Left Column (theater troupe)
Encyclopedia
The Left Column was an agitprop
theater troupe during the 1920s and 1930s. The troupe worked in support of the Workers International Relief (WIR). During the Nazi era, some of the group went into exile in the Soviet Union, where some of the members were arrested by the Soviet secret police
in the Great Purge
and in connection with the Hitler Youth Conspiracy
.
troupe was one of the most highly praised agitprop troupes in Germany, despite its lack of training.
Hans Hauska joined the troupe in late summer 1930.
In 1931, the Left Column were rewarded with a tour in the Soviet Union
for five weeks for having gained 16,000 new members for the WIR. On their return, they discovered that several of their performances in Germany were cancelled because a March 28, 1931 decree from the Reichspräsident to combat violence led to a local prohibition against agitprop theater assemblies. Six members then left Germany, embarking on a 4-month long trip by boat and train across Siberia
back to Moscow. In 1933, under Gustav von Wangenheim
's leadership, they established the German Left Column Theater with members of "Troupe 31", another agitprop theater group.
In 1935, troupe members Helmut Damerius
and Bruno Schmidtsdorf, were in Wangenheim's 1935 anti-Nazi film, Kämpfer. Schmidtsdorf played the lead role, Fritz Lemke, and Hauska wrote the music.
Beginning in 1935, the NKVD began arresting members of the troupe in the Great Purge. All those arrested were members who had arrived in Moscow after 1932. Arrested members included Hans Hauska on November 20, 1937. On February 5, 1938, Kurt Ahrendt, Karl Oefelein and Schmidtsdorf were arrested, charged with starting a branch of the Hitler Youth
, and were executed three weeks later. On March 17, 1938, Helmut Damerius, once a leader of the troupe, was arrested and sent to a gulag
in Siberia
. His sentence ended in 1946, after which he was banned to Kazakhstan
and forced to remain another eight years. Hauska, after four years in custody, and sentenced in a Nazi court on August 18, 1939 to one and a half years at hard labor in a Zuchthaus, was returned to the Nazis on December 5, 1940 under the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact. Other arrested members were Hans Klering
; Max Mielke, who arrived in Moscow in 1932, was arrested in 1938 and never heard from again; Albert Wolff; and Max (Samuel) Katzenellenbogen, a former member of the troupe in Berlin, who fled to Moscow after having been arrested by the Gestapo. He was arrested by the NKVD in 1937 and never heard from again.
Damerius survived his imprisonment, as did Klering, who returned to Germany in 1946 and became a co-founder of DEFA. Damerius was unable to leave the Soviet Union until 1956.
Agitprop
Agitprop is derived from agitation and propaganda, and describes stage plays, pamphlets, motion pictures and other art forms with an explicitly political message....
theater troupe during the 1920s and 1930s. The troupe worked in support of the Workers International Relief (WIR). During the Nazi era, some of the group went into exile in the Soviet Union, where some of the members were arrested by the Soviet secret police
NKVD
The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs was the public and secret police organization of the Soviet Union that directly executed the rule of power of the Soviets, including political repression, during the era of Joseph Stalin....
in the Great Purge
Great Purge
The Great Purge was a series of campaigns of political repression and persecution in the Soviet Union orchestrated by Joseph Stalin from 1936 to 1938...
and in connection with the Hitler Youth Conspiracy
Hitler Youth Conspiracy
The Hitler Youth Conspiracy was a case investigated by the Soviet secret police, during the Great Purge in the late 1930s. Essentially a theory in search of evidence, it nonetheless resulted in the arrest of numerous German teenagers and some in their twenties and beyond, who were accused of having...
.
History
In its early years, the group consisted of nine people, none of whom had any theatrical training, a pianist and a driver. The BerlinBerlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
troupe was one of the most highly praised agitprop troupes in Germany, despite its lack of training.
Hans Hauska joined the troupe in late summer 1930.
In 1931, the Left Column were rewarded with a tour in the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
for five weeks for having gained 16,000 new members for the WIR. On their return, they discovered that several of their performances in Germany were cancelled because a March 28, 1931 decree from the Reichspräsident to combat violence led to a local prohibition against agitprop theater assemblies. Six members then left Germany, embarking on a 4-month long trip by boat and train across Siberia
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
back to Moscow. In 1933, under Gustav von Wangenheim
Gustav von Wangenheim
Gustav von Wangenheim was a German actor, screenwriter and director.- Life :Wangenheim was born Ingo Clemens Gustav Adolf Freiherr von Wangenheim in Wiesbaden, Hesse, to parents Eduard Clemens Freiherr von Wangenheim and Minna Mengers...
's leadership, they established the German Left Column Theater with members of "Troupe 31", another agitprop theater group.
In 1935, troupe members Helmut Damerius
Helmut Damerius
Helmut Damerius was a German communist and a member of the Left Column, an agitprop theater group. As the Nazi Party gained in strength, he went into exile in Moscow, only to be arrested in the Hitler Youth Conspiracy and sentenced to a long term in a Soviet prison...
and Bruno Schmidtsdorf, were in Wangenheim's 1935 anti-Nazi film, Kämpfer. Schmidtsdorf played the lead role, Fritz Lemke, and Hauska wrote the music.
Beginning in 1935, the NKVD began arresting members of the troupe in the Great Purge. All those arrested were members who had arrived in Moscow after 1932. Arrested members included Hans Hauska on November 20, 1937. On February 5, 1938, Kurt Ahrendt, Karl Oefelein and Schmidtsdorf were arrested, charged with starting a branch of the Hitler Youth
Hitler Youth
The Hitler Youth was a paramilitary organization of the Nazi Party. It existed from 1922 to 1945. The HJ was the second oldest paramilitary Nazi group, founded one year after its adult counterpart, the Sturmabteilung...
, and were executed three weeks later. On March 17, 1938, Helmut Damerius, once a leader of the troupe, was arrested and sent to a gulag
Gulag
The Gulag was the government agency that administered the main Soviet forced labor camp systems. While the camps housed a wide range of convicts, from petty criminals to political prisoners, large numbers were convicted by simplified procedures, such as NKVD troikas and other instruments of...
in Siberia
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
. His sentence ended in 1946, after which he was banned to Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Ranked as the ninth largest country in the world, it is also the world's largest landlocked country; its territory of is greater than Western Europe...
and forced to remain another eight years. Hauska, after four years in custody, and sentenced in a Nazi court on August 18, 1939 to one and a half years at hard labor in a Zuchthaus, was returned to the Nazis on December 5, 1940 under the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact. Other arrested members were Hans Klering
Hans Klering
Hans Klering was a German actor, director, voice actor, graphic designer and author. He joined the Communist Party and went into exile in the Soviet Union in 1931, returning to Germany in 1945...
; Max Mielke, who arrived in Moscow in 1932, was arrested in 1938 and never heard from again; Albert Wolff; and Max (Samuel) Katzenellenbogen, a former member of the troupe in Berlin, who fled to Moscow after having been arrested by the Gestapo. He was arrested by the NKVD in 1937 and never heard from again.
Damerius survived his imprisonment, as did Klering, who returned to Germany in 1946 and became a co-founder of DEFA. Damerius was unable to leave the Soviet Union until 1956.
Notable members
- Helmut DameriusHelmut DameriusHelmut Damerius was a German communist and a member of the Left Column, an agitprop theater group. As the Nazi Party gained in strength, he went into exile in Moscow, only to be arrested in the Hitler Youth Conspiracy and sentenced to a long term in a Soviet prison...
- Hans Hauska
- Hans KleringHans KleringHans Klering was a German actor, director, voice actor, graphic designer and author. He joined the Communist Party and went into exile in the Soviet Union in 1931, returning to Germany in 1945...
- Gustav von WangenheimGustav von WangenheimGustav von Wangenheim was a German actor, screenwriter and director.- Life :Wangenheim was born Ingo Clemens Gustav Adolf Freiherr von Wangenheim in Wiesbaden, Hesse, to parents Eduard Clemens Freiherr von Wangenheim and Minna Mengers...
Further reading
- Christine Kanzler, "Vom Kulturrevolutionär zum 'Volksfeind'. Hans Hauska und die 'Kolonne Links'" in: Hans Schafranek (Ed.), Die Betrogenen. Österreicher als Opfer stalinistischen Terrors in der Sowjetunion, Vienna (1991) p. 48ff
- Hermann Weber, "Weiße Flecken" in der Geschichte. Die KPD-Opfer der Stalinschen Säuberungen und ihre Rehabilitierung, Frankfurt am Main (1989), p. 86ff
External links
- Der Kampf (1936), U.S. release of Gustav von Wangenheim's film, Kämpfer Internet Movie Database. (Original Russian title: Bortsy)