Trivia

Cabaret artist with Vienna's "Simplizissimus" and author of operettas and revues. A former lawyer, he took to performing from 1906. His lampooning of the Nazis, combined with the fact that he was a Jew, led to his internment in Dachau concentration camp. Already suffering from consumption, he died there in 1941.

The eloquent artist was spotted for the talkies at the beginning of the 30's and was often responsible for the amusing part.

A star was dedicated to him on the Walk of Fame of cabaret.

At an age of 18 years, he attended law school in Vienna which he concluded, in fact, as a doctor, but more and more he began to show interest for literature.

The actor Fritz Grünbaum was well-known as a sharp-tongued cabaret artist in the first place. Even in the years of the National Socialism he wasn't afraid of going for the actual rulers.

He died at the Dachau concentration camp on 14 January 1941 after having acted for a last time on New Year's Eve for his fellow-sufferers.

After a study as a lawyer from 1899 to 1903 he turned to the cabaret where he appeared at the Vienna "Die Hölle" from 1906. In the following years he was very successful as a cabaret artist in Vienna as well as Berlin.

During his lifetime, Fritz Grünbaum was a well-known art collector, especially of Austrian modernist art, whose artworks were featured in famous catalogs and exhibitions. His collection extended to over 400 pieces, 80 of them works by Egon Schiele (1890-1918). This collection disappeared during the Nazi period and 25% of the collection appeared on the art market in the early 1950s through Swiss Art dealer Eberhard Kornfeld. The fate of the rest is unknown.

During his childhood and adolescence Grünbaum lived with his family in Brünn which were dealing in art.

Besides his appearances in cabarets Fritz Grünbaum was also active as a writer for operettas, revues and tunes.

In spite of maltreatments and illness of tuberculosis his sharp tongue didn't become silent till the end. With his wit he tried to help his fellow prisoners to get over the difficult time.

Fritz Grünbaum tried to make off to Bratislava but he was sent back to Vienna from the Czech authority. There he was arrested shortly after and the Nazis brought him to the concentration camp Dachau for the time being. Later he was transferred to Buchenwald and back to Dachau again.

Until the beginning of World War I (in which he enlisted himself as a voluntary in 1915) again and again he traveled to Berlin - the first time in 1907 in order to perform at "Chat Noir" - to act as master of ceremonies at Rudolf Nelson's theaters.

When he met his colleague Karl Farkas at the Vienna cabaret "Simplicissimus" in 1921, it arose a fruitful cooperation. They were very successful with their "Doppelconference".

The Jew Fritz Grünbaum observed the rise of the National Socialists very critical and made fun of them on the stage. But the Nazis had already noticed him on their list.

After the law studies, he began as a master of ceremonies at Vienna Cabaret Die Hoelle, where he had his first performance in the operetta "Phryne" in 1906. From 1903 on he composed first libretti, among others with Robert Bodanzky and made his appearance as an actor in the most different minor parts on many Vienna Cellar Stages and Revue Theatres.