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Alice Herz-Sommer, who has died at the age of 110. She spent
two years in the Theresienstadt concentration camp. |
THE GUARDIAN:
Concert pianist said that optimism and discipline helped her survive two years in concentration camp
Tributes have been paid to Alice Herz-Sommer, a renowned concert pianist who was believed to have been the world's oldest known Holocaust survivor, after she died in London at the age of 110.
She was born into a German-speaking Jewish family in Prague at a time when it was part of the Austro-Hungarian empire, and endured the city's ghetto following the Nazi invasion of Czechoslovakia. She then spent two years in Theresienstadt (Terezín) concentration camp, where nearly 35,000 prisoners perished.
In an extraordinary life, which was the subject of film nominated for the best short documentary at next Sunday night's Academy Awards, she counted Franz Kafka as a family friend when she was young and carried a devotion to music that sustained her in the camp.
She died in a hospital on Sunday morning after being admitted on Friday, according to her family. Her grandson, Ariel Sommer, said: "Alice Sommer passed away peacefully this morning with her family by her bedside.
"Much has been written about her, but to those of us who knew her best, she was our dear 'Gigi'. She loved us, laughed with us, and cherished music with us.
"She was an inspiration and our world will be significantly poorer without her by our side. We mourn her loss and ask for privacy in this very difficult moment."
» | Ben Quinn | Sunday, February 23, 2014
THE GUARDIAN:
'Life is beautiful': A renowned concert pianist and a survivor of the Nazi concentration camps, Alice Herz-Sommer has packed a lot into her 103 years. And despite the tragedy of losing most of her family in the Holocaust, she remains resolutely optimistic, she tells Alan Rusbridger » | Alan Rusbridger | Wednesday, December 13, 2006
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH:
Holocaust survivor dies aged 110: Alice Herz-Sommer, who lived in London and was originally from Prague, was confined in a concentration camp in Germany during the Second World War » | News agencies | Monday, February 24, 2014
DIE WELT:
Älteste Holocaust-Überlebende mit 110 gestorben: Während des NS-Regimes wurde Alice Herz-Sommer in Theresienstadt interniert, wo sie für das ganze Lager Klavierkonzerte organisierte. Ihr Talent rettete ihr das Leben. Nun ist die Pianistin gestorben. » | AFP/dpa/KNA/cbo | Montag, 24. Februar 2014
LE FIGARO:
La plus vieille survivante de la Shoah est morte » | Par Lefigaro.fr avec l’AFP | lundi 24 février 2014
YNET NEWS:
Oldest known Holocaust survivor passes away: Surviving through music and optimism: Alice Herz-Sommer, a pianist forced to play concerts for Nazis and subject of an Oscar nominated short subject documentary, dies at the age 110. » | Michal Margalit | Sunday, February 23, 2014
A few precious moments with Alice… More wonderfulness with Alice Herz-Sommer. We had such an overwhelming response to our 1-min video of Alice, the 109-year old Holocaust survivor, who shared her optimistic philosophy of life, that we looked for more footage to share about this wonderful, amazing, wise, strong women.
Here's an interview with Anthony Robbins from a year or so ago -- and it's a little treasure: we can hear Alice talk about her ideas, and philosophy of life; there are archival photos of the Holocaust years, and Alice as a younger woman. We can also see Alice playing piano.
Alice survived the concentration camps through her music, her optimism and her gratitude for the small things that came her way - a smile, a kind word, the sun. When asked about the secret of her longevity, Alice says: "I look where it is good."
This film is life-affirming in its deepest meaning.
Life is short. It's a gift. Remember what's of value.
To cherish life, to be loved. And mostly: To have love in your heart.
Join our community where Everyone Matters! here
Alice Herz-Sommer – The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life – Official Trailer
The Lady in Number 6 is one of the most inspirational stories ever told. 109 year old, Alice Herz-Sommer, the world's oldest pianist and oldest holocaust survivor, shares her views on how to live a long happy life. She discusses the vital importance of music, laughter and having an optimistic outlook on life. This powerfully inspirational video tells her amazing story of survival and how she managed to use her time in a Nazi concentration camp to empower herself and others with music.
NickReedent.com »
