La N
2008-10-19 03:12:33 UTC
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,24515276-661,00.html
A MELBOURNE Holocaust survivor who survived Hitler's death camps by playing
the accordion and was made famous by the movie Schindler's List has died,
aged 90.
Leo Rosner was well known in Melbourne musical circles.
He found fame late in life after the Australian novelist Thomas Kenneally's
book, Schindler's Ark, became a Steven Spielberg movie.
His survival story was portrayed in the film and he appeared in the
epilogue, filmed at Schindler's Israel memorial.
His daughter, Anna Rosner Blay, said her father had suffered from
Alzheimer's disease in his final years, but his musical memory had never
deserted him.
"Earlier this year he played at his 65th wedding anniversary," she said.
Mr Rosner was born into a musical family in Krakow, Poland, in 1918 and was
a successful cabaret artist when Hitler occupied Poland in 1939.
In 1943, he and wife Helen were transported separately to Plaszow
concentration camp, where Mr Rosner was forced to play his accordion for the
notorious commandant Amon Goeth, depicted in the film by Ralph Fiennes.
His playing brought him to the attention of Oskar Schindler, who arranged
for Mr Rosner to be moved to his enamelling factory in Brinnlitz,
Czechoslovakia, in 1945.
That undoubtedly saved his life, but Mrs Rosner was sent to Auschwitz.
Mr Rosner persuaded Schindler to use every means at his disposal to save his
wife from the camp, which he was able to do, eventually re-uniting them in
Brinnlitz, where they stayed until the end of the war.
The Rosners migrated to Melbourne, where Mr Rosner established himself as a
musician, performing at the head of his 12-piece band.
He was still playing well into his 80s.
The Rosners had two daughters, Anna, and her sister, Frances.
At his funeral last Sunday at Chevra Kadisha in Springvale, grandson Danny
Bray recalled his grandfather as a wonderful musician.
"Papa reportedly knew 70,000 songs," he said.
"If he didn't know it by name, one only needed to hum a few bars and he'd be
off -- in the key you hummed it in.
"To survive the tough Melbourne music business, he had to adapt -- not only
did he pick up some of the traditional Australian tunes, but all of the
footy club songs."
Mr Rosner is survived by his wife, Helen, now 84, his six grandchildren and
six great-grandchildren.
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A MELBOURNE Holocaust survivor who survived Hitler's death camps by playing
the accordion and was made famous by the movie Schindler's List has died,
aged 90.
Leo Rosner was well known in Melbourne musical circles.
He found fame late in life after the Australian novelist Thomas Kenneally's
book, Schindler's Ark, became a Steven Spielberg movie.
His survival story was portrayed in the film and he appeared in the
epilogue, filmed at Schindler's Israel memorial.
His daughter, Anna Rosner Blay, said her father had suffered from
Alzheimer's disease in his final years, but his musical memory had never
deserted him.
"Earlier this year he played at his 65th wedding anniversary," she said.
Mr Rosner was born into a musical family in Krakow, Poland, in 1918 and was
a successful cabaret artist when Hitler occupied Poland in 1939.
In 1943, he and wife Helen were transported separately to Plaszow
concentration camp, where Mr Rosner was forced to play his accordion for the
notorious commandant Amon Goeth, depicted in the film by Ralph Fiennes.
His playing brought him to the attention of Oskar Schindler, who arranged
for Mr Rosner to be moved to his enamelling factory in Brinnlitz,
Czechoslovakia, in 1945.
That undoubtedly saved his life, but Mrs Rosner was sent to Auschwitz.
Mr Rosner persuaded Schindler to use every means at his disposal to save his
wife from the camp, which he was able to do, eventually re-uniting them in
Brinnlitz, where they stayed until the end of the war.
The Rosners migrated to Melbourne, where Mr Rosner established himself as a
musician, performing at the head of his 12-piece band.
He was still playing well into his 80s.
The Rosners had two daughters, Anna, and her sister, Frances.
At his funeral last Sunday at Chevra Kadisha in Springvale, grandson Danny
Bray recalled his grandfather as a wonderful musician.
"Papa reportedly knew 70,000 songs," he said.
"If he didn't know it by name, one only needed to hum a few bars and he'd be
off -- in the key you hummed it in.
"To survive the tough Melbourne music business, he had to adapt -- not only
did he pick up some of the traditional Australian tunes, but all of the
footy club songs."
Mr Rosner is survived by his wife, Helen, now 84, his six grandchildren and
six great-grandchildren.
Share this article What is this?