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Josef Wagner Collection

 Collection
Identifier: AR 5135/MF 745

Scope and Contents

The collection documents the life of Josef Wagner from the late 1920s until the 1940s. The majority of the material consists of letters and materials on his achievements in music.

The collection is arranged into five series. Series I contains resumes and obituaries. Series II consists of correspondence, the bulk of which is addressed to Alwine Proelz, a life-long friend of Josef Wagner's and his family. Josef Wagner's musical career is documented in Series III. It includes programs, press releases, compositions, and sheet music. Photographs of Josef Wagner can be found in Series IV. Most of them are professional shots and show him at his piano. Series V holds miscellaneous documents.

Dates

  • Creation: 1915-1975

Creator

Language of Materials

The collection is in German and English.

Access Information

Readers may access the collection by visiting the Lillian Goldman Reading Room at the Center for Jewish History. We recommend reserving the collection in advance; please visit the LBI Online Catalog and click on the “Request” button

Access Restrictions

Researchers must use microfilm (MF 745)

Use Restrictions

There may be some restrictions on the use of the collection. For more information, contact:

Leo Baeck Institute, Center for Jewish History, 15 West 16th Street, New York, NY, 10011

email: lbaeck@lbi.cjh.org

Biographical Note

Josef Wagner was born in Ohlau (Silesia) in 1909. His paternal grandfather was Jewish, but both his parents were Christian. He studied in Breslau and Berlin, and later lived as a composer and pianist in Breslau. In 1930, he won the Blüthner Grand Piano prize in Dresden, and the Chopin prize in Warsaw in 1932. In 1933, he married the writer Lessie Sachs. They had met at a musical soiree in Breslau, which was hosted by Lessie Sachs. In the same year, he lost his position at different radio stations and concert companies because of the fact that his grandfather was Jewish. In the following years, he was only able to perform for private audiences and abroad. In 1938, the couple immigrated to the United States with their daughter Dorothy, who was born in 1934. Josef Wagner played in concert and on radio stations in several cities. Starting in 1943, he also taught in New York, Syracuse, and St. Louis.

After the death of Lessie Sachs in 1942, Josef Wagner married Kahli, a native of India. He died in 1947, after a period of long suffering due to an illness he had contracted while on tour in the Pacific.

Extent

0.75 Linear Feet

Abstract

Josef Wagner (1909-1947) was a successful pianist and composer from Breslau, who performed in concert and radio programs throughout Germany and Europe in the early 1930s. He was married to the writer Lessie Sachs. In 1938, the family immigrated to the United States, where he continued to perform. This collection documents his musical achievements through programs, reviews, posters, and sheet music he wrote. Also included is extensive correspondence with his life-long friend, Alwine Pröls, which began in the late 1920s and ended shortly before his death in 1947. The collection also contains photographs, personal documents, and correspondence of family members.

Microfilm

This collection is available on 2 reels of microfilm:

  1. Reel 1:Folders 1-23
  2. Reel 2: Folders 24-31

Related Material

Materials about Josef Wagner's wife, Lessie Sachs, are also available in the Leo Baeck Institute Archives (AR 4031).

Title
Guide to the Papers of Josef Wagner (1909-1947), 1915-1975   AR 5135/MF 745
Author
Processed by Miriam Schönrock
Date
© 2005
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
Description is in English.

Revision Statements

  • 2010-03-11 : encoding of linking to digital objects from finding aid was changed from <extref> to <dao> through dao_conv.xsl

Repository Details

Part of the Leo Baeck Institute Repository

Contact:
15 West 16th Street
New York NY 10011 United States