Fritz Löhner-Beda facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Fritz Löhner-Beda
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| Born | Bedřich Löwy 24 June 1883 Wildenschwert, Bohemia, Austria-Hungary |
| Died | 4 December 1942 (aged 59) Monowitz concentration camp, Occupied-Poland |
| Occupation | Librettist, lyricist, writer |
| Language | German |
| Nationality | Austrian |
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Fritz Löhner-Beda (born Bedřich Löwy) was an Austrian writer, who created words for songs and stage plays. He was born on June 24, 1883, and died on December 4, 1942. Many of his songs are still popular today, even though he was almost forgotten for a time. He was killed in the Auschwitz III Monowitz concentration camp during World War II.
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His Early Life and Career
Fritz Löhner-Beda was born Bedřich Löwy in a place called Wildenschwert, which is now part of the Czech Republic. This was in 1883. When he was five, his family moved to Vienna, the capital of Austria. In 1896, his family changed their last name to Löhner.
After finishing school, he studied law at the University of Vienna. He also loved soccer and helped start the Hakoah Vienna sports club in 1909.
In 1910, Löhner-Beda decided to become a writer. He wrote many funny stories, poems, and song lyrics. He also wrote for newspapers, often using the pen name "Beda." This name was a shorter version of his first name, Bedřich.
In 1913, he met the famous composer Franz Lehár. Löhner-Beda wrote the words for Lehár's operetta Der Sterngucker (The Stargazer). An operetta is like a small opera with singing and speaking. In 1918, he served in World War I. After the war, he became strongly against war.
Becoming a Famous Writer
In the 1920s, Löhner-Beda became one of the most popular writers of song lyrics and operetta stories in Vienna. He worked with Franz Lehár and other writers to create famous operettas. These included Friederike (1928) and The Land of Smiles (1929). He also wrote Giuditta (1934).
He also worked with his friend Alfred Grünwald and composer Paul Abraham. Together, they created popular operettas like Viktoria und ihr Husar (Victoria and Her Hussar, 1930) and Die Blume von Hawaii (The Flower of Hawaii, 1931).
Life During World War II
In March 1938, Nazi Germany took control of Austria. This event was called the Anschluss. Soon after, on April 1, 1938, Fritz Löhner-Beda was arrested. He was sent to the Dachau concentration camp. Later, he was moved to the Buchenwald concentration camp in September 1938.
While in Buchenwald, he wrote a famous song called Das Buchenwaldlied ("The Buchenwald Song"). He wrote it with another prisoner, Hermann Leopoldi. The song talks about not forgetting Buchenwald and how wonderful freedom is. It also says, "we nevertheless shall say 'yes' to life." This line was later used by a Holocaust survivor named Viktor Frankl for his famous book, Man's Search for Meaning.
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O Buchenwald, ich kann dich nicht vergessen, |
O Buchenwald, I cannot forget you, |
Even though Löhner-Beda was in a concentration camp, his songs were still performed. However, his name was not mentioned. Some people believe that Franz Lehár might have tried to help Löhner-Beda.
On October 17, 1942, Löhner-Beda was moved to the Monowitz concentration camp, which was near Auschwitz. He was murdered there on December 4, 1942.
Famous Songs
Here are some of the most famous songs for which Fritz Löhner-Beda wrote the lyrics:
- "In der Bar zum Krokodil" ("In the crocodile bar")
- "Du schwarzer Zigeuner" ("You black gypsy")
- "Drunt' in der Lobau" ("Down there in the Lobau")
- "Ausgerechnet Bananen" ("Of all things bananas")
- "Ich hab' mein Herz in Heidelberg verloren" ("I lost my heart in Heidelberg")
- "Oh, Donna Clara"
- "Wo sind deine Haare, August?" ("Where is your hair, August?")
- "Was machst du mit dem Knie, lieber Hans?" ("What are you doing with the knee, dear Hans?")
- "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
His Works in Film
Many of Fritz Löhner-Beda's operettas were made into films. These include movies based on The Land of Smiles, Victoria and Her Hussar, and The Flower of Hawaii. His songs and stories continue to be enjoyed by audiences today.
