Violin, case and spare parts used by a Jewish Latvian musician while imprisoned in several concentration camps 2006.133.2_j front

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
Washington, United States

Violin, case, and parts kept by Perec Brandt during his imprisonment in several concentration camp from 1943-1945. A family friend gave the violin to Perec as a Bar Mitzvah present in 1921. Perec was the concertmaster of the Riga Latvian Symphony Orchestra in 1940 when the Soviets annexed Latvia. In 1941, Latvia was under German occupation and Perec’s wife, daughter, and son were murdered by the SS Einsatzgruppen [mobile killing unit]. Perec was imprisoned in the Riga ghetto, then transferred to Kaiserwald, Stuthoff, and Buchenwald concentration camps. He kept his violin with him during the transports; it was confiscated then returned in each camp. It stayed with him at all times; he even slept with it. On August 16, 1944, after arrival at Buchenwald, he asked a guard for his violin and was summoned to the commandant’s office. The commandant demanded Perec play certain pieces, threatening to shoot him if he could not. The commandant approved and summoned him to play daily, rewarding him with bread, meat, and coffee. The United States Army liberated Buchenwald on April 11, 1945. Perec weighed 50 pounds at liberation. He joined the Kibbutz Buchenwald area of a displaced persons camp. After liberation, he wrote a song dedicated to the violin which he believed saved his life. He performed with the instrument in various displaced persons camps where he met and married his second wife, Grunia (Gertrude), a survivor of Dachau. They emigrated to the United States in 1949.

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Title: Violin, case and spare parts used by a Jewish Latvian musician while imprisoned in several concentration camps 2006.133.2_j front
Provenance: The violin, case, and spare parts were donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2006 by Gertrude Brand, the widow of Percy Brand., The violin, case, and spare parts were donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2006 by Gertrude Brand, the widow of Percy Brand.
Subject Keywords: Concentration camp inmates--Germany--Buchenwald. Concentration camp inmates as musicians--Germany. Holocaust, Jewish--Latvia--Personal narratives. Jewish musicians--Latvia--Riga. Jewish refugees--Germany. World War, 1939-1945--Refugees--United States., Concentration camp inmates--Germany--Buchenwald. Concentration camp inmates as musicians--Germany. Holocaust, Jewish--Latvia--Personal narratives. Jewish musicians--Latvia--Riga. Jewish refugees--Germany. World War, 1939-1945--Refugees--United States.
Type: Personal Equipment and Supplies, Personal Equipment and Supplies
Rights: Permanent Collection, Permanent Collection
External Link: See the full record at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, See the full record at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
Medium: a. Full size, brown varnished, wooden violin. At the top end is a carved spiral volute scroll extending into a rectangular, slotted peg box with 2 holes on each side. Black painted wooden tuning pegs are inserted into each hole. Strings with multicolored thread wrapped around both ends are wound around the pegs. Below the peg box, the narrow neck attaches to the top block of the hourglass shaped body. The strings extend down the fingerboard and over the light brown, unfinished wooden bridge which is mounted upright between 2 F-shaped sound holes in the body, at the waist. The black painted tailpiece is attached with tailgut to the black painted endpin. The strings pass through 4 slotted holes. The A and E strings are attached with fine tuners; the D string is tied with a loop knot and the G string to a metal hook. Around the perimeter of the body and back is a black painted design simulating purfling, a narrow decorative wooden inlay. A white cloth handkerchief, taped to the body, covers a cushion glued to the right of the tailpiece; it is taped on the underside to a brown corduroy covered, semi-circular chin pad, with a gold colored metal ring. The pad is secured with a strip of white cloth attached to the endpin, allowing it to flip from back to front. b. Dark brown varnished wooden bow consisting of a curved stick with an animal hair ribbon strung between the tip and frog. A white, plastic, wedge shaped tip is glued under the rectangular head. The hair is inserted into a square slot in the tip, and locked into place with a wooden plug. At the opposite end, a rectangular frog with a U-Shaped cut out facing the tip is affixed to the stick. Attached to the lower leg of the U, a semi-circular silver metal ferrule secures the hair to the frog. Extending back from the ferrule is a rectangular slot with a mother of pearl insert and decorative circular mother of pearl side inserts. Above the frog, 2 black and brown leather strips wind around the stick. The stick extends slightly past the frog and is capped with a faceted metal endscrew. c. Rectangular, wooden, double violin case covered in brown leather with rounded, leather padded corners and a convex lid. All hardware is tarnished, silver colored metal. On the front are 2 drawbolts with a hasp lock and central keyplate. Attached on the base near the keyplate is a leather handle with buckled ends. Both sides have an elongated, rectangular metal plate; the left has engraved text. The lid is attached to the base with 3 flap hinges and there are 4 metal studs on the base underside. The interior is lined with blue felt. The base has 2 opposing violin compartments and 4 covered accessory compartments partially lined in leather. The perimeter is padded. The lid has 4 blue ribbon lined bow compartments. Metal spring brackets are on the right side for the handle end of the bow. The bow head slips into felt covered brackets on the left. d. Wooden, black painted tailpiece with a convex front, flat back, and a wide top tapering to a narrow, curved bottom. The top has a horizontal groove and 4 slotted openings for attaching strings and tuners. The underside has a semi-circular cavity at one end with 2 holes extending towards a thumb shaped depression. e. Light brown, rectangular, unfinished wooden bridge with 4 shallow notches on a curved top. The straight sides curl in at the waist and out at the hip before curving down to a flat bottomed foot. There is a heart shaped cut out in the center. f. Black painted tapered wooden tuning peg with a circular knob. The knob has horizontal depressions and a cylindrical shaft with a small hole near the lower end. g. Rectangular silver colored metal plate and an L-shaped hooked metal piece that connects the E string to the tailpiece. The plate has a keyhole shaped cut out at the top that fits over the hooked piece and a hole at the bottom with a threaded screw barrel. Raised letters are on the bottom of the plate. h. Rectangular, silver colored metal plate and an L-shaped, silver metal piece that connects the E string to the tailpiece. The plate has a keyhole shaped cut out at the top that fits over the flat head of the L-shaped piece and a hole at the bottom to insert a threaded screw barrel and turning screw. i. Gold colored metal turning screw with a circular, flat head and a pointed end inserted into a hollow screw barrel with a circular flat head and bottom. j. Gold colored metal turning screw with a cube shaped head and a threaded hole on one side., a. Full size, brown varnished, wooden violin. At the top end is a carved spiral volute scroll extending into a rectangular, slotted peg box with 2 holes on each side. Black painted wooden tuning pegs are inserted into each hole. Strings with multicolored thread wrapped around both ends are wound around the pegs. Below the peg box, the narrow neck attaches to the top block of the hourglass shaped body. The strings extend down the fingerboard and over the light brown, unfinished wooden bridge which is mounted upright between 2 F-shaped sound holes in the body, at the waist. The black painted tailpiece is attached with tailgut to the black painted endpin. The strings pass through 4 slotted holes. The A and E strings are attached with fine tuners; the D string is tied with a loop knot and the G string to a metal hook. Around the perimeter of the body and back is a black painted design simulating purfling, a narrow decorative wooden inlay. A white cloth handkerchief, taped to the body, covers a cushion glued to the right of the tailpiece; it is taped on the underside to a brown corduroy covered, semi-circular chin pad, with a gold colored metal ring. The pad is secured with a strip of white cloth attached to the endpin, allowing it to flip from back to front. b. Dark brown varnished wooden bow consisting of a curved stick with an animal hair ribbon strung between the tip and frog. A white, plastic, wedge shaped tip is glued under the rectangular head. The hair is inserted into a square slot in the tip, and locked into place with a wooden plug. At the opposite end, a rectangular frog with a U-Shaped cut out facing the tip is affixed to the stick. Attached to the lower leg of the U, a semi-circular silver metal ferrule secures the hair to the frog. Extending back from the ferrule is a rectangular slot with a mother of pearl insert and decorative circular mother of pearl side inserts. Above the frog, 2 black and brown leather strips wind around the stick. The stick extends slightly past the frog and is capped with a faceted metal endscrew. c. Rectangular, wooden, double violin case covered in brown leather with rounded, leather padded corners and a convex lid. All hardware is tarnished, silver colored metal. On the front are 2 drawbolts with a hasp lock and central keyplate. Attached on the base near the keyplate is a leather handle with buckled ends. Both sides have an elongated, rectangular metal plate; the left has engraved text. The lid is attached to the base with 3 flap hinges and there are 4 metal studs on the base underside. The interior is lined with blue felt. The base has 2 opposing violin compartments and 4 covered accessory compartments partially lined in leather. The perimeter is padded. The lid has 4 blue ribbon lined bow compartments. Metal spring brackets are on the right side for the handle end of the bow. The bow head slips into felt covered brackets on the left. d. Wooden, black painted tailpiece with a convex front, flat back, and a wide top tapering to a narrow, curved bottom. The top has a horizontal groove and 4 slotted openings for attaching strings and tuners. The underside has a semi-circular cavity at one end with 2 holes extending towards a thumb shaped depression. e. Light brown, rectangular, unfinished wooden bridge with 4 shallow notches on a curved top. The straight sides curl in at the waist and out at the hip before curving down to a flat bottomed foot. There is a heart shaped cut out in the center. f. Black painted tapered wooden tuning peg with a circular knob. The knob has horizontal depressions and a cylindrical shaft with a small hole near the lower end. g. Rectangular silver colored metal plate and an L-shaped hooked metal piece that connects the E string to the tailpiece. The plate has a keyhole shaped cut out at the top that fits over the hooked piece and a hole at the bottom with a threaded screw barrel. Raised letters are on the bottom of the plate. h. Rectangular, silver colored metal plate and an L-shaped, silver metal piece that connects the E string to the tailpiece. The plate has a keyhole shaped cut out at the top that fits over the flat head of the L-shaped piece and a hole at the bottom to insert a threaded screw barrel and turning screw. i. Gold colored metal turning screw with a circular, flat head and a pointed end inserted into a hollow screw barrel with a circular flat head and bottom. j. Gold colored metal turning screw with a cube shaped head and a threaded hole on one side.