Alice Herz-Sommer facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alice Herz-Sommer
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Alice Herz |
| Born | 26 November 1903 Prague, Bohemia, Austria-Hungary |
| Died | 23 February 2014 (aged 110) London, England |
| Genres | Classical music |
| Occupation(s) | Pianist, music teacher |
Alice Herz-Sommer (born November 26, 1903 – died February 23, 2014) was an amazing classical pianist and music teacher. She was born in what is now the Czech Republic. Alice lived to be 110 years old, making her one of the oldest people to survive the Holocaust.
She spent 40 years living in Israel. Later, she moved to London in 1986, where she lived until she passed away. Alice was known for her incredible strength and love for music.
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Growing Up
Alice Herz was born in Prague, a city that was then part of Austria-Hungary. Her parents were Friedrich and Sofie Herz. Her family was part of a small group of German-speaking Jewish people in Prague. Alice also spoke Czech.
Her father was a businessman. Her mother was very smart and knew many famous writers. Alice had two sisters, including a twin named Mariana, and two brothers. Her parents often hosted cultural gatherings at their home. As a child, Alice met famous writers like Franz Kafka and Franz Werfel. She also met composers like Gustav Mahler and thinkers like Sigmund Freud.
Alice once said that Kafka was a bit unusual. He would visit her home and talk with her mother about his writing. He was a quiet person who loved nature. Alice remembered going on trips with him outside Prague. He would tell them stories while they sat on a bench.
Alice's older sister, Irma, taught her how to play the piano. Alice worked very hard at it. A family friend, the famous pianist Artur Schnabel, encouraged her to become a professional musician. She decided to follow his advice.
Alice studied piano with Václav Štěpán and at the German Academy of Music in Prague. She was the youngest student there. In 1931, Alice married Leopold Sommer, who was a businessman and loved music. They had a son named Stephan, who later became known as Raphael.
Alice started giving concerts and becoming well-known across Europe. But then, the Nazis took control of Prague. They did not allow Jewish people to perform in public. They also could not join music competitions or teach non-Jewish students.
World War II and Survival
After Germany took over Czechoslovakia, most of Alice's family and friends left for Israel. This included her brother-in-law, Felix Weltsch. But Alice stayed in Prague to take care of her sick mother, Sofie, who was 72. Sadly, both Alice and her mother were arrested. Her mother was later killed in a concentration camp.
In July 1943, Alice was sent to Theresienstadt. This was a concentration camp. There, she played in more than 100 concerts. She performed music by famous composers like Beethoven, Bach, and Chopin. She played for both prisoners and guards.
Alice said that playing music in the camp was very important. She explained that they had to play when the Red Cross visited. The Germans wanted to show that Jewish people were doing well in Theresienstadt. Alice felt happy when she knew she had a concert. She said, "Music is magic."
She added that they played for 150 old, sick, and hungry people. "They lived for the music," she said. "It was like food to them. If they hadn't come [to hear us], they would have died long before. As we would have."
Alice and her son lived together in the camp. Raphael was one of the few children who survived Theresienstadt. Sadly, Alice's husband died from a disease called typhus in Dachau. This happened just six weeks before the camp was freed.
Life After the War
After the Soviet army freed Theresienstadt in 1945, Alice and Raphael went back to Prague. In March 1949, they moved to Israel. There, she was reunited with some of her family who had survived, including her twin sister, Mariana.
Alice lived in Israel for almost 40 years. She worked as a music teacher at the Jerusalem Academy of Music. In 1986, she moved to London.
In London, Alice Herz-Sommer lived in a small apartment. Her close friends, her grandson Ariel, and her daughter-in-law Genevieve visited her almost every day. She continued to practice piano for three hours a day until the end of her life.
Alice believed that being optimistic was the secret to her long life. She said, "I look at the good. When you are relaxed, your body is always relaxed." She also said, "It is up to us whether we look at the good or the bad. When you are nice to others, they are nice to you. When you give, you receive."
She also strongly believed in the power of music. "Music saved my life and music saves me still," she said. "I am Jewish, but Beethoven is my religion."
Her son Raphael became a talented cellist and conductor. He passed away in 2001 at age 64. He died in Israel after a concert tour. He left behind his wife and two sons.
Alice Herz-Sommer died in a hospital in London on February 23, 2014. She was 110 years old. Her grandson, Ariel Sommer, confirmed her death. She is buried in the St Pancras and Islington Cemetery in north London.
Throughout her long life, Alice Herz-Sommer always said: "I am still grateful for life. Life is a present."
Books and Films
Many things have been written and filmed about Alice Herz-Sommer's amazing life.
A book called A Century of Wisdom: Lessons From the Life of Alice Herz-Sommer the World's Oldest Living Holocaust Survivor was published in 2012. It has been translated into 26 languages. Another book about her life was first published in German in 2005. It was later reprinted in English as Alice's Piano.
The BBC TV channel made a documentary about her called Alice Sommer Herz at 106: Everything Is a Present. It was shown on BBC Four. She was also featured on BBC Radio 4 and in newspapers like The Times and The Guardian. She was one of two people featured in a film called Refuge in Music.
A short film called The Lady in Number 6 was made when Alice was 109 years old. This film tells her life story and won an Academy Award for Best Short Documentary.
A song called "Dancing Under the Gallows" was written about Alice Herz-Sommer. It is by the musicians Chris While and Julie Matthews.
Images for kids
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Alice Herz-Sommer
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Pianists Alice Herz-Sommer (left) and Luiza Borac in London (2010)
See also
In Spanish: Alice Herz-Sommer para niños
