Fritz Weiss

Life

White was early a swing fan and played the trumpet when he was still a student at the International English Grammar School in Prague. When, after the occupation by the Nazis in 1939, many schools and universities were closed, were students from many professional jazz musicians. The Emil Ludvik band whose musical director and arranger Weiss was secretly ( as a Jew he could not be officially occur and not even public), emerged from these students and school bands. The band made 1941 recordings with the arrangements of white. 1942 Weiss was deported to Theresienstadt, but could maintain contact with his old band in Prague and exchange arrangements. In the ghetto Theresienstadt, he founded the "Ghetto Swingers " in which even former teammates from Prague were. The toleration of such cultural activities in Theresienstadt should pretend visitors from abroad humane conditions of detention in concentration camps. For the 1944 in Theresienstadt under the direction of Kurt Gerron, a film shot, the later as "The Führer Gives the Jews a City" was known, played the "Ghetto Swingers " on the music.

In the "Ghetto Swingers " played Pavel Kohn, Gokkes and Erich Vogel trumpet, trombone Fritz Taussig, Fritz Weiss clarinet, alto saxophone Vodňanský, Donde tenor saxophone, bass Pavel Libeňský, Nettl Piano, Goldschmidt Frenta guitar and Coco Schumann drums. Moreover, in the course of time were still playing with the pianist Brammer, the drummer Kurt Bauer, bassist Fasal, Fredy Mautner on trombone (1943 ), Langer on clarinet and tenor saxophone, Jetti Kantor ( violin ) and Fredy Haber ( tenor).

1944 Weiss was deported to Auschwitz. Allegedly, he joined in the selection on the ramp his old father, who was sent as " unable to work " in the gas chambers.

As the successor to White 1944 Martin Roman was in charge, who is also a cabaret program for Theresienstadt wrote ( "Carousel ").

Discography

• In Defiance of Fate - Compositions arranged by Fritz Weiss for the Emil Ludvik Orchestra, Jewish Museum in Prague (30 Recordings 1940-1941 )