Frida Weber-Flessburg

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Frida Weber-Flessburg
Stolperstein , Hektorstrasse 3, in Berlin-Halensee

Frida Weber-Flessburg (birth name: Frieda or Frida Weber ; born November 16, 1890 in Krakow ; † January 30, 1943 (?) In Auschwitz concentration camp ) was a German opera singer ( soprano ) who had her career high point around 1930 and during of the Holocaust was murdered by the National Socialists in Auschwitz.

Life

Frida (Frieda) Weber comes from a wealthy Krakow family. At the age of 17, she began studying singing, declamation and opera at the Stern Conservatory in Berlin . Her singing teacher was the tenor Nikolaus Rothmühl, and she learned declamation from Hans or Bruno Tuerschmann (both taught at the conservatory at the same time).

It is unknown whether and where Frida Weber started a stage career. However, a stage map of the then 21-year-olds already existed from 1911. She only became really known after marrying the popular Berlin singer Alexander Flessburg . Under the name Frida Weber-Flessburg she appeared on the radio and sang about records. The book Künstler am Rundfunk dedicates a page with a photo to the singer, who has “made a name for herself over the years”. Among the numerous recordings there are opera arias (e.g. from La Bohème by Giacomo Puccini and Martha by Friedrich von Flotow ), operetta melodies ( e.g. from The Merry Widow by Franz Lehár ), songs ( Plain Wise Men by Max Reger ) and also popular hits at the time (such as I am set for love from head to toe by Friedrich Hollaender ). She sang duets from The Dear Augustin by Leo Fall with her husband Alexander Flessburg ( Anna, what about you? ) And with Max Kuttner ( And the sky is full of violins and Where is that written? ). Even Max Mensing one of her duet partners. With him she sang, among other things, the duet I want to marry! from the movie Girls to Marry . She and her husband parodied this song in the recording You must marry! - A funny modern hit parody , where she could also show her comic talent. Incidentally, both the first name version “Frida” and “Frieda” appear on the plate labels.

In 1933 everything changed. As a Jew, Frida Weber-Flessburg was banned from performing. Her name appeared in the denunciating lexicon of Jews in music . Her marriage to Alexander Flessburg broke up (when exactly is unknown). A daughter, Ruth, was able to flee from the National Socialists to Switzerland. Alexander Flessburg, who had not made common himself with the regime, died in 1942 at the age of 59.

After the outbreak of World War II , Frida Weber-Flessburg had to work as a solderer in an armaments factory. On the night of January 18-19, 1943, she and two other residents of the house were picked up by the Gestapo from their apartment at 3 Hektorstrasse in Berlin . She had to spend ten days in the assembly camp on Grosse Hamburger Strasse before she was shipped from the Moabit freight yard on January 29 , along with 1004 other people, to the Auschwitz extermination camp , 570 kilometers away . Immediately after their arrival, 724 of these people, including Frida Weber-Flessburg, were killed in the gas chambers at Auschwitz-Birkenau . In honor of the murdered singer, a stumbling block was laid on May 8, 2012 at her former home in Berlin .

Discography

  • Frida Weber-Flessburg - Opera Operetta Lied Schlager , CD, published by the Frida-Leider- Gesellschaft, Berlin 2012

Web links

Commons : Frida Weber-Flessburg  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files
  • Frida Weber-Flessburg with Georg Walden and the Otto Dobrindt Orchestra : Old Vienna in song and dance . YouTube
  • Frida Weber-Flessburg with Max Mensing and the Parlophone Dance Orchestra: I want to get married! YouTube
  • Frida Weber-Flessburg with orchestra: I niec wiecej (I'm in love from head to toe) walc angl. (Fr. Hollaender) z filmu dzw. “Blękniti anici”, spiewa po niem. Frida Weber-Flessburg z akomp. orkiestry. Syrena Electro 6625 (mx. 21 422) - 1930 YouTube
  • Frida Weber-Flessburg, photo in the pocket album "Artists on the radio" by 1932 (p. 134) [1]

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ According to information from the capital city portal Berlin.de, Frida Weber Flessburg was sent to the Auschwitz extermination camp on that day, along with another 1,000 people. She was probably sent to the gas chamber immediately. There is no official death certificate.
  2. ↑ Universität der Künste Berlin, personal database of the Stern Conservatory. Only "Tuerschmann" is given as Frida Weber's teacher in the database.
  3. ^ Artists on the radio. A pocket album for the magazine “Der deutsche Rundfunk”, Rothgießer & Diesing AG, Berlin 1932
personal data
SURNAME Weber-Flessburg, Frida
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Weber-Flessburg, Frieda; Weber, Frida
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German opera singer (soprano)
DATE OF BIRTH November 16, 1890
PLACE OF BIRTH Krakow
DATE OF DEATH January 30, 1943
Place of death Auschwitz concentration camp