Ghetto Swingers facts for kids
The Ghetto Swingers was a jazz band that played music in a place called Theresienstadt. This was a special kind of prison camp set up by the Nazis during World War II. Even in such a difficult place, these musicians found a way to create and perform jazz music.
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How the Band Started
The band began as a group of amateur Czech musicians. They played in a café within the Theresienstadt camp. The first leaders were Eric Vogel and Pavel Libensky. Vogel even asked the camp's commander for permission to have the band.
Some of the first musicians included:
- Dr. Brammer on piano
- Dr. Kurt Bauer on drums
- Fr. Goldschmidt on guitar
- Fasal on bass
- Ing. Vogel on trumpet
- Langer on tenor saxophone and clarinet
- Fr. Mautner on trombone
Famous Musicians Join
Later, a very famous jazz pianist named Martin Roman arrived at Theresienstadt. He was asked to become the leader of the Ghetto Swingers. The band became a big part of the camp's entertainment. They performed in a show called Karussell, which means "Carousel."
The Ghetto Swingers played more than fifty times. Many of their performances happened in June and July of 1944. These shows were put together by Kurt Gerron, who was a talented director. He helped find the best artists in the camp. Both Martin Roman and Kurt Gerron were sent to Theresienstadt because they were considered "artists."
Playing for a Film
After a group called the Red Cross visited the camp, the camp commander, Karl Rahm, asked Kurt Gerron to make a special film. This film was made to trick people outside the camp. It was a propaganda film that tried to make Theresienstadt look like a nice place.
The film shows the Ghetto Swingers playing music. They performed on a wooden stage in the town's main square. This stage was originally built for another orchestra.
What Happened to the Musicians
After the camp was closed, many of the band members were sent to another, even more dangerous camp called Auschwitz. Sadly, many of them did not survive.
However, some did. Martin Roman, the band leader, survived. So did the guitarist Coco Schumann. But Kurt Gerron, who organized the shows, and the clarinet player Bedřich "Fritz" Weiss did not survive.
Band Members and Instruments
In 1997, Coco Schumann wrote a book about his life. It included a photo of the Ghetto Swingers. This photo showed many of the musicians who played in the band.
Some of the members included:
- Martin Roman (piano)
- Coco Schumann (guitar)
- Fritz Weiss (clarinet and saxophone)
- Fritz Goldschmidt (guitar)
- Nettl (accordion)
- Jetti Kantor and Ratner (violin)
- Josef Taussig (trombone)
- Kohn, Chokkes, and Erich Vogel (trumpet)
- Donde (tenor saxophone)
- Pavel Libensky (double bass)
- Fredy Haber (tenor)
Some of these musicians also played in another group called the Jazz-Quintet-Weiss.
See also
- Swingjugend
- Women's Orchestra of Auschwitz
- Charlie and his Orchestra
