Munich, April 12, 2026 – The ‘Raumfluchten’ project, spearheaded by composer and musicologist Leon Zmelty, is actively uncovering and making audible the histories of individuals persecuted by the National Socialist regime at the Munich University of Music and Performing Arts. Zmelty’s work involves delving into dusty archives to transform seemingly dry historical records into compelling personal narratives, highlighting the deeply political nature of music history.
Unveiling Hidden Biographies from the Archives
Zmelty’s daily work is diverse, ranging from meticulous archival research to digital investigations and the creation of artistic exposés for remembrance projects. He meticulously sifts through century-old personnel files at the university archive, reconstructing the lives of persecuted faculty and students.
A particularly moving discovery for Zmelty was a letter from violin professor Yannis Santo, a Jewish musician dismissed in 1933 following the Nazi takeover. Santo, who emigrated to the USA in 1938, wrote in the 1970s to a former colleague back in Germany, expressing his longing to return and his fondness for his former peers. Santo, once a successful violinist and first chair with the predecessor orchestra of the Munich Philharmonic, disappeared from public life after 1933, eventually fleeing to Hungary and then the USA after his German citizenship was revoked.
Zmelty’s research, focusing on all university members from 1918 to 1945-a total of approximately 6,000 individuals-has so far identified 99 victims of persecution. While acknowledging a potential small margin of error, Zmelty believes a significant portion of the persecuted have now been identified through systematic cross-referencing with other digital archives.
From Dry Records to Human Stories
Despite the often dry nature of archival documents, Zmelty emphasizes how even a single page can reveal a profound human story. He cites the example of a simple deregistration form from the university stating, “I must deregister due to my Aryan descent.” Such a document, though small, powerfully conveys the personal impact of the regime’s policies.
As a composer himself, Zmelty is particularly moved by the biographies of fellow composers from the 1920s. He notes how some, like Carl Orff and Karl Amadeus Hartmann, navigated the political landscape differently. Hartmann, often described as an oppositional composer who went into “internal exile,” largely refused commissions from the Nazi government, while Orff, though not entirely compliant, benefited from the regime’s opportunities.
Zmelty also points to figures like Fritz Büchtger, who founded the “Weeks for Contemporary Music” in Munich in 1927. Faced with the potential collapse of his contemporary music initiatives, Büchtger joined the SA and likely the NSDAP to further his passion for modern music and his career.
The Transformative Power of Music and Remembrance Projects
Zmelty’s artistic background deeply influences his research. He acknowledges that his understanding of music and his own compositional process have been profoundly altered by confronting the Nazi past. He now views music with a critical eye, recognizing its dual capacity to express both good and evil.
The ‘Raumfluchten’ project is not merely academic; its findings are integrated into concrete artistic endeavors. A significant upcoming project is a large-scale music theater production involving puppets. This project draws inspiration from a Jewish puppet theater established in Munich in the 1930s by Maria Luiko, which operated within the Jewish Cultural Association due to restrictions on public performances for Jewish artists. This historical precedent, involving alumni from both the fine arts and music academies, will serve as a model for a new puppet theater piece that reflects the history of the university and the biographies of the persecuted.
Why Remembrance is Crucial Today
Zmelty stresses the enduring importance of learning from history, especially in contemporary times where political landscapes can shift dramatically. He believes understanding the origins of persecution and the impact on institutions like the Munich Music Academy is vital to prevent similar atrocities from recurring. The project aims to illuminate where persecution begins and how society can be prepared to confront it.
The project’s insights were shared in an interview with Uta Sailer on BR Klassik’s “Leporello” program.
