AHC Interview with Rosi Gruenschlag 1922-1995

Rosi Gruenschlag was born into an orthodox Jewish family originating from a small town in Poland. Her parents Moritz and Cecilia Gruenschlag moved to Vienna between 1914 and 1915 together with their newborn son David Gruenschlag, who later became a gifted violinist and student of Bronislaw Hubermann. The family was living in Reichsbrueckenstrasse, Second District. Rosi Gruenschlag was born in 1922 and went to school in the second district. Description of family outings in the Vienna Prater. Like her other siblings she also showed from early on an outstanding talent for music and started to study piano with Hilda Stern-Pollak, who was already the teacher of her older sister Toni. Rosi had her debut at the “Grosse Musikvereinsaal” in Vienna in 1935 and became a student of Walter Kerschbaumer at the Vienna Music Academy. After the Anschluss to Nazi Germany Rosi and Toni Gruenschlag managed to continue their studies with the encouragement of their teachers until June of 1938. Description of life in Nazi Austria. Her father was at that time already in Palestine, where he had been visiting his son David, who had an engagement with the Palestine Philharmonic Orchestra. Her sister Toni started to prepare for their emigration and franticly tried to obtain exit permits. Description of a random arrest by Nazi affiliates a week before “Kristallnacht”. Support of a devoted neighbor. In January of 1939 their mother was able to join her husband and son in Palestine. Rosi and Toni Gruenschlag received student visas for England with the help of their brother’s mentor Bronislaw Hubermann. They arrived in London in April of 1939. Support by the Jewish Agency, who arranged for them to be taken care of by an English family. In November of 1939 they left for the United States and arrived in New York, where they stayed with their uncle in Brooklyn. Soon after they were joined by their parents. Description of their start of a new life. Their father got a position thro2 sound cassettes and transcript of audio tape. The interviewee mixes German and English in her responses.Rosi Gruenschlag, 1997[1 take one]: Family background and importance of music[1 take two/0:0-2:49]: Education, musical training and concerts[1 take two/2:49-4:30]: Religious background and education[1 take two/4:30-5:40]: Friendship and relationship to non-Jews[1 take two/5:40-8:05]: Household, family outings, summer vacations[1 take two/8:05-10:40]: Background of father, political beliefs and recollections of 1933[1 take two/10:40-14:55]: Antisemitism in Austria, Anschluss 1938[1 take three/0:00-6:37]: Vienna 1938, preparation for emigration[1 take four/0:00-1:15]: Vienna 1938, preparation for emigration[1 take five/0:00-5:40]: Life in Nazi-Austria, emigration, account of their arrest[1 take six/0:00-2:40]: Life in Nazi-Austria, abduction of apartment, emigration[1 take six/2:40-8:56]: Emigration, arrival in London, support of Jewish Agency, host family[1 take six/8:56-16:53]: Emigration to the United States, arrival and life in New York[1 take seven/0:00-7:51]: Life in New York, support of local synagogue, start of music career[2 take one/0:00-6:10]: Life in New York, music career[2 take one/6:10-10:03]: Death of their mother, teaching position, concerts[2 take one/10:03-12:17]: After 1945[2 take one/12:17-14:10]: Musical career, concerts, Austria[2 take one/14:10-30:00]: Visit in Vienna and relationship to AustriaThe pianist Rosi Gruenschlag was born the youngest of three children of Moritz and Cecilia Gruenschlag in Vienna, Austria. She studied at the Vienna Music Academy with Walter Kerschbaumer until June 1938 and emigrated together with her sister Toni Gruenschlag to England and the United States in 1939. She lives with her sister Toni in New York.Austrian Heritage Collectio