnography. In her work, she combines academic research with artistic practice and opens up new perspectives on the study and communication of cultural heritage.

She is accompanied musically by Marek Herz, jazz guitarist, composer, and lecturer, who is active throughout Germany with a variety of projects ranging from jazz to folklore and improvised music theater.

Photo: Hans Lechner

Українською