Patrick Bade
The Composers of Terezín
Summary
Theresienstadt was a concentration camp during World War II, however, it was not a death camp like Auschwitz or Treblinka. Instead, the Nazis used it as part of an elaborate deception to portray it as a relatively pleasant place to the outside world, aiming to downplay the horrors of the Holocaust. Patrick Bade discusses the cultural life of the camp, particularly its musical aspects, as Theresienstadt briefly became a cultural hub for over two years.
Patrick Bade
Patrick Bade is a historian, writer, and broadcaster. He studied at UCL and the Courtauld Institute of Art. He was a senior lecturer at Christie’s Education for many years and has worked for the Art Fund, Royal Opera House, National Gallery, and V&A. He has published on 19th- and early 20th-century paintings and historical vocal recordings. His latest book is Music Wars: 1937–1945.
I think they cannot have wanted to know. The first visit was from the German Red Cross, so we can be fairly sure that they were controlled by the Nazis and wouldn’t have wanted to know the truth.
It’s interesting. People treasured these scores and must have been brought into the camp. People took their most treasured possessions so someone must have brought a score of Verdi “Requiem.”