Rod Riffler
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Rod Riffler (born Rudolf Ungar; 5 January 1907 – 1941) was a Croatian modern dance teacher, choreographer and owner of a dance school in
Zagreb Zagreb ( ) is the capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Croatia#List of cities and towns, largest city of Croatia. It is in the Northern Croatia, north of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the ...
, who was killed during the
Holocaust The Holocaust (), known in Hebrew language, Hebrew as the (), was the genocide of History of the Jews in Europe, European Jews during World War II. From 1941 to 1945, Nazi Germany and Collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy ...
. Riffler was born in
Osijek Osijek () is the fourth-largest city in Croatia, with a population of 96,848 in 2021. It is the largest city and the economic and cultural centre of the eastern Croatian region of Slavonia, as well as the administrative centre of Osijek-Baranja ...
to
Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...
parents, Makso Ungar and Ilka Lang. His father was merchant born in Osijek. Riffler was raised with two sisters, Marie Louise and Marija, and younger brother, Rafael. When he moved from Osijek to Zagreb, Riffler opened a dance school and was one of the best teachers of modern dance at the time. Riffler was mentor-teacher of Lea Deutsch, known Croatian Jewish child actress, and was a close friend of Deutsch's mother, Ivka. In 1941, when Ustashas found out that he was Jewish and gay, Riffler was arrested and deported to the
Jasenovac concentration camp Jasenovac () was a concentration camp, concentration and extermination camp established in the Jasenovac, Sisak-Moslavina County, village of the same name by the authorities of the Independent State of Croatia (NDH) in occupied Yugoslavia durin ...
. Riffler died from starvation at the camp. He was 34 years old. Ha-Kol (Glasilo Židovske zajednice u Hrvatskoj); Relja Bašić, Nataša Barac; Nova kazališna scena u Židovskoj općini Zagreb; stranica 8; broj 107, studeni/prosinac 2008. In 2010, Croatian director Branko Ivanda made a film '' Lea and Darija'', about the tragic destiny of Lea Deutsch, and Riffler was portrayed in the movie by Croatian actor Radovan Ruždjak.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Riffler, Rod 1907 births 1941 deaths People from Osijek Croatian Jews who died in the Holocaust Jews from Austria-Hungary Croatian Austro-Hungarians Gay Jews Modern dancers Croatian LGBTQ entertainers Croatian LGBTQ artists Croatian gay men Gay dancers LGBTQ choreographers Croatian choreographers Croatian civilians killed in World War II People who died in Jasenovac concentration camp Jewish entertainers Deaths by starvation 20th-century Croatian LGBTQ people