ŽENSKI ORKESTAR AUŠVICA I ALMA ROZE

Abstract

This paper focuses on one of the most important orch estras formed in the camps during the Second World War – the Auschwitz Women’s Orchestra. Formed in April 1943, this orchestra was active for nineteen months, until October 1944. During that time, a large number of professional and amateur musicians passed through the orchestra, and a few of them, who survived,left written and oral testimonies about the orchestra, as well as about everything that was important for its functioning and role in the camp. Among the names of those inmates who, in fact, continued their professional music in the Auschwitz orchestra, the name of Alma Rose (1906-1944) stands out. This Austrian violinist, with an exceptional career, was part of a notable musical family. Her father was the first violin of the Vienna Philharmonic for almost half a century, and her uncle was the great Austrian composer Gustav Mahler. Alma Rose, unfortunately, was the last of those in her family who suffered from anti-Semitism in different ways. As music in the camps has rarely been written about in our language until now - the work represents the actualization of this topic in written discourse. The topic is doubly important: on the one hand, the intention is to shed light on the existence and functioning of one of the most important orchestras in the camps, while on the other hand – the significant personality of Alma Rose is presented.