I Never Saw Another Butterfly

I Never Saw Another Butterfly: Children's Drawings and Poems from Terezin Concentration Camp, 1942–1944 is a collection of works of art and poetry by Jewish children who lived in the concentration camp Theresienstadt. They were created at the camp in secret art classes taught by Austrian artist and educator Friedl Dicker-Brandeis. The book takes its title from a poem by Pavel Friedmann, a young man born in 1921 who was incarcerated at Theresienstadt and was later killed at Auschwitz. The works were compiled after World War II by Czech art historian Hana Volavková, the only curator of the Jewish Museum in Prague to survive the Holocaust.[1] Where known, the fate of each young author is listed. Most died prior to the camp being liberated.[2]

I Never Saw Another Butterfly: Children's Drawings and Poems from Terezin Concentration Camp, 1942–1944
Cover of I Never Saw Another Butterfly
AuthorHana Volavková
CountryCzechoslovakia
LanguageEnglish originally in Czech
GenreHistory
PublisherSchocken
Publication date
March 15, 1994
Media typePrint (Paperback)
Pages128
ISBN0-8052-1015-6
OCLC26214051

Terezin
Main article: Concentration camp Theresienstadt

During World War II the Gestapo used Terezin, better known by the German name Theresienstadt, as a ghetto. The majority of the Jews sent there were scholars, professionals, artists and musicians. Before all out war broke out, the Nazis made plans to deceive International Red Cross inspectors into believing that Jews were being treated humanely. To accomplish this, when the Red Cross came through, inmates were encouraged to take up creative activities. They were given instruments and art supplies, encouraged to hold concerts too. Within the camp, parks, grassy areas and flower beds, concert venues and statues were installed to hide the truth; that most of the inmates were going to be killed. In fact, after the Red Cross left, most of the people who helped fool the Red Cross were immediately sent to Auschwitz. This façade masked the fact that of the 144,000 Jews were sent there, about 33,000 died, mostly because of the appalling conditions (hunger, stress, disease, and an epidemic of typhus at the very end of the war). About 88,000 were deported to Auschwitz and other extermination camps.[3] At the end of the war there were 17,247 survivors.[4]

Part of the fortification (Small Fortress) served as the largest Gestapo prison in the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, separated from the ghetto. Around 90,000 people went through it, and 2,600 of those died there.

It was liberated on May 9, 1945 by the Soviet Army.

The Play

I Never Saw Another Butterfly is also the name of a full length play and a one-act version by Celeste Raspanti.[5] She based the play on a book of poetry and drawings made by the children of Terezin. The play centers on Raja Englanderova, one of the children who survived Terezin, and her family, friends, and classmates. She shares her story of living in the concentration camp, while retaining a world filled with butterflies and flowers with other children in the camp. Raspanti's play was adapted into a musical by Joseph Robinette and E. A. Alexander.[6]

The song cycle

In 1968 Jewish-Canadian composer Srul Irving Glick wrote the Holocaust-themed song cycle I Never Saw Another Butterfly for mezzosoprano (contralto) and orchestra or piano.[7] The songs are based on children's poems from the concentration camp at Theresienstadt (1942–44).[8][9]

The cycle consists of 6 songs:

  1. To Olga
  2. Yes thats the way things are
  3. The little mouse
  4. On a sunny evening
  5. Narrative
  6. The butterfly.

In 1972 the songs was issued on LP (with Maureen Forrester and John Newmark) by Canadian label Select (CC-15.073).[10]

See also

References
  1. "About the Author: Hana Volavkova". penguinrandomhouse.com. Penguin Random House. Retrieved 28 June 2018.
  2. aahelpdesk (May 21, 2009). "Holocaust Butterfly (slideshow)". Retrieved February 3, 2012.
  3. Berenbaum, Michael. "Theresienstadt". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
  4. "The History of Terezin". Retrieved March 7, 2019.
  5. "Celeste Raspanti". Archived from the original on 2012-07-31. Retrieved 2016-01-10.
  6. "I Never Saw Another Butterfly". Dramatic Publishing. Retrieved 28 June 2018.
  7. "Vocal". Srul Irving Glick. Retrieved 2019-01-18.
  8. "Srul Irving Glick: I never saw another butterfly: a cycle of songs to children's poems from the concentration camp at Terezin 1942-1944 (The LiederNet Archive: Texts and Translations to Lieder, mélodies, canzoni, and other classical vocal music)". www.lieder.net. Retrieved 2019-01-18.
  9. Evelyn, Jr., George E., WORDS, MUSIC, AND ETHNIC ELEMENTS IN SRUL-IRVING GLICK'S i never saw another butterfly, A LECTURE RECITAL TOGETHER WITH THREE RECITALS OF SELECTED WORKS OF J.S. BACH, S. BARBER, J. ERAHMS. A VIVALDI, G. FAURE, G. FINZI, H. DUPARC, M. MUSSORGSKY AND OTHERS. Doctor of Musical Arts (Vocal Performance), December, 1981
  10. "Srul Irving Glick / Harry Freedman / John Beckwith - Maureen Forrester, John Newmark - I Never Saw Another Butterfly / Poems For Young People / Five Songs". Discogs. Retrieved 2019-01-18.
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