Dr. phil Fritz Waldstein

Dr. Fritz WALDSTEIN: b. 1 Nov 1905, Wien - d. 21 Aug 1973, Wien

http://data.matricula-online.eu/de/oesterreich/wien-evang-dioezese-... (record #268)

cf. IKG-Wien Archives & family sources:

(May 2013 - an old letter from Fritz Waldstein's wife Lola in Wien to Lisl Walk in Oxford has come to light with wonderful additional details on the family ...):

" ... Du willst ein bisserl was von den "Ahnen" der Familie Waldstein wissen, ich hab zwar ein wenig im "Gedächtnis" gekramt, aber leider nur mit sehr wenig Erfolg. ... ... Mein Fritz, geboren 1. November 1905 in Wien - war Doktor phil., war ab 1930, fast einer der Pioniere bei der 1923 gegründeten "Ravag" (Schallplatten, wissensch. Abteilung) bis 12. März 1938, dann im Optikergeschäft seines Vaters (der schon 1936 gestorben war) als Optikermeister tätig. Ab April 1945 wieder im Rundfunk zuerst als Reporter, dann als Leiter des Schulfunks, zuletzt als Bibliothekar; 1970 in Pension; nach furchtbarer Krankheit am 21.07.1973 gestorben. Verheiratet mit mir - Lola - seit 30.Juli 1932. ... ... Nun seine Eltern: Mutter Johanna, geborene Müller, 10.12.1885, in Budapest, gest. 22.11.1971 in Wien. Vater: Dr. Otto Georg Waldstein, geb. 9.12.1878 in Wien, Kammerrat, Kommerzialrat, noch beim alten Kaiser --- Truchsess, Hof-Optiker bis Nov. 1918, gest. 28 Juli 1936 in Wien. Er war Sohn von Hofoptiker Simon Waldstein und der Hermine, geb. Seligmann, von diesen weiss ich aber keine Daten...."

TRANSLATION: "You'd like to learn a little about the Waldstein family's "ancestors". I've tried to rack my brains a bit but, sadly, without much result ... My Fritz, born on 1st. November 1905 in Vienna, had a D.phil title. From approximately 1930 he became practically one of the pioneers at the "Ravag", founded in 1923 (active in the academic, grammophone record, department). On 12th. March 1938 (*** N.B. the Ravag was closed down by the SS) he took up the position of master craftsman in his father's (who had died in 1936) optician's business. From April 1945 onwards he resumed employment at the broadcast station, first as reporter, then as head of the school broadcasting section and finally as librarian.He retired in 1970 and, after a dreadful illness, he died on 21.07.1973. Married to me - Lola - since 30th. July 1932. ... And now to his (Fritz Waldstein's) parents: mother, Johanna, née Müller, 10.12.1885, Budapest, died 22.11.1971 in Vienna; father, Otto Georg Waldstein, born 09.12.1878 in Vienna, financial and commercial advisor to the court, even that of the former Kaiser - "Truchsess", court steward, optician to the court until November 1918, he died on 28th. July 1936 in Vienna. The latter was son of the court optician Simon Waldstein and Hermine, née Seligmann, about whom I have no further information ..."

Fritz WALDSTEIN was born on 1st. November 1905.

Before 1938, when younger than 32, he was an employee at the Austrian radio station RAVAG (Radio-Verkehrs-Aktiengesellschaft) in Wien. (Lisl Walk's recollections ...)

Fritz died on 21st. August 1973, aged about 68, in Wien.

He was buried in Wien, Zentralfriedhof T1/55a-1-5.

(Additional notes - Dec. 2012)

About the only piece of further information on Otto and Hansi's son Fritz that could be pin-pointed so far is that he probably played a wind-instrument - and most specifically, the flute. This could very well be him appearing in a small school concert in May 1924 ... cf. Rita Kurzmann-Leuchter, Teil 3 http://www.herbert-henck.de/Internettexte/Kurzmann_III/kurzmann_iii...

Kapitel 19 Leuchter im Wiener Konzerthaus Im Archiv des Wiener Konzerthauses ließen sich für die Zeit zwischen Mai 1924 und Dezember 1933 die folgenden Dirigate Leuchters im Wiener Konzerthaus be- legen [195]: (1) Montag, 26. Mai 1924, 19.00 Uhr, Mittlerer Konzerthaussaal [Mozart- Saal], Akademie des Bundes-Realgymnasiums Wien I. – Programm: Johann Sebastian Bach, Brandenburgisches Konzert Nr. 5 (1. Satz); Schülerorchester; Paul Ulanowsky (Klavier), Oskar Weiß (Violine), Fritz Waldstein (Flöte), Max Kojetinsky (Dirigent). Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Konzert für Violine und Orchester A-Dur; ein Begleitorchester, Oskar Weiß (Violine), Erwin Leuchter (Dirigent). Das Amtsgeheimnis. Eine Lausbubengeschichte aus dem alten Rom, vorgetragen von Franz Fischmeister. Hummel-Dahn, Die Mette von Marienburg, Meldodram, gesprochen von Paul Czerwenka, Paul Ulanowsky (Klavier). Franz Schubert, Impromptu As-dur. Johannes Brahms, Ballade H-moll. Sergej Rachmaninoff, Präludium Cis-moll. Max Kojetinsky (Klavier). Robert Schumann, Zigeunerleben, Schülerchor, Prof. Rudolf Fridrich (Dirigent). Veranstalter: Bundesrealgymnasium Wien I.

Then there is also a reference to his musical leanings in family correspondence: cf. 1928.06.27 - Leo Walk in Wien letter to wife Erny in Reichenau: This is a follow-up on previous mentions of Fritz having suffered a motorcycle accident on Corpus Christi Day (i.e. 6th. June 1928) and ending up in hospital with a broken right arm ... "I was at the Waldsteins on Monday evening, after Hansi had called to invite me to dinner with Fritz. He has to wear the bandages for another three weeks. For the time-being he's playing the hunting horn, which only needs to be held in the left hand. I wouldn't want to live in that house!"

As a result of these tiny clues it may very well be possible to ascribe an Arthur Paunzen drawing for an "ex-libris" - bookplate / booklabel - to this particular "Fritz Waldstein". (cf. picture of this featuring two little elf-type characters playing ... the flute!

Fritz's father Otto may well have met Arthur Paunzen through the affiliation with the Künstlerhaus Wien ... cf. www.wladimir-aichelberg.at etc.

(Jan. 2013)

- above suspicions now increasingly clinched thanks to new input from Elisabeth, née Guth:

" He was the only son of Tante Hansi ... Fritz worked for RAVAG. He played the clarinet was married to a small woman called Lola who was racked by rheumatism."

In fact, there are several references to Fritz WALDSTEIN as a flute-player in concert listings shown in newspapers of the era.

AND AT LONG LAST ...

Photos courtesy of:

ANNO, Radio Wien, 1937-07-23, Seite 4

http://anno.onb.ac.at/cgi-content/anno?aid=raw&datum=19370723&seite...

and ...

ANNO, Radio Wien, 1933-01-13, Seite 3

http://anno.onb.ac.at/cgi-content/anno?aid=raw&datum=19330113&seite...

Additional photo kindly provided directly by Jem ...