Fritz Löhner-Beda (24 June 1883 – 4 December 1942), born Bedřich Löwy, was an

Austrian Austrian may refer to: * Austrians, someone from Austria or of Austrian descent ** Someone who is considered an Austrian citizen, see Austrian nationality law * Austrian German dialect * Something associated with the country Austria, for example: ...

librettist,

lyricist A lyricist is a songwriter who writes lyrics (the spoken words), as opposed to a composer, who writes the song's music which may include but not limited to the melody, harmony, arrangement and accompaniment. Royalties A lyricist's income ...

and

writer A writer is a person who uses written words in different writing styles and techniques to communicate ideas. Writers produce different forms of literary art and creative writing such as novels, short stories, books, poetry, travelogues, p ...

. Once nearly forgotten, many of his songs and tunes remain popular today. He was murdered in Auschwitz III Monowitz concentration camp.

Life

Löhner-Beda was born Bedřich Löwy in Wildenschwert,

Bohemia Bohemia ( ; cs, Čechy ; ; hsb, Čěska; szl, Czechy) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. Bohemia can also refer to a wider area consisting of the historical Lands of the Bohemian Crown ruled by the Bohem ...

(present-day Ústí nad Orlicí,

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...

) in 1883. In 1888, his family moved to

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

, and in 1896 changed their surname to the less Jewish surname Löhner. Having passed his Matura exams, he began the study of law at the

University of Vienna The University of Vienna (german: Universität Wien) is a public research university located in Vienna, Austria. It was founded by Duke Rudolph IV in 1365 and is the oldest university in the German-speaking world. With its long and rich histor ...

, where he became a member of the Jewish Kadimah student association. After he had obtained his doctorate, he worked as a lawyer from 1908 onwards. A dedicated

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

player, he was among the founders of the

Hakoah Vienna SC Hakoah Vienna (german: Sport Club Hakoah Wien; ' means "the strength" in Hebrew) is a Jewish sports club in Vienna, Austria. Prior to World War II, it produced several Olympic athletes and was notable for fielding an entirely Jewish associati ...

sports club in 1909. In 1910, Löhner-Beda decided upon a career as an author. He wrote numerous light satires, sketches, poems, and lyrics but also contributed to several newspapers, often under the

pen name A pen name, also called a ''nom de plume'' or a literary double, is a pseudonym (or, in some cases, a variant form of a real name) adopted by an author and printed on the title page or by-line of their works in place of their real name. A pen na ...

"Beda", a shortened version of his Czech first name, Bedřich (Frederick). In 1913, he met Franz Lehár, for whom he wrote the libretto of the 1916 operetta ''Der Sterngucker'' (''The Stargazer''). Two years later, in 1918, Löhner-Beda was called up for military service in

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, which he left as an officer and a convinced antimilitarist. In the 1920s, Löhner-Beda became one of the most sought-after librettists and lyricists in Vienna. Together with Lehár as composer, as co-author, and Richard Tauber as singer, Löhner-Beda produced the operettas ''Friederike'' (''Frederica'', 1928), ''Das Land des Lächelns'' ('' The Land of Smiles'', 1929), and, with as co-author, ''

Giuditta ''Giuditta'' is an operatic ' (German for ''musical comedy'') in five scenes, with music by Franz Lehár and a German libretto, by and Fritz Löhner-Beda. Scored for a large orchestra, it was Lehár's last and most ambitious work, written on a l ...

'' (1934). Together with his friend Alfred Grünwald as co-author and Paul Abraham as composer, Löhner-Beda produced ''

Viktoria und ihr Husar ''Viktoria und ihr Husar'' (''Victoria and Her Hussar'' is an operetta in three acts and a prelude by Paul Abraham with a libretto by Alfred Grünwald and Fritz Löhner-Beda, based on a work by the Hungarian playwright Imre Földes. It premiere ...

'' (''Victoria and Her Hussar'', 1930), ''

Die Blume von Hawaii ''The Flower of Hawaii'' (German:''Die Blume von Hawaii'') is an operetta in three acts by Paul Abraham with a libretto by Alfred Grünwald, Fritz Löhner-Beda, and Imre Földes. It premiered on 24 July 1931 at the Neues Theater in Leipzig. The ...

'' (''The Flower of Hawaii'', 1931), and ''

Ball im Savoy ''Ball im Savoy'' (''Ball at the Savoy'') is a jazz operetta in three acts and a prelude by Paul Abraham to a libretto by Alfred Grünwald and Fritz Löhner-Beda. It premiered on 23 December 1932 at the Großes Schauspielhaus, Berlin. However, H ...

'' (''Ball at the Savoy'', 1932). On April 1, 1938, almost immediately after the ''

Anschluss The (, or , ), also known as the (, en, Annexation of Austria), was the annexation of the Federal State of Austria into the German Reich on 13 March 1938. The idea of an (a united Austria and Germany that would form a " Greater Germany ...

'' (the annexation of Austria by

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...

, in mid-March 1938), Fritz Löhner-Beda was arrested and deported to the

Dachau concentration camp , , commandant = List of commandants , known for = , location = Upper Bavaria, Southern Germany , built by = Germany , operated by = ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS) , original use = Political prison , construction ...

. On September 23, 1938, he was transferred to the

Buchenwald concentration camp Buchenwald (; literally 'beech forest') was a Nazi concentration camp established on hill near Weimar, Germany, in July 1937. It was one of the first and the largest of the concentration camps within Germany's 1937 borders. Many actual or su ...

. There, together with his fellow prisoner

Hermann Leopoldi Hermann Leopoldi (born ''Hersch Kohn''; 15 August 1888 – 28 June 1959) was an Austrian composer and cabaret star who survived Dachau and Buchenwald. Einzi Stolz, wife of composer Robert Stolz, remembered him thus: :"Leopoldi was for us all ...

at the end of 1938, he composed the famous anthem of the concentration camp, ''Das Buchenwaldlied'' ("The Buchenwald Song"): The line ''wir wollen trotzdem Ja zum Leben sagen'' was adopted by the Holocaust survivor

Viktor Frankl Viktor Emil Frankl (26 March 1905 – 2 September 1997) was an Austrian psychiatrist who founded logotherapy, a school of psychotherapy that describes a search for a life's meaning as the central human motivational force. Logotherapy is part ...

for the German title of his 1946 book ''

Man's Search for Meaning ''Man's Search for Meaning'' is a 1946 book by Viktor Frankl chronicling his experiences as a prisoner in Nazi concentration camps during World War II, and describing his psychotherapeutic method, which involved identifying a purpose in life to f ...

''. Even though Löhner-Beda's name appeared in the Nazi ''

Encyclopedia of Jews in Music The ''Encyclopedia of Jews in Music'' (''Lexikon der Juden in der Musik'') was a Nazi-sponsored encyclopedia first published in Germany in 1940, which listed people involved in the music industry who were defined under Nazi racial laws as 'Jewish' ...

'' in 1940, his songs and the Lehár operettas were still performed (but with no mention of their librettist). The circumstances surrounding Franz Lehár possibly attempting to intercede with the Nazis on Löhner-Beda's behalf are clouded. Supposedly, after

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, Lehár denied any cognizance of Löhner-Beda's concentration-camp imprisonment, but one source states that Lehár may have tried personally to secure Hitler's guarantee of Löhner-Beda's safety. On October 17, 1942, Löhner-Beda was deported to the

Monowitz concentration camp Monowitz (also known as Monowitz-Buna, Buna and Auschwitz III) was a Nazi concentration camp and labor camp (''Arbeitslager'') run by Nazi Germany in Occupation of Poland (1939–1945), occupied Poland from 1942–1945, during World War II and t ...

, near Auschwitz. The circumstances of his murder are described in Raul Hilberg's ''

The Destruction of the European Jews ''The Destruction of the European Jews'' is a 1961 book by historian Raul Hilberg. Hilberg revised his work in 1985, and it appeared in a new three-volume edition. It is largely held to be the first comprehensive historical study of the Holocau ...

'': during an inspection by several directors of the

IG Farben Interessengemeinschaft Farbenindustrie AG (), commonly known as IG Farben (German for 'IG Dyestuffs'), was a German chemical and pharmaceutical conglomerate (company), conglomerate. Formed in 1925 from a merger of six chemical companies—BASF, ...

syndicate around

Otto Ambros Otto Ambros (19 May 1901 – 23 July 1990) was a German chemist and Nazi war criminal. He is known for his wartime work on synthetic rubber (polybutadiene, or "Buna rubber") and nerve agents (sarin and tabun). After the war he was tried at Nure ...

Fritz ter Meer Fritz ter Meer (4 July 1884 – 27 October 1967) was a German chemist, Bayer board chairman, Nazi Party member and war criminal. From 1925 to 1945 Fritz ter Meer was on the board of IG Farben AG. He was involved in the planning of Monowitz co ...

Carl Krauch Carl Krauch (7 April 1887 – 3 February 1968) was a German chemist, industrialist and Nazi war criminal. He was an executive at BASF (later IG Farben); during World War II, he was chairman of the supervisory board. He was a key implementer of t ...

, and

Heinrich Bütefisch Heinrich Bütefisch (24 February 1894, Hanover5 September 1969, Essen) was a German chemist, manager at IG Farben, and Nazi war criminal. He was an Obersturmbannführer in the SS. World War II As a leading figure in IG Farben, Bütefisch joine ...

, the already diseased Löhner-Beda was denounced as not working hard enough, for which he was beaten to death on December 4, 1942.Dein ist mein ganzes Herz (Fritz Löhner-Beda) by

Günther Schwarberg Günther Schwarberg (14 October 1926 – 3 December 2008) was a German journalist and author whose 1979 series of articles in German news magazine and subsequent book ''The SS Doctor and the Children'' brought the World War II-era war crimes commit ...

(2000) A '' Kapo'' accused of the murder in the 1968 Frankfurt Auschwitz Trial was acquitted of the charge due to lack of evidence.

Notable songs

Among the most famous songs for which he wrote the lyrics are: * "In der Bar zum Krokodil" ("In the crocodile bar"), music by Willy Engel-Berger * "Du schwarzer Zigeuner" ("You black gypsy"), tango, an adaptation of "Cikánka" by Karel Vacek * "Drunt' in der

Lobau The Lobau () is a Vienna floodplain on the northern side of the Danube in Donaustadt and partly in Großenzersdorf, Lower Austria. It has been part of the Danube-Auen National Park since 1996 and has been a protected area since 1978. It is used ...

" ("Down there in the Lobau"), music by Heinrich Strecker * "Ausgerechnet Bananen" ("Of all things bananas"), an adaptation of " Yes! We Have No Bananas" * "Ich hab' mein Herz in

Heidelberg Heidelberg (; Palatine German language, Palatine German: ''Heidlberg'') is a city in the States of Germany, German state of Baden-Württemberg, situated on the river Neckar in south-west Germany. As of the 2016 census, its population was 159,914 ...

verloren" ("I lost my heart in Heidelberg"), music by

Fred Raymond Fred Raymond aka Raimund Friedrich Vesely (20 April 1900 – 10 January 1954) was an Austrian composer. Raymond, born in Vienna, was the third child (after two daughters) of Vinzenz Vesely, an employee of the Austrian state railway system, ...

* "Oh, Donna Clara", Tango by Jerzy Petersburski * "Wo sind deine Haare, August?" ("Where is your hair, August?"),

foxtrot The foxtrot is a smooth, progressive dance characterized by long, continuous flowing movements across the dance floor. It is danced to big band (usually vocal) music. The dance is similar in its look to waltz, although the rhythm is in a tim ...

Richard Fall Richard Fall (3 April 1882 – January 1945) was an Austrian composer and conductor of Jewish descent. One of his most famous compositions is the popular ''Was machst du mit dem Knie lieber Hans''. Life Born in Jevíčko, Österreich-Ungarn, ...

* "Was machst du mit dem Knie, lieber Hans?" ("What are you doing with the knee, dear Hans?"), pasodoble by Richard Fall * " Dein ist mein ganzes Herz" ("Yours is my heart alone") from '' The Land of Smiles'' * "Freunde, das Leben ist lebenswert" ("Friends, life is worth living") from ''

'' * "Meine Lippen, sie küssen so heiß" ("My lips, they kiss so hotly") from ''Giuditta''

Filmography

* '' The Land of Smiles'', directed by Max Reichmann (Germany, 1930, based on the operetta of the same name) * '' Victoria and Her Hussar'', directed by

Richard Oswald Richard Oswald (5 November 1880 – 11 September 1963) was an Austrian film director, producer, screenwriter, and father of German-American film director Gerd Oswald. Early career Richard Oswald, born in Vienna as Richard W. Ornstein, began h ...

(Germany, 1931, based on the operetta of the same name) * '' Frederica'', directed by (Germany, 1932, based on the operetta of the same name) * ''

The Flower of Hawaii ''The Flower of Hawaii'' (German:''Die Blume von Hawaii'') is an operetta in three acts by Paul Abraham with a libretto by Alfred Grünwald, Fritz Löhner-Beda, and Imre Földes. It premiered on 24 July 1931 at the Neues Theater in Leipzig. The ...

'', directed by

(Germany, 1933, based on the operetta of the same name) * ', directed by Steve Sekely (Austria, 1935, based on the operetta of the same name) * ''

The Student's Romance ''The Student's Romance'' is a 1935 British musical film directed by Otto Kanturek and starring Grete Natzler, Patric Knowles and Carol Goodner.Wood p.88 It was based on the musical '' I Lost My Heart in Heidelberg'', and was part of a trend of ...

'', directed by

Otto Kanturek Otto W. Kanturek (27 July 1897, Vienna – 26 June 1941, Cawston, Norfolk, Cawston, Norfolk) was an Austrian, later Czechoslovakia, Czechoslovak cameraman, cinematographer and film director. Life Having trained at the Graphischen Lehr- und Versuchs ...

(UK, 1935, based on the musical ''I Lost My Heart in Heidelberg'') * ''Dschainah, das Mädchen aus dem Tanzhaus'', directed by (Austria, 1935, based on the operetta of the same name) * '' Ball at Savoy'', directed by Victor Hanbury (UK, 1936, based on the operetta of the same name) * '' I Lost My Heart in Heidelberg'', directed by

Ernst Neubach Ernst Neubach (3 January 1900 – 21 May 1968) was an Austrian screenwriter, producer and director. Biography Of Jewish descent, Neubach was a veteran of World War I, after which he worked as a master of ceremonies in Austria, Switzerland and ...

(West Germany, 1952, with the lyrics of the musical of the same name) * '' The Land of Smiles'', directed by Hans Deppe and Erik Ode (West Germany, 1952, based on the operetta of the same name) * ''

'', directed by Géza von Cziffra (West Germany, 1953, with the lyrics of the operetta of the same name) * '' Victoria and Her Hussar'', directed by Rudolf Schündler (West Germany, 1954, based on the operetta of the same name) * ', directed by

Paul Martin Paul Edgar Philippe Martin (born August 28, 1938), also known as Paul Martin Jr., is a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as the 21st prime minister of Canada and the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada from 2003 to 2006. The son o ...

(West Germany, 1955, based on the operetta of the same name) * ', directed by

Géza von Bolváry Géza von Bolváry (born Géza Gyula Mária Bolváry Zahn, german: Géza Maria von Bolváry-Zahn; 26 December 1897 – 10 August 1961) was a Hungarians, Hungarian actor, screenwriter, and film director, who worked principally in Germany and Aust ...

(West Germany, 1957, based on the operetta of the same name)

Screenwriter

* '' Let the Little Ones Come to Me'', directed by

Max Neufeld Max Neufeld (13 February 1887 – 2 December 1967) was an Austrian film director, actor and screenwriter. He directed 70 films between 1919 and 1957. He directed the 1934 film '' The Song of the Sun'', which starred Vittorio De Sica. Select ...

(Austria, 1920) *''Freut euch des Lebens'', directed by

Luise Fleck Luise Fleck, also known as Luise Kolm or Luise Kolm-Fleck, née Louise or Luise Veltée (1 August 1873–15 March 1950), was an Austrian film director, and has been considered the second ever female feature film director in the world, after A ...

and Jacob Fleck (Austria, 1920) *''Anita'', directed by

and Jacob Fleck (Austria, 1920) *''Großstadtgift'', directed by

and Jacob Fleck (Austria, 1920) *''Der Leiermann'', directed by

and Jacob Fleck (Austria, 1920) * '' Eva, The Sin'', directed by

and Jacob Fleck (Austria, 1920) *''Eine Million Dollar'', directed by

and Jacob Fleck (Austria, 1921) * ''

Light of His Life ''Light of His Life'' (German: ''Sein Lebenslicht'') is a 1921 Austrian silent film directed by Max Neufeld and starring Liane Haid, Eugen Neufeld and Karl Ehmann.Parish p.245 Cast * Liane Haid * Eugen Neufeld * Karl Ehmann Karl Ehmann (13 Au ...

'', directed by

(Austria, 1921) *''Olga Frohgemut'', directed by

and Jacob Fleck (Austria, 1922) *''

Six Girls and a Room for the Night ''Six Girls and a Room for the Night'' (German: ''Sechs Mädchen suchen Nachtquartier'') is a 1928 German silent film directed by Hans Behrendt and starring Georg Alexander, Ilse Baumann and Jenny Jugo.Grange, William. ''Cultural Chronicle of the ...

'', directed by

Hans Behrendt Hans Behrendt (28 September 1889 – 1942) was a German-Jewish actor, screenwriter and film director. He was murdered by the Nazis in Auschwitz concentration camp in 1942. Selected filmography Screenwriter * '' Catherine the Great'' (1920) ...

(Germany, 1928) *''

Fra Diavolo Fra Diavolo (lit. Brother Devil; 7 April 1771–11 November 1806), is the popular name given to Michele Pezza, a famous guerrilla leader who resisted the French occupation of Naples, proving an "inspirational practitioner of popular insurrect ...

'', directed by Mario Bonnard (1931, German adaptation of a French-Italian screenplay) *''Er und sein Diener'', directed by Steve Sekely (1931, German adaptation of a Hungarian screenplay)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Lohner-Beda, Fritz 1883 births 1942 deaths People from Ústí nad Orlicí People from the Kingdom of Bohemia Austrian Jews who died in the Holocaust Jewish Austrian writers Kabarettists Austrian operetta librettists Austrian lyricists Czech people who died in Auschwitz concentration camp Austrian civilians killed in World War II Austrian people who died in Auschwitz concentration camp 20th-century dramatists and playwrights 20th-century Austrian male writers Czech Jews who died in the Holocaust Deaths by beating in Europe

Life

Notable songs

Filmography

Screenwriter

Further reading

References

External links