Selected text
There were some Jewish colleagues but not many. Ervin Junger in the piano
department. They were watched to the extent that one of them - Janos
Reinfeld, who was very talented and a soloist - was told that he could not
appear on the poster because he had a Jewish name. He is now in Germany,
before 1989 (during a tour) he "stayed behind". A lot of my colleagues did
that when we went on tour. Most of the orchestra was Hungarian, they could
not discriminate (between the Hungarians and Romanians). The atmosphere was
very good (during Communism between the Philharmonic musicians). Sometimes
they didn't allow someone to go abroad but not because they were Jewish or
Hungarian but because a security person had to go and there had to be a
place for them. Then they always left someone behind. Once they left me
behind just when we were going to Germany. And I asked why, because in
general they didn't allow those who had relations abroad. I said: "I have
no relations, they are all under the ground, or died in the gas chambers,
so why aren't you letting me go to Germany exactly?" And (without any
prompting) they said: we cannot allow you.
department. They were watched to the extent that one of them - Janos
Reinfeld, who was very talented and a soloist - was told that he could not
appear on the poster because he had a Jewish name. He is now in Germany,
before 1989 (during a tour) he "stayed behind". A lot of my colleagues did
that when we went on tour. Most of the orchestra was Hungarian, they could
not discriminate (between the Hungarians and Romanians). The atmosphere was
very good (during Communism between the Philharmonic musicians). Sometimes
they didn't allow someone to go abroad but not because they were Jewish or
Hungarian but because a security person had to go and there had to be a
place for them. Then they always left someone behind. Once they left me
behind just when we were going to Germany. And I asked why, because in
general they didn't allow those who had relations abroad. I said: "I have
no relations, they are all under the ground, or died in the gas chambers,
so why aren't you letting me go to Germany exactly?" And (without any
prompting) they said: we cannot allow you.
Period
Location
Cluj Napoca
Romania
Interview
silvia nussbaum