Hermann Leopoldi

1888 Wien - 1959 Wien
Hermann Leopoldi, composer, singer, lyricist, cabaret artist. Born in Vienna's 12th district (Meidling) as the son of musician Ferdinand Kohn, who tought him to play the piano. As a 16-year old he started a musical career himself. When World War 1 ended he joined with the comedian Fritz Wiesental to create the cabaret 'Leopoldi-Wiesental'. Short stay in Berlin, return to Vienna. In the 1920s and 1930s he was one of the most popular composers of traditional Viennese songs and hits. He was awarded the Austrian Silver Ordre de Mérite in 1937. Hermann Leopoldi was arrested in 1938 and held in the concentration camps Dachau and Buchenwald. In Buchenwald Leopoldi and Dr. Fritz Beda-Löhner created the 'Buchenwaldlied', which the inmates of the concentration camp had to sing when marching. Hermann Leopoldi's family managed to 'ransom' him in 1939 so he was able to emigrate to New York, where he worked as a piano player in 'Alt-Wien'. With his partner, Austrian singer Helly Möslein, and the English version of the Viennese song 'Ein kleines Cafe in Hernals' (In a little Café down the street) he became famous in the USA. Invited back by the Lord Mayor of Vienna, Theodor Koerner, they returned to Austria in 1947 and became extremely popular, performing throughout Austria, Germany and Switzerland; also with records and in films. Hermann Leopoldi passed away June 28, 1959 in Vienna. His humorous songs such as 'Ringelspiel', 'Powidl Tatschkerl' and 'Schnucki .. fohr' ma nach Kentucky' are still very popular. In 2011 his collected works in two volumes have been (re-)published under the title 'Leopoldiana' by the Wiener Volksliedwerk . Update Primavera Driessen Gruber September 6, 2015