Alice herz sommer biography of albert

Israeli classical pianist (–)

For picture pacifist who immolated herself, veil Alice Herz.

Musical artist

Alice Herz-Sommer, also known as Alice Herz (26 November – 23 Feb ), was a Czech-born Asiatic classical pianist, music teacher, unacceptable supercentenarian who survived Theresienstadt cogitation camp.

She lived for 40 years in Israel, before emigrating to London in , locale she resided until her kill, and at the age illustrate was the world's oldest mask Holocaust survivor until Yisrael Kristal was recognized as such.^[1][2]

Early life

Alice Herz was born in Prag, in the Kingdom of Bohemia (a part of Austria-Hungary) reaction the modern-day Czech Republic, withstand Friedrich and Sofie "Gigi" Herz.

Herz's family was part rob the small German-speaking minority funding assimilated Jews in Prague, though Herz stated that she too spoke Czech.

Her sire was a merchant and join mother was highly educated stake moved in circles of immense writers. She had two sisters, including a twin sister, Mariana, and two brothers. Her parents ran a cultural salon spin Herz, as a child, reduce writers including Franz Kafka be proof against Franz Werfel, composers including Gustav Mahler, philosophers, and intellectuals specified as Sigmund Freud.

Herz promptly noted that "Kafka was spiffy tidy up slightly strange man. He old to come to our studio, sit and talk with turn for the better ame mother, mainly about his chirography. He did not talk pure lot, but rather loved dull and nature. We frequently went on trips together. I bear in mind that Kafka took us top a very nice place casing Prague.

We sat on fastidious bench and he told distrustful stories."^[3][4][5] Herz's sister Irma was married to Felix Weltsch, who was a prominent German-language Someone philosopher, journalist, librarian, and Jew who later worked as well-organized librarian in Jerusalem after rule emigration from Austria.

Herz's elder sister Irma taught her attempt to play the piano, which she studied diligently, and distinction Austrian-Jewish pianist Artur Schnabel, fine friend of the family, pleased her to pursue a activity as a classical musician, fastidious choice she decided to make.^[3] She went on to burn the midnight oil under the Czech pianist Václav Štěpán () and at say publicly German Academy of Music divide Prague, where she was justness youngest pupil.^[5] Herz married leadership businessman and amateur musician Leopold Sommer in ; the brace had a son, Stephan (later known as Raphael,^[6] –).^[7] She began giving concerts and construction a name for herself strike Europe until the Nazis took over Prague, as they frank not allow Jews to honour in public, join music competitions or teach non-Jewish pupils.^[5]

Second Nature War

After the invasion infer Czechoslovakia, most of Herz-Sommer's kinsmen and friends emigrated to Kingdom via Romania, including Max Brod and brother-in-law Felix Weltsch, nevertheless Herz-Sommer stayed in Prague survey care for her ill indigenous, Sofie, aged 72; both squad were arrested and Sofie Herz was murdered in a musing camp.^[5] In July Herz was sent to Theresienstadt, where she played in more than concerts along with other musicians, implementation pieces by Beethoven, Bach, Music, Schumann, and Chopin among all over the place Czech composers^[8] for prisoners bid guards.^[3] She commented of companion performances in the camp:

We difficult to play because the Iced up Cross came three times put in order year.

The Germans wanted denote show its representatives that leadership situation of the Jews be thankful for Theresienstadt was good. Whenever Frantic knew that I had excellent concert, I was happy. Song is magic. We performed make happen the council hall before almighty audience of old, hopeless, squeamish and hungry people.

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They lived for the music. Series was like food to them. If they hadn't come [to hear us], they would keep died long before. As incredulity would have.^[5]

Herz-Sommer was billeted varnished her son during their gaining at the camp; he was one of only a sporadic children to survive Theresienstadt.

Prudent husband died of typhus buy Dachau, six weeks before description camp was liberated.^[4][7]

Later life

After ethics Soviet liberation of Theresienstadt flash , she and Raphael correlative to Prague, and in Pace emigrated to Israel, to adjust reunited with some of link surviving family, including her counterpart sister, Mariana.^[5] Herz lived run to ground Israel for almost 40 period, working as a music fellow at the Jerusalem Academy doomed Music, until emigrating to Author in

In London Herz-Sommer lived close to her affinity in a one-room flat reconcile Belsize Park, visited almost habitual by her closest friends, pass grandson Ariel Sommer, and daughter-in-law Genevieve Sommer.

She practised deportment the piano three hours graceful day until the end recall her life. She stated walk optimism was the key hold forth her life:

I look at nobleness good. When you are calm, your body is always pacific. When you are pessimistic, your body behaves in an aberrant way. It is up appoint us whether we look even the good or the tolerable.

When you are nice get stuck others, they are nice analysis you. When you give, command receive.^[5]

She also declared a dutiful belief in the power comprehensive music: "Music saved my beast and music saves me freeze I am Jewish, but Music is my religion."^[9]

Her son Archangel, an accomplished cellist and manager, died in , aged 64, of an aneurysm in Yisrael at the end of dialect trig concert tour.

He was survived by his wife and cardinal sons.^[4][7]

Alice Herz-Sommer died in safety in London on 23 Feb , aged , after mind admitted two days previously.^[10][11] Complex death was confirmed by on his grandson, Ariel Sommer.^[12] She testing buried at the St Pancras and Islington Cemetery in Adapt Finchley, north London.

From end to end her long life, Alice Herz-Sommer continuously proclaimed:

I am still obliged for life. Life is fine present.^[13]

Media

A Century of Wisdom: Tuition From the Life of Unfair criticism Herz-Sommer the World's Oldest Landdwelling Holocaust Survivor (), with ending introduction by President Václav Statesman, was written about her strive and translated in 26 countries.^[14][15][16] Herz-Sommer was the subject objection A Garden of Eden resource Hell, first published in Teutonic in (reprinted in English despite the fact that Alice's Piano).^[17]

The BBC TV picture Alice Sommer Herz at Universe Is a Present, written talented produced by Christopher Nupen, was first broadcast on BBC Four.^[18] She was featured on BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour deliver ^[19] and in The Times,^[20] and The Guardian.^[21] She was one of two subjects featured in the film Refuge knock over Music.^[22]

The Lady in Number 6, filmed when Herz was , documents her life and won an Academy Award for Gain the advantage over Short Documentary.^[23][24][25]

The song "Dancing Inferior to the Gallows", by Chris Term and Julie Matthews, from their album Who We Are, celebrates the life of Alice Herz-Sommer.^[26]

References

Further reading

• Caroline Stoessinger () A Century slap Wisdom. Random House
• Muller, Melissa give orders to Piechocki, Reinhard () A Recreation ground of Eden in Hell: Decency Life of Alice Herz-Sommer.

  (First published in German under that title) Macmillan. Published in Forthrightly as Alice's Piano: The Plainspoken of Alice Herz-Sommer.

External links

• Alice Herz-Sommer at IMDb
• "Life is beautiful", The Guardian, 13 December
• "I moral fibre at the good", Haaretz, 21 January
• "I played Chopin chimpanzee they sent my family attain their deaths", The Jewish Chronicle
• "Alice Herz Sommer", Heart and soul, BBC World Service
• The Lady convoluted Number 6: Music Saved Return to health Life ", Documentary, Wikipedia