Kurt Breuer

Kurt Breuer represents one of countless Jewish artists whose careers were destroyed by the rise of Nazi Germany and the subsequent annexation of Austria. Born in Vienna in 1896, Breuer established himself as one of the most prolific lyricists and librettists of the interwar period, writing more than 90 works between 1920 and 1938. His collaborations with composers like Hugo Wiener and Fritz Löhner-Beda produced successful operettas and revues that entertained audiences across Vienna's vibrant cabaret scene. However, his Jewish origins made him a target of Nazi persecution, forcing him into exile in 1939. Unlike some of his contemporaries who returned to Austria after the war, Breuer remained in New York, where he struggled to rebuild his career and died in relative obscurity in 1960, largely forgotten by the Austrian cultural establishment that had once celebrated his work.

Early Career and Pre-War Success

Kurt Breuer was born on August 29, 1896, in Vienna to Jacob (Jacques) Breuer, a traveller, and his wife Melanie. After attending commercial academy, he took over financial responsibility for his mother following his father's death. Beyond his artistic work, Breuer also worked as an editor, journalist, and in the advertising industry during his early years.

Breuer's entertainment career began in 1921 when he appeared as a compère and performer of his own works at a cabaret in Bruck an der Mur. By 1922, he was writing lyrics for chansons, pop songs, and Viennese songs for performers including Ernst Arnold and F. Mars. His output quickly expanded to include sketches and one-act plays for cabarets, including "Aber Serenissimus" for Hans Moser in November 1925.

In 1925, Breuer became a member of the AKM (Austrian collecting society for authors, composers and publishers), marking his professional establishment in the music industry. That same year began his intensive collaboration with Hugo Wiener, which would prove to be one of his most productive partnerships. Together, they wrote numerous revues for the small revue stage Femina from 1928 to 1932.

Breuer's versatility as a writer was evident in his diverse output. He created operetta texts for composers including Emil Berté and L. Philipp, and collaborated with Bela Julius Laszky on works including the chanson "Da draußen am Thurygrund" and the operetta "Die Laune einer Nacht," which premiered on December 23, 1926, at the Graz City Theatre. This production was particularly innovative, featuring a film parody with what the newspaper Arbeiterwille described as a "travesty cinema score," with the second act finale bringing "the entire staging of a film shoot to the stage."

The Femina revues, housed in the former Art Nouveau cabaret "Fledermaus" at Johannesgasse 1, became a cornerstone of Vienna's entertainment scene. Despite having room for only 100 spectators, the venue's intimate setting allowed for what critics described as "opulent revues en miniature." The productions changed approximately every two months, with press coverage filled with superlatives describing the richness and colourfulness of the performances.

Between 1928 and 1938, Breuer and Wiener's collaboration flourished. A somewhat confusing newspaper article from August 15, 1932, referred to their joint "Femina" revues: "Hugo Wiener and Kurt Breuer, the two outstanding revue poets, will celebrate the 25th anniversary of their 'Femina Revue' in the coming days." Given that the authors were 28 and 36 years old respectively, this likely referred to their 25th joint revue rather than 25 years of collaboration.

The international success of their work was evident when the production "Etwas für dich" went on a two-week tour in 1930 with a 50-member ensemble, visiting Budapest, Zurich, Graz, and several German and Italian stages. This touring success demonstrated the broad appeal of their distinctive brand of entertainment.

The Rise of Nazi Persecution

Breuer's Jewish origins made him increasingly vulnerable as the Nazi regime gained power. Between 1927 and 1929, he had lived permanently in Berlin, and in 1933 worked there as a dramaturge and compère at the cabaret Der Blaue Vogel. He performed his own texts and songs in guest performances throughout Germany, but was banned from performing after the Nazis came to power.

Initially, Breuer sought refuge in the Netherlands, but returned to Austria shortly thereafter. There, he worked as secretary of the Artists' Aid organization for exiled German artists and contributed as a lyricist to the Viennese ABC cabaret, which had been newly founded in 1934.

Despite the increasingly dangerous political climate, Breuer continued his artistic work. In 1937, he joined forces with Hugo Wiener and Fritz Löhner-Beda, one of the era's most brilliant entertainment industry minds. Löhner-Beda was known for his successful librettos, particularly for Franz Lehár, as well as countless hits and serious poems. He was also involved with the Jewish sports club Hakoah and often spoke out against what he saw as excessive conformity among the Jewish bourgeoisie.

Their collaboration produced "Gruß und Kuß aus der Wachau," which premiered in 1938. The operetta featured music by Jara Beneš and included numbers such as the tango "So ein kleines Geheimnis," the rural waltz song "Gib mir ein saftiges Busserl," the swing polka "Komm heut Nacht zu mir," the march song "Wir brauchen keine Weiber net," and the foxtrot "Aber Otto, Otto." This blend of tradition and modernity in both music and lyrics represented the culmination of their collaborative efforts.

The Anschluss and Escape

The annexation of Austria on March 11, 1938, marked the end of this creative period and the beginning of a nightmare for Vienna's Jewish artists. Hugo Wiener witnessed the last performance in freedom of "Gruß und Kuß aus der Wachau" at the Volksoper that very evening. He later recalled: "The house was sold out, but half empty. I went to the director's box to watch the play, perhaps for the last time. It was just the end of the first act. Instead of raising both arms and waving to the audience, as instructed, one of our soloists, whom I had particularly supported so that she would get the engagement, raised her right arm in the Hitler salute."

Fritz Löhner-Beda was particularly at risk, as Hugo Wiener later explained: "Beda was particularly at risk because there had already been several complaints against him from the Austrian envy society. Anyone could report anyone, and if the person reported was Jewish, they were guilty from the outset." Löhner-Beda had made himself vulnerable through his outspoken behavior, including his daily routine of calling out at Café Heinrichhof: "Bring me the Völkischer Beobachter! I want to see what the wallpaperer is doing!"

Despite urgings from friends to leave immediately, Löhner-Beda refused, believing "It won't get that bad." He was arrested on March 13, 1938, just two days after the Anschluss, and deported to Buchenwald concentration camp on April 1. There, he and Hermann Leopoldi created the "Buchenwald song" with its defiant lyrics: "O Buchenwald, I cannot forget you because you are my fate. Those who left you can only appreciate how wonderful freedom is!" For Löhner-Beda, freedom never came; he was beaten to death in Auschwitz concentration camp on December 4, 1942.

As the situation became untenable following the Anschluss, Breuer made his way to the United States via Italy, arriving in New York from Genoa on December 6, 1939. Unlike Hugo Wiener, who had left Europe as early as June 14, 1938, for a "Femina" tour to Colombia, Breuer's departure came much later, giving him less time to establish himself before the war made transatlantic communication and travel increasingly difficult.

The journey to America represented not just a geographical transition but a complete upheaval of his established life and career. At age 43, Breuer found himself starting over in a foreign country, separated from the cultural context that had nurtured his creativity and success.

Wartime Exile in New York

Life in New York exile proved challenging for Breuer, as it did for many displaced European artists. He tried to establish himself as a freelance writer and wrote texts for German-language radio programs, attempting to maintain some connection to his linguistic and cultural roots. His play "Music in May" was performed on Broadway, representing one of his few theatrical successes in America.

Breuer became part of New York's German-speaking exile community, performing in the cabaret "Wiener Prägung" alongside Karl Farkas, another Viennese entertainer who had fled Nazi persecution. These exile cabarets served both as entertainment for the displaced community and as a means of preserving Austrian cultural traditions in a foreign land.

However, artistic work alone was insufficient to provide a living. Breuer took on various jobs to survive, working as a goldsmith, clerk, cook, and even as editor of a cookbook. This pattern of educated professionals taking on manual or service work was common among refugees who found their qualifications and language skills initially inadequate for their previous professions in their new country.

Breuer and Farkas often collaborated in New York, including work on a production of Farkas' "Die Wunder-Bar." This revue had been an enormous success in Vienna and had already toured New York and Washington in 1930. When it returned to the Broadway program in 1942, it was also broadcast on radio, with both Farkas and Breuer participating, and Farkas directing.

Their collaboration continued with the revue "Carneval Cavalcade" on January 30, 1943, which featured a number entitled "Lohengrin, the Flying Freischütz from Lake Wolfgang. Grand opera or Faust III. Part. Not by Goethe." Another production, "There's only one, it will never come again!" took the stage on December 6, 1943, with a star-studded cast including Ralph Benatzky, Robert Stolz, Hermann Leopoldi, Karl Farkas, and Kurt Breuer.

Post-War Struggles and Declining Recognition

Unlike Hugo Wiener, who returned to Vienna in 1954 and became one of the greats of post-war cabaret alongside Karl Farkas, Breuer remained in New York. On August 2, 1945, he was granted American citizenship, officially marking his permanent settlement in the United States. On December 26, 1944, he married Rita, who had emigrated to the USA in 1942 via Antwerp and Havana, providing him with some personal stability during these difficult years.

Despite his new citizenship and marriage, Breuer's career never recovered its pre-war momentum. The cultural context that had made his work successful – the specific Viennese humour, the German-language audience, and the particular entertainment traditions of Central Europe – simply did not exist in the same form in America. While he continued to write and perform, his work remained largely confined to the small community of German-speaking exiles.

The broader American entertainment industry showed little interest in adapting or translating the specific type of cabaret entertainment that had made Breuer successful in Vienna. American musical theater and entertainment had its own established traditions and stars, leaving little room for middle-aged refugees trying to establish themselves in an unfamiliar market.

By 1957, Breuer's financial situation had become dire enough that he received support from the SDR Artists' Aid, an organization established in 1951 by Süddeutsche Rundfunk using funds from advertising broadcasts. This organization provided financial assistance to numerous needy exiled artists and scientists and their families, highlighting the ongoing economic struggles faced by many refugees years after the war had ended.

Breuer made three trips back to Europe in his later years: in 1949, 1950, and finally in 1960. These visits likely represented attempts to reconnect with his cultural roots and possibly to explore opportunities for reviving his career in German-speaking territories. However, the Austria he returned to was vastly different from the one he had left.

The post-war Austrian entertainment industry had developed new stars and new styles during the years of his absence. Hugo Wiener's successful return and collaboration with artists like Cissy Kraner – whom Wiener had married after meeting her during his Colombian exile – demonstrated that rehabilitation was possible, but it required the right circumstances and connections that Breuer apparently lacked.

On December 12, 1960, Breuer returned to New York from his final European trip. Just eight days later, on December 20, 1960, he died. The circumstances of his death, like much of his later life, remain largely undocumented, reflecting the obscurity into which he had fallen.

Cultural Loss in Exile

Kurt Breuer's story illustrates the broader tragedy of Jewish artists during the Nazi period – not just the immediate persecution and exile, but the long-term destruction of careers, communities, and cultural continuity. His case is particularly poignant because, unlike some artists who were already established internationally or who possessed skills easily transferable to new contexts, Breuer's talents were specifically tied to German-language culture and the particular entertainment traditions of Vienna and Berlin.

The contrast between Breuer's fate and that of Hugo Wiener highlights how individual circumstances could dramatically affect post-war outcomes. Wiener's earlier departure, his successful partnership with Cissy Kraner, and perhaps his ability to adapt to different cultural contexts enabled his return and renewed success. Breuer, arriving later and apparently lacking such advantageous connections, never managed to rebuild his career.

Today, while Hugo Wiener is remembered as one of the greats of Austrian cabaret, Kurt Breuer has largely disappeared from cultural memory. This erasure represents not just personal tragedy but cultural loss – the disappearance of a prolific artist whose more than 90 works between 1920 and 1938 contributed significantly to the rich entertainment culture of interwar Vienna.

The preservation of only half of Breuer's works in the Austrian National Library serves as a physical manifestation of this cultural amnesia. His story serves as a reminder of how historical catastrophes affect not just the obvious victims, but entire artistic communities and traditions, often in ways that become apparent only decades later when we realize how much has been permanently lost.

Breuer's experience also demonstrates the particular vulnerability of artists whose work depends on specific cultural and linguistic contexts. While scientists, doctors, or engineers might more easily transfer their skills across national boundaries, entertainers, writers, and performers often find their talents inextricably linked to the societies that formed them. When those societies are destroyed or fundamentally altered, the artists may find themselves not just physically displaced, but culturally homeless in ways that prove impossible to overcome.

Sources

Matthias Pasdzierny: Kurt Breuer, in: Lexicon of persecuted musicians of the Nazi era, Claudia Maurer Zenck, Peter Petersen (eds.), Hamburg: University of Hamburg, 2009 ( https://www.lexm.uni-hamburg.de/object/lexm_lexmperson_00003859 ).

Arnbom, Marie-Theres. »Ihre Dienste werden nicht mehr benötigt«: Aus der Volksoper vertrieben – Künstlerschicksale 1938. Austria, Amalthea Signum Verlag, 2023.

Short biography of Kurt Breuer at Musik Austria, musik-austria.at/mensch/kurt-breuer/ accessed August 2025