Emanuel Schlechter (pseudonyms Eman, Olgierd Lech) (Emanuel Szlechter) (9 October 1904 – 1943) was born and died in
Lwów
Lviv ( or ; ; ; see #Names and symbols, below for other names) is the largest city in western Ukraine, as well as the List of cities in Ukraine, fifth-largest city in Ukraine, with a population of It serves as the administrative centre of ...
. He was a
Polish-Jewish artist,
lyricist
A lyricist is a writer who writes lyrics (the spoken words), as opposed to a composer, who writes the song's music which may include but not limited to the melody, harmony, arrangement and accompaniment.
Royalties
A lyricist's income derives ...
,
screenwriter
A screenwriter (also called scriptwriter, scribe, or scenarist) is a person who practices the craft of writing for visual mass media, known as screenwriting. These can include short films, feature-length films, television programs, television ...
,
librettist
A libretto (From the Italian word , ) is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major ...
, writer, satirist, translator, composer and director.
His father was a house painter in Lwów. The family name of his mother was Begeleiter. Emanuel's brother was Emil Henryk Szlechter (1906-1995),
[A. Redzik, Emil Henryk Szlechter (1906–1995) – w dwudziestą rocznicę śmierci, "Palestra" 2015, nr 1-2, pp. 216.] an expert in the laws of Sumeria, Babylonia and Assyria. When Szlechter was 14 years old, he joined the ''Małopolskie Oddziały Armii Ochotniczej'' (Lesser Poland's Volunteer Army) and during summer 1920 he participated in the
defense
Defense or defence may refer to:
Tactical, martial, and political acts or groups
* Defense (military), forces primarily intended for warfare
* Civil defense, the organizing of civilians to deal with emergencies or enemy attacks
* Defense industr ...
of Lwów.
[Lerski, p. 351.]
After passing his matura exam around 1923
[ he studied law at the Jan Kazimierz University in Lwów and worked briefly in a law firm. His earliest lyrics were written for Leon Borunski's songs, staged at the ''Morskie Oko'' theater's ''Parada gwiazd'' show in 1930, performed and recorded by Syrena Rekord star Kazimierz Krukowski.][http://www.bibliotekapiosenki.pl/Schlechter_Emanuel Biblioteka Piosenki biography of Emanuel Schlechter]
Musical career
In 1931, Schlechter created the Lwów Academic Theatre ''Złoty pieprzyk (Golden mole)''. One of his first revues, ''Co słychać w wielkim świecie (What's going on in the big world)'' included his first hit song, ''Żołnierska brać''. He performed as a singer in the Lwów cafes of ''Musa'' and ''Roma'', accompanied by the pianist Julius Gabla. He also wrote columns for newspapers.Warsaw
Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...
. In 1933, he wrote the screenplay and songs for the first Polish film operetta ''Każdemu wolno kochać'' (Everyone is allowed to love), directed by Mieczysław Krawicz. He worked at the ''Rex'' theater writing songs, revues, sketches, scenarios, satirical songs and monologues. Between 1933 and 1935 he recorded as a singer and guitarist, as himself or using the nickname of Olgierd Lech. He made a series of "Jewish" records including like ''Awremałe'' (Avremele), ''Śpiewak sobotni'', ''Rabi Eli-Melech'' (Rabbi Elimelech), ''Alef Bet'' (Oyfn Pripetchok), and ''Żydowskie wesele'' (Yidishe khasene). One of the most popular songs by Schlechter was ''Srulek''. He worked with the ''Columbia'' and ''Odeon'' orchestras. In 1934 he wrote for ''La Bohème'' theater, collaborating with Konrad Tom.
Death
In September 1939, during the German and Soviet invasion of Poland
The invasion of Poland, also known as the September Campaign, Polish Campaign, and Polish Defensive War of 1939 (1 September – 6 October 1939), was a joint attack on the Second Polish Republic, Republic of Poland by Nazi Germany, the Slovak R ...
Schlechter was working at the Lwów Teatr Miniatura as an actor, writer and director. He was known for his anti-Nazi
Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right politics, far-right Totalitarianism, totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During H ...
satire
Satire is a genre of the visual, literary, and performing arts, usually in the form of fiction and less frequently non-fiction, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, often with the intent of exposin ...
s.
However, after the Germans occupied Lwów in 1941 during Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the invasion of the Soviet Union by Nazi Germany and several of its European Axis allies starting on Sunday, 22 June 1941, during World War II. More than 3.8 million Axis troops invaded the western Soviet Union along ...
, Schlechter was sent to the Lviv ghetto. He was then transferred to the Janowska concentration camp where he was part of its artistic life, participating in literary evenings.
Schlechter most likely died in Janowska in 1942, along with his wife and young son, although it is possible that he managed to survive until 1943.
Filmography
Screenplays
* Parada rezerwistów (1934)
* Co mój mąż robi w nocy? (1934)
* Antek policmajster (1935)
* Amerykańska awantura (1936)
* Bedzie lepiej (1936)
* Jadzia (1936)
* Królowa przedmieścia (1937)
* Kochaj tylko mnie (1937)
* Strachy (1938)
* Szczesliwa 13-ka (1938)
* '' Robert and Bertram'' (1938)
* Piętro wyżej (1938)
* Serce matki (1938)
* Ja tu rządzę (1939)
*'' Wlóczegi'' (1939)
Dialogues
* Wyrok życia (1933)
* Każdemu wolno kochać (1933)
* Czy Lucyna to dziewczyna (1934)
* Jaśnie pan szofer (1935)
* Jego wielka miłość (1935)
* Dodek na froncie (1936)
*Będzie lepiej (1936)
*Królowa przedmieścia (1937)
*Robert i Bertrand (1938)
Films with his song lyrics
* Czarna perła (1934)
*Kochaj tylko mnie (1937)
*Piętro wyżej (1938)
References
Bibliography
* A. Redzik, Jak twórca szlagierów wszech czasów nie został adwokatem – rzecz o Emanuelu Schlechterze (1904–1943). W 110. rocznicę urodzin i 70. rocznicę śmierci, „Palestra” 2014, nr 1–2, s. 245–255.
* A. Redzik, Emil Henryk Szlechter (1906–1995) – w dwudziestą rocznicę śmierci, "Palestra" 2015, nr 1–2, s. 216.
*
External links
*
* Music by Henryk Wars, sung by Tadeusz Olsza
{{DEFAULTSORT:Schlechter, Emanuel
1904 births
1943 deaths
Jewish cabaret performers
Musicians from Lviv
Polish cabaret performers
Jewish composers
Jewish songwriters
People who died in the Lwów Ghetto
20th-century Polish male singers
20th-century Polish comedians
20th-century Polish screenwriters
Polish male screenwriters
20th-century Polish male writers
Artists from the Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria
Writers from the Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria
Jews from Austria-Hungary
Jews from Galicia (Eastern Europe)
Film people from Lviv
Child soldiers
Polish Jews who died in the Holocaust