Alice Herz–Sommer and the power of music

Alice Herz-Sommer’s story is one of incredible resilience, strength, and the transformative power of music. Born in Prague in 1903, she was a talented classical pianist whose love for music would help her survive one of the most brutal chapters of history.

In 1943, at just 18 years old, she was deported to Auschwitz along with her family. Once there, she was forced to join the Women's Orchestra of Auschwitz, a group of 40 women musicians who played for both the SS guards and the prisoners. While the music provided some comfort to the prisoners, it was also used by the Nazis as propaganda, trying to present a façade of “normalcy” amidst their atrocities. Herz-Sommer, with her remarkable piano skills, played daily, often under extreme duress. The orchestra's performances, although forced, offered a fleeting escape from the horrors of camp life.

The power of music not only served as a form of survival for Herz-Sommer, helping her hold onto her humanity, but it also acted as a mental and emotional anchor throughout the unimaginable cruelty she faced.

After being liberated from Auschwitz in 1945, Herz-Sommer moved to Israel and later to London, where she continued to live a full and meaningful life, teaching music and sharing her experiences. She became an inspiring voice of hope, emphasizing the importance of resilience, music, and optimism in the face of adversity.

Even in her later years, Alice continued to play and teach, sharing her extraordinary story of survival, and at the age of 110, she passed away in 2014, leaving behind a legacy of hope, courage, and the indomitable spirit of music.

Her life reminds us that even in the darkest times, there can be light—music, resilience, and the will to survive. We must never forget.

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