Erich Ziegler

Erich Ziegler (born January 3, 1900 in Berlin, German Reich; died December 24, 1948 in The Hague, Netherlands) was a German musician, conductor and composer. Ziegler had led a rather unspectacular life as Kapellmeister until 1933. Ostracized as a Jew in the Third Reich, the native of Berlin emigrated to the Netherlands, where he joined the emigrant theater “Theater der Prominenten”. During the German occupation in his new adopted home, Ziegler was arrested and deported to the Westerbork transit camp on December 2, 1942. From May 1943, he took part in Max Ehrlich's camp programs as a pianist and composer at Willy Rosen's side, such as "Humor und Melodie" in 1943. Ziegler was liberated from Westerbork on April 12, 1945. He stayed in the Netherlands and found his job as musical director at the Skala Theater, where he musically supervised various revues. In 1948, the Dutch remigrant Jaap Speyer gave him the opportunity to compose a film music for the production of "Ein Königreich Für Ein Haus". It was Erich Ziegler's last work. He died on Christmas Eve 1948 in The Hague.