Language:
English
Year of publication:
2020
Titel der Quelle:
Refugees from Nazi-Occupied Europe in British Overseas Territories
Angaben zur Quelle:
(2020) 141-158
Keywords:
Baer, Werner,
;
Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945)
;
Jewish refugees
;
Jewish musicians Biography
;
Singapore
Abstract:
Werner Baer, born in 1914 in Berlin, had originally planned a career as an opera conductor. But the assumption of power of the Nazis made it impossible for him to further his musical education and restricted his public appearances to Jewish audiences. Following the so-called ‘Kristallnacht’ of 9/10 November 1938, Baer was taken to Sachsenhausen concentration camp. After his release, he fled with his wife to Singapore, where he was soon to become the most prominent of the local refugee musicians. His regular municipal organ concerts at the Victoria Memorial Hall, in particular, were highly successful. This very productive period ended when, in September 1940, Werner Baer and his family were interned as ‘enemy aliens’ and deported aboard the Queen Mary to Australia. Based on Singapore press articles, this paper focuses on the organ recitals and seeks to discover the reasons for Baer’s success. Other aspects examined include how the ongoing war influenced the programmes and the reactions of the audiences; what happened to the organ after Baer’s departure; and how Baer is remembered in Singapore today.
DOI:
10.1163/9789004399532_009
URL:
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