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Theatre of Despair
The Story of the Theatre Group Westerbork
“One can vanquish a people, but
never its spirit.”
-Stefan Zweig
The Camp History
Why was Westerbork built and by whom?
 May 1940 – Germans invaded and took
over the camp
 Who did it house?
 1942

Continued Camp History
Illegal immigrants shelter camp
 Transit Camp
 Camp Amenities were numerous and the
prisoners here had it comparatively much
better than in many other places

 However,
there was a great
deal of cruelty in the calm…
…before we get into that, let me introduce
MAX EHRLICH

Comedian, actor,
director and author,
Max Erlich was a
Jew at the top of his
career in 1933. He
had been involved in
over 40 film projects
and was widely
known and loved
across Europe.
The End Begins
1933-National Socialists bring a halt to Jews in
the arts.
 Ehrlich leaves for Vienna
 Moves around Holland and Switzerland for a
while before returning to Germany in 1935.

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Jewish Cultural Union
Ehrlich named Director of Bund’s Light Theatre
Department.
 Leaves 1939
 Theatre of Celebrities in Holland

Max Arrested

1943-along with many of his
colleagues, Ehrlich is arrested
and imprisoned in Westerbork
concentration camp.
Theatre Group Westerbork is Born

There was already a small orchestra in place at the
camp—a legacy of pre-Nazi Westerbork.

Formed the group

6 Full Scale productions
More about the Company

Famous Personalities in the Company
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Max Ehrlich
Willy Rosen
Erich Ziegler
Camila Spira
Kurt Geron
Esther Philipse
Jetty Cantor
Johnny Jones
...the list continues
The Shows

Six Full Length Shows in 18 months
 Bunter
Abend (A Colorful Evening)
 Humor und Melodie (Humor and Melody)
 Bravo! Da capo!
 Bunter Abend 2
 Bunter Abend 3
 Total Veruckt (Totally Backwards)
Bunter Abend
 The
First Bunter Abend premiered
in July 1943 and was billed with
10 scenes
 Very well received
The Newly Rebuilt Stage

After their first performance, the group
got permission to increase the number of
people in the company.

New Stage is Built
Humor und Melodie

The second cabaret Production boasted 18
scenes complete with sets and costumes
and a full orchestra.
 Yellow
stars were still worn, even on the
costumes, to act as a grim reminder.
When a Little Package Arrives

This number was performed by Camilla
Spira and the Dance Troupe during Humor
and Melodie

Louis de Wijze
Lines Translated
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When a little parcel arrives, big and small are happy
When a little parcel arrives the sun shines, despite the
rain
A well tied-up little package, totally free of charge
One cannot be quick enough to undo its knot
When a little parcel arrives, whoever is ill no longer feels
sick
And you write a little card to say ‘Thank You’
Of course, it’s a pity the butter is missing in the parcel
And you accept, for lack of choice, a little jar of
marmelade
The most important, however, is that you’re often sent
A soft roll of toilet paper
Critics Say…

Contemporary Observers claim
that the “Best Cabaret in Europe”
is inside the walls of Westerbork.
…There’s Always a Catch

Used as a CONTROL DEVICE

DESENSITIZATION
Strife Among Prisoners
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Troupe Members were given special
considerations causing jealousy and
animosity

Not all inmates enjoyed the Cabaret
Other Opinions
The majority seemed to be in favor of any
distraction at all.
 As Jean Clair writes in his biography of
Zoran Music (Dachau, 1944)

 “He
who kept within himself a trace of the
cultivated world could hope to resist death.”
Thus,
Theatre of Despair
Choosing who would live or die by who
would be in the troupe
 Compromising your art for survival
 Entertaining your murderers

OTHER CAMPS
Arts was a means of escape and survival
 Humanity
 Continuity

 Example,
Brundibar
Hand Drawn Music Programs
The End…ends.

Summer 1944

The Bitter Price of Fame
Max Ehrlich is Killed

Gassed at Auschwitz in 1944
Of the over 50 members of Theatre Group
Westerbork, I have only
found that 2 survived the war.
Westerbork Liberated
Late in 1944, Allies Liberated Westerbork.
 Of the over 103,000 prisoners of the
camp, only 900 remain. The rest were
executed at Auschwitz.
 None of the buildings stand anymore.

Memorials

No train will leave
from Westerbork
ever again
ROLL CALL
Things to Ponder…
Max Ehrlich was such an amazing artist
before the war, is it wrong to remember
him most for Westerbork?
 Consider the legacy of art born through
strife. How lasting is it? What impacts
does it have on the contemporary world?

 Images
that Stay with you
 Songs that remind you of things
“A culture is as great as its dreams,
and its dreams are dreamed by
artists.”
--Tom Cruise, Inside the Actor’s Studio