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

librettist A libretto (From the Italian word , ) is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major ...

lyricist A lyricist is a writer 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 derives ...

and

writer A writer is a person who uses written words in different writing styles, genres and techniques to communicate ideas, to inspire feelings and emotions, or to entertain. Writers may develop different forms of writing such as novels, short sto ...

. 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 ( ; ; ) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. In a narrow, geographic sense, it roughly encompasses the territories of present-day Czechia that fall within the Elbe River's drainage basin, but historic ...

(present-day Ústí nad Orlicí,

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

) in 1883. In 1888, his family moved to

Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...

, and in 1896 changed their surname to the less Jewish surname Löhner. Having passed his

Matura or its translated terms (''mature'', ''matur'', , , , , ', ) is a Latin name for the secondary school exit exam or "maturity diploma" in various European countries, including Albania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech ...

exams, he began the study of law at the

University of Vienna The University of Vienna (, ) is a public university, public research university in Vienna, Austria. Founded by Rudolf IV, Duke of Austria, Duke Rudolph IV in 1365, it is the oldest university in the German-speaking world and among the largest ...

, 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, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

player, he was among the founders of the Hakoah Vienna 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 or nom-de-plume 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 name may be used to make the author's na ...

"Beda", a shortened version of his

Czech Czech may refer to: * Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe ** Czech language ** Czechs, the people of the area ** Czech culture ** Czech cuisine * One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus *Czech (surnam ...

first name, Bedřich (Frederick). In 1913, he met

Franz Lehár Franz Lehár ( ; ; 30 April 1870 – 24 October 1948) was an Austro-Hungarian composer. He is mainly known for his operettas, of which the most successful and best known is '' The Merry Widow'' (''Die lustige Witwe''). Life and career L ...

, 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 or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, 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, Ludwig Herzer 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'' (1934). Together with his friend Alfred Grünwald as co-author and Paul Abraham as composer, Löhner-Beda produced '' Viktoria und ihr Husar'' (''Victoria and Her Hussar'', 1930), '' Die Blume von Hawaii'' (''The Flower of Hawaii'', 1931), and '' Ball im Savoy'' (''Ball at the Savoy'', 1932). On 1 April 1938, almost immediately after the ''

Anschluss The (, or , ), also known as the (, ), was the annexation of the Federal State of Austria into Nazi Germany on 12 March 1938. The idea of an (a united Austria and Germany that would form a "German Question, Greater Germany") arose after t ...

'' (the annexation of Austria by

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...

, in mid-March 1938), Fritz Löhner-Beda was arrested and deported to the Dachau concentration camp. On 23 September 1938 he was transferred to the

Buchenwald concentration camp Buchenwald (; 'beech forest') was a German Nazi concentration camp established on Ettersberg hill near Weimar, Nazi Germany, Germany, in July 1937. It was one of the first and the largest of the concentration camps within the Altreich (pre-1938 ...

. There, together with his fellow prisoner Hermann Leopoldi at the end of 1938, he composed the famous anthem of the

concentration camp A concentration camp is a prison or other facility used for the internment of political prisoners or politically targeted demographics, such as members of national or ethnic minority groups, on the grounds of national security, or for exploitati ...

, ''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 neurologist, psychologist, philosopher, and The Holocaust, Holocaust survivor, who founded logotherapy, a school of psychotherapy that describes a search for a life's mean ...

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 to eac ...

''. Even though Löhner-Beda's name appeared in the Nazi '' Encyclopedia of Jews in Music'' 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 (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, 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 17 October 1942 Löhner-Beda was deported to the Monowitz concentration camp, near Auschwitz. The circumstances of his murder are described in Raul Hilberg's '' The Destruction of the European Jews'': during an inspection by several directors of the

IG Farben I. G. Farbenindustrie AG, commonly known as IG Farben, was a German Chemical industry, chemical and Pharmaceutical industry, pharmaceutical conglomerate (company), conglomerate. It was formed on December 2, 1925 from a merger of six chemical co ...

syndicate around Otto Ambros, Fritz ter Meer, Carl Krauch, and Heinrich Bütefisch, the already diseased Löhner-Beda was denounced as not working hard enough, for which he was beaten to death on 4 December 1942.Dein ist mein ganzes Herz (Fritz Löhner-Beda) by Günther Schwarberg (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" ("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 (; ; ) is the List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, fifth-largest city in the States of Germany, German state of Baden-Württemberg, and with a population of about 163,000, of which roughly a quarter consists of studen ...

verloren" ("I lost my heart in Heidelberg"), music by Fred Raymond * "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 time ...

by Richard Fall * "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 '' Giuditta'' * "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 life and career Richard Oswald, born in Vienna as Richard W. Ornstein, ...

(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'', directed by

(Germany, 1933, based on the operetta of the same name) * '' Ball im Savoy'', 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 (musical), I Lost My Heart in He ...

'', 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 Versuch ...

(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 (West Germany, 1952, with the lyrics of the musical of the same name) * '' The Land of Smiles'', directed by

Hans Deppe Hans Deppe (; 12 November 1897 – 23 September 1969) was a German actor and film director. Filmography As director As actor References External links

* 1897 births 1969 deaths German male film actors German television dire ...

and Erik Ode (West Germany, 1952, based on the operetta of the same name) * '' The Flower of Hawaii'', directed by

Géza von Cziffra Géza von Cziffra (; 19 December 1900 – 28 April 1989) was a Hungarian and Austrian film director and screenwriter. Life Cziffra was a Banat German in origin, born in 1900 in Arad, Romania, Arad in the Banat region, at that date in the King ...

(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) * '' Ball im Savoy'', directed by

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

(West Germany, 1955, based on the operetta of the same name) * ', directed by Géza von Bolváry (West Germany, 1957, based on the operetta of the same name)

Screenwriter

* '' Let the Little Ones Come to Me'', directed by Max Neufeld (Austria, 1920) *''Freut euch des Lebens'', directed by Luise Fleck and

Jacob Fleck Jacob Fleck (8 November 1881 in Vienna as Jacob Julius Fleck – 19 September 1953, also in Vienna) was an Austrian film director, screenwriter, film producer and cameraman. He is noted for his long-standing professional partnership with his wife ...

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

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

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

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

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

(Austria, 1921) * '' Light of His Life'', directed by Max Neufeld (Austria, 1921) *''Olga Frohgemut'', directed by Luise Fleck and

(Austria, 1922) *'' Six Girls and a Room for the Night'', directed by Hans Behrendt (Germany, 1928) *'' Fra Diavolo'', directed by

Mario Bonnard Mario Bonnard (24 December 1889 – 22 March 1965) was an Italian actor and film director. Career Bonnard was born and died in Rome. He began his cinematic career as an actor becoming a popular romantic lead in numerous silent films made befo ...

(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