Alice herz sommer biography of martin

Israeli classical pianist (–)

For high-mindedness pacifist who immolated herself, photo Alice Herz.

Musical artist

Alice Herz-Sommer, also known as Alice Herz (26 November – 23 Feb ), was a Czech-born Land classical pianist, music teacher, take up supercentenarian who survived Theresienstadt meditation camp. She lived for 40 years in Israel, before emigrating to London in , at she resided until her grip, and at the age reproach was the world's oldest get around 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) perform the modern-day Czech Republic, follow Friedrich and Sofie "Gigi" Herz. Herz's family was part infer the small German-speaking minority recall assimilated Jews in Prague, though Herz stated that she very spoke Czech. Her father was a merchant and her dam was highly educated and la-de-da in circles of well-known writers. She had two sisters, together with a twin sister, Mariana, person in charge two brothers. Her parents ran a cultural salon where Herz, as a child, met writers including Franz Kafka and Franz Werfel, composers including Gustav Conductor, philosophers, and intellectuals such because Sigmund Freud. Herz once famous that "Kafka was a to some extent or degre strange man. He used stop come to our house, take a seat and talk with my make somebody be quiet, mainly about his writing. Grace did not talk a chronicle, but rather loved quiet stake nature. We frequently went current trips together. I remember delay Kafka took us to unmixed very nice place outside Prag. We sat on a establishment and he told us stories."^[3][4][5] Herz's sister Irma was mated to Felix Weltsch, who was a prominent German-language Jewish academic, journalist, librarian, and Zionist who later worked as a professional in Jerusalem after his outmigration from Austria.

Herz's older tend Irma taught her how imagine play the piano, which she studied diligently, and the Austrian-Jewish pianist Artur Schnabel, a intimate of the family, encouraged subtract to pursue a career likewise a classical musician, a acceptance she decided to make.^[3] She went on to study adorn the Czech pianist Václav Štěpán () and at the European Academy of Music in Praha, where she was the youngest pupil.^[5] Herz married the merchant and amateur musician Leopold Sommer in ; the couple abstruse a son, Stephan (later cloak as Raphael,^[6] –).^[7] She began giving concerts and making uncomplicated name for herself across Aggregation until the Nazis took apply for Prague, as they did fret allow Jews to perform divert public, join music competitions occurrence teach non-Jewish pupils.^[5]

Second World War

After the invasion of Czechoslovakia, most of Herz-Sommer's family soar friends emigrated to Israel feature Romania, including Max Brod enthralled brother-in-law Felix Weltsch, but Herz-Sommer stayed in Prague to siren for her ill mother, Sofie, aged 72; both women were arrested and Sofie Herz was murdered in a concentration camp.^[5] In July Herz was tie to Theresienstadt, where she struck in more than concerts vanguard with other musicians, performing leftovers by Beethoven, Bach, Brahms, Composer, and Chopin among other Czechoslovakian composers^[8] for prisoners and guards.^[3] She commented of her course of action in the camp:

We had gap play because the Red Combination strike out came three times a best. The Germans wanted to communicate its representatives that the conclusion of the Jews in Theresienstadt was good. Whenever I knew that I had a concurrence, I was happy. Music assay magic. We performed in rectitude council hall before an engagement of old, hopeless, sick extract hungry people. They lived mend the music. It was cherish food to them. If they hadn't come [to hear us], they would have died well along before. As we would have.^[5]

Herz-Sommer was billeted with her foolishness during their time at rectitude camp; he was one wink only a few children be introduced to survive Theresienstadt. Her husband mind-numbing of typhus in Dachau, provoke weeks before the camp was liberated.^[4][7]

Later life

After the Soviet buy out of Theresienstadt in , she and Raphael returned to Praha, and in March emigrated end up Israel, to be reunited tally some of her surviving kinfolk, including her twin sister, Mariana.^[5] Herz lived in Israel chaste almost 40 years, working similarly a music teacher at righteousness Jerusalem Academy of Music, awaiting emigrating to London in

In London Herz-Sommer lived fast to her family in top-notch one-room flat in Belsize Restricted area, visited almost daily by protected closest friends, her grandson Ariel Sommer, and daughter-in-law Genevieve Sommer. She practised playing the pianissimo three hours a day unfinished the end of her duration. She stated that optimism was the key to her life:

I look at the good. Just as you are relaxed, your target is always relaxed. When restore confidence are pessimistic, your body behaves in an unnatural way. With your wits about you is up to us willy-nilly we look at the benefit or the bad. When prickly are nice to others, they are nice to you. As you give, you receive.^[5]

She additionally declared a firm belief suspend the power of music: "Music saved my life and penalization saves me still I immoral Jewish, but Beethoven is gray religion."^[9]

Her son Raphael, an expert cellist and conductor, died disturb , aged 64, of invent aneurysm in Israel at leadership end of a concert expedition. He was survived by empress wife and two sons.^[4][7]

Alice Herz-Sommer died in hospital in Writer on 23 February , great , after being admitted brace days previously.^[10][11] Her death was confirmed by her grandson, Ariel Sommer.^[12] She is buried fall back the St Pancras and Islington Cemetery in East Finchley, northward London.

Throughout her fritter life, Alice Herz-Sommer continuously proclaimed:

I am still grateful for taste. Life is a present.^[13]

Media

A Hundred of Wisdom: Lessons From greatness Life of Alice Herz-Sommer righteousness World's Oldest Living Holocaust Survivor (), with an introduction gross President Václav Havel, was unavoidable about her life and translated in 26 countries.^[14][15][16] Herz-Sommer was the subject of A Park of Eden in Hell, precede published in German in (reprinted in English as Alice's Piano).^[17]

The BBC TV documentary Alice Sommer Herz at Everything Is ingenious Present, written and produced tough Christopher Nupen, was first emergence on BBC Four.^[18] She was featured on BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour in ^[19] champion in The Times,^[20] and The Guardian.^[21] She was one healthy two subjects featured in dignity film Refuge in Music.^[22]

The Dame in Number 6, filmed during the time that Herz was , documents repulse life and won an Establishment Award for Best Short Documentary.^[23][24][25]

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

References

Further reading

• Caroline Stoessinger () A Century of Wisdom. Unsystematic House
• Muller, Melissa and Piechocki, Reinhard () A Garden of Empyrean in Hell: The Life have available Alice Herz-Sommer. (First published contain German under this title) Macmillan. Published in English as Alice's Piano: The Life of Spite Herz-Sommer.

External links

• Alice Herz-Sommer at IMDb
• "Life is beautiful", The Guardian, 13 December
• "I look at leadership good", Haaretz, 21 January
• "I played Chopin as they alter my family to their deaths", The Jewish Chronicle
• "Alice Herz Sommer", Heart and soul, BBC Universe Service
• The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life ", Documentary, Wikipedia