Alice Herz-Sommer: An Artist And Survivor

Today we learn more about the life of Alice Herz-Sommer, an incredible fighter who outwitted death and lived until she was 110 years old. Why do we call her a survivor? Because she was sentenced to death at a very young age.

She was Jewish and was taken to a concentration camp. Against all odds, however, she survived and became known as the ‘most optimistic woman in the world’.

In many interviews, Alice Herz-Sommer talked about her identical twin sister. Despite their many similarities, Alice said they had very different attitudes. She said she was born an optimist and always tried to see the bright side of every situation, no matter how bad it seemed.

People admired Alice for her enthusiasm. Despite her advanced age, she practiced on her piano every day. When she was almost 100 years old she decided to go to university.

She never lost her desire to learn and improve herself. Alice Herz-Sommer is a wonderful example of longevity and optimism that we can all learn from.

The happy childhood of Alice Herz-Sommer

One thing many resilient people have in common is a happy childhood. Alice was born in Prague, Czech Republic, on November 26, 1903. She came from a family of Jewish musicians who valued art and culture.

The most famous artists and intellectuals of the time visited Alice’s house. Franz Kafka was a regular visitor. Alice’s sister even married the literary genius’s best friend. Other famous people such as Gustav Mahler, Rainer Maria Rilke, Stefan Zweig, Thomas Mann and even Sigmund Freud visited the Herz family.

Alice loved music from an early age. She started playing the piano when she was eight years old. By the time she was a teenager, she was giving concerts all over Prague.

The Nazi Invasion

In 1931 Alice met Leopold Sommer, a fellow musician. They married and he became the great love of her life. In 1937 they had their first son, Raphael.

However, their happiness was disrupted when the Nazis invaded the Czech Republic in 1939. While most Jews were sent to the Jewish quarter, Alice and her family were allowed to stay in their apartment for the time being.

However, things quickly became difficult for them. As the war continued, the Czech people began to discriminate against the Jews. In 1942 Alice’s mother and Leopold’s parents received deportation letters. The family was inconsolable.

Alice had to take her 72-year-old mother to the deportation center. There they said goodbye and Alice saw her leave, knowing she was on her way to certain death.

That moment of helplessness was one of the most heartbreaking moments of her life. Decades later, the memory of her mother still made Alice melancholy and sad.

Life as a prisoner

Soon after, more deportation letters arrived. In 1943 Alice, her husband and her son received theirs. They were sent to Theresienstadt concentration camp. In theory, they would spare the prisoners there. However, that turned out to be a lie.

In the camp, Alice began to play the piano for the Nazis. They planned ways to exterminate the prisoners while they dined to Alice’s beautiful music. Alice also played for the other inmates. She said she played more than 150 concerts in total. She stated that her music fed the tormented souls of the prisoners in the concentration camp.

Her husband was later transferred to Auschwitz. When they said goodbye, he said to her, “Don’t volunteer for anything.”  A few days later, the Nazis asked for “volunteers” to be reunited with their husbands. Alice remembered Leopold’s advice and declined the offer, saving her own life.

Alice always said that the hardest part of the experience was seeing her son hungry. To make up for it, she always tried to keep a smile on her face.

Alice Herz-Sommer, a survivor

Alice Herz-Sommer and her son were among the few survivors of that concentration camp. When the war ended, they moved to Israel. She decided not to live in the past and raise her son without hatred or resentment. Raphael followed in his parents’ musical footsteps and became a famous cellist.

Alice died in London, England, in 2014 at the age of 110. Her life is a brilliant example of the incredible resilience of the human spirit. Her legacy proves that your attitude and outlook on life can shape your future.