Mädchenorchester von Auschwitz | |
Type | Prison orchestra |
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Location | |
Coordinates | 50°02′09″N 19°10′42″E / 50.03583°N 19.17833°E |
Period | April 1943 – October 1944 |
Conductors | |
Notable players |
The Women's Orchestra of Auschwitz (Mädchenorchester von Auschwitz; lit. "Girls' Orchestra of Auschwitz") was formed by order of the SS in 1943, during the Holocaust, in the Auschwitz II-Birkenau extermination camp in German-occupied Poland.[1][2] Active for 19 months—from April 1943 until October 1944—the orchestra consisted of mostly young female Jewish and Slavic prisoners, of varying nationalities, who would rehearse for up to ten hours a day to play music regarded as helpful in the daily running of the camp. They also held a concert every Sunday for the SS.[3]
A member of the orchestra, Fania Fénelon, published her experiences as an autobiography, Sursis pour l'orchestre (1976),[4] which appeared in English as Playing for Time (1977).[5] The book was the basis of a television film of the same name in 1980, written by Arthur Miller.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) First published in English as Fenelon, Fania; Routier, Marcelle (1977). Playing for Time. New York: Berkley Books. ISBN 9780425067567.