“The Auschwitz Women’s Orchestra – A Story of Survival” is the latest book by British writer Anne Sebba. It tells the exciting story of how dozens of women have escaped death in Auschwitz thanks to music.
When asking to play violin before being subjected to a scientific experience in Auschwitz’s extermination field, Rosé Alma escaped not only an almost certain death but saved dozens of other women.
This is a conviction of the author of the book “The Women’s Orchestra of Auschwitz – a story of survival”, published in the United Kingdom and whose Portuguese edition will come out in April by Planeta publisher.
“She didn’t consider herself Jewish, but decided to save as many Jews as possible,” he said Anne severityduring the book’s presentation in London.
Austrian Jewish professional violinist, niece of composer Gustav Mahler And a member of a family with tradition in music, he arrived at the Auschwitz field in 1943 and was initially selected for a “scientific pseudo-experience” on female sterilization.
As a last wish, Alma Rosé asked to play violin.
His talent was soon recognized and was transferred to Auschwitz-Birkenau, to directing the female orchestra hitherto led by zopia czajkowskaan old Polish teacher who had convinced the guards that she was related to the composer Tchaikovsky – which was not true.
Between mid -1943 to April 1944, when he died suddenly at age 37, allegedly food poisoning, Alma Rosé drove with Iron Hands the Orchestra, the only female among multiple male sets.
Thanks to her, the group of about 40 women from various nationalitiesfrom French, Belgians, Polacas or Greek, It was spared manual work and benefited from more favorable conditions compared to other prisoners.
His job was to play at dawn and make the other captive march more quickly to work and come back at the end of the day, always in five lines, making them easier to tell.
On other occasions, played next to the train platform to “calm” the newcomers or Entered the German officers.
Sebba writes that Rosé knew the orchestra “was a board of salvation” And “he often said: either we play well, or we will be dead.”
40 special women
The group rehearsed for many consecutive hours, with little food and in a cold pavilion, despite having a benefited status, as they lived in a separate space, had their own bed, blanket and inner clothing and did not have to do manual work.
“I don’t think the food was very different, and they worked nonstop, but the greatest privilege that she [Alma Rosé] gave them it was hopethe hope that they could survive, ”said Sebba, in the presentation of the book, where Lusa was present.
The conductor was the only one that did not survive among about 40 women who formed that orchestra, some of which lived until 100 years.
Several followed artistic careers, others were traumatized.
British author interviewed two survivors, Hilde Grünbaum (1923-2024), but deceased, and Anita Lasker-Wallfischcurrently 99, residing in London.
Another survivor, Esther Loewy (1924-2021), who after marrying began to use the nickname Bejarano, even visited Portugal a year before death, at the invitation of the German school of Lisbon.
For Anne Sebba, “They are all heroines” Because they escaped the abuse and attempt to exterminate Nazis thanks not only to musical talents, but also to the survival instinct and the team spirit, “never losing the moral compass.”
