Cornelius Schnauber

Professor Cornelius Schnauber is an eminent and highly-decorated scholar, historian, playwright, biographer and educator. He is at present an Emeritus Associate Professor of German at the University of Southern California (USC).

Schnauber was born near Dresden, Germany on April 18, 1939. He received his doctorate at the University of Hamburg in 1968 having studied German literature, phonetics, and political science.^[1] He was also an instructor in the Phonetics Institute of the University from 1963 to 1968.^[2] On a 2004 PBS "Life and Times" TV show, Schnauber says that his father "was an early member of the Nazi party ... He was not ambitious as though he didn't want to become one of the leaders, but when the Nazis took over, he had a good job first in the Nazi unions and then later on during the war in the Nazi Red Cross." When Schnauber's grandparents brought up the question of where the Jews were sent, his father said they were deported to another country.^[3]

After his education in Germany, Schnauber met his wife, Judith Docter an American from Stanford, and they moved to Los Angeles.^[3] They have a son and daughter: composer and music professor Tom Schnauber, and concert singer and performing artist Christina Linhardt. In Los Angeles, Schnauber became an Assistant Professor of German at USC (1968-1972) and from 1972, Associate Professor of German. He was Chairman of the Department of German at USC from 1975 to 1984.^[2] In September 1984, he founded the Max Kade Institute for Austrian-German-Swiss Studies at USC and he has been the director of the Institute from its foundation.^[2] He has been described by the Jewish Journal as "a leader in fostering German-Jewish relations".^[4] Professor Schnauber is the co-founder of the German-Jewish dialogue with Morris Kagan, which has for over two decades brought together second generation German and Jews for reconciliation and healing.

From 1992 he has also been the German diction coach of the Los Angeles Opera, helping to give performers a better understanding of the relationship between text and music in German operas.^[5]

As an author, Schnauber's output has ranged over a wide variety of subjects from an analysis of Hitler's Germany, Wie Hitler sprach und schrieb, Zur Psychologie der faschistischen Rhetorik (How Hitler Spoke and Wrote. The Psychology of Fascist Rhetoric), to philosophy, Pragmatischer Humanismus, Thesen Analysen Konsequenzen (Pragmatic Humanism, Theses, Analyses, Consequences), to literary criticism, Deine Träume - Mein Gedicht. Eugen Gomringer und die konkrete Poesie (Your Dreams -- My Poem: Eugen Gomringer and the Concrete Poetry), to studies of European artists in Hollywood, Spaziergänge durch das Hollywood der Emigranten (Hollywood Haven, Home and Haunts of the European Emigres and Exiles in Los Angeles). He has also contributed biographies of Fritz Lang and Placido Domingo.^[1][2]

Dr. Schnauber has also written a number of plays including one about Richard Wagner's last days and his relations with his wife Cosima and fellow composer Felix Mendelssohn.^[6] Another production, Irma and Emma, exploring the shifting memories of two old women in a nursing home, made its debut in 2006.^[7]

Professor Schnauber has been honored many times in his career including the Distinction of Honor in Gold for Services to the Republic of Austria (1979), The Federal Republic of Germany Friendship Award (1983), The Cross of the Order of Merit for the Federal Republic of Germany (1986), and Officer's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany awarded by the President of Germany in 2002. A further honor was the 2003 "Resolution Cornelius Schnauber" from the Los Angeles City Council for "his contributions to the understanding of the cultural heritage of the City of Los Angeles and the longstanding history of friendship between Berlin and Los Angeles". These accolades ranks him as Germany's most decorated citizen. ^[1][2] His autobiography, Von Dresden bis Hollywood. Erinnerungen, Reflexionen und Begegnungen aus zwei Welten erzählt einer Freundin in 7 Vigilien (ISBN 3000302395) was published by Progress Media and released March 2010.^[8]

External links

• Website at the University of Southern California

Notes

1. ^ ^{a b c} "CBS TV "Hitler, the rise of evil" - Historical Consultants". CBS TV. http://www.cbs.com/specials/rise_of_evil/about/about.shtml. Retrieved 2008-11-22. 
2. ^ ^{a b c d e} "USC - Faculty Cornelius Schnauber". USC Website. http://college.usc.edu/faculty/faculty1003680.html. Retrieved 2008-11-22. 
3. ^ ^{a b} "KCET Life & Times Transcript 4/21/2004". KCET Website. http://www.kcet.org/lifeandtimes/archives/200404/20040421.php. Retrieved 2008-11-22. 
4. ^ "Richard Wagner’s Day of Reckoning". Jewish Journal. June 1, 2006. http://www.jewishjournal.com/arts/article/richard_wagners_day_of_reckoning_20060602/. Retrieved 2009-04-22. 
5. ^ "RotaMonica". www.rotaryclubofsantamonica.org. January 5, 2006. http://www.rotaryclubofsantamonica.org/Club%20Newsletter/2006-2007/RotaMonica_010507x.pdf. Retrieved 2009-04-22. 
6. ^ Schreiber, Brad (February 14, 2007). "Wagner and Mendelssohn: Music and Women". AllBusiness. http://www.allbusiness.com/services/amusement-recreation-services/4581018-1.html. Retrieved 2009-04-22. 
7. ^ Foley, F. Kathleen (May 26, 2006). "Maybe it plays better in German". LA Times. http://articles.latimes.com/2006/may/26/entertainment/et-stage26.3. Retrieved 2009-04-22. 
8. ^ "Von Dresden bis Hollywood: Erinnerungen, Reflexionen und Begegnungen aus zwei Welten (Gebundene Ausgabe)" (in German). www.amazon.de. http://www.amazon.de/Von-Dresden-bis-Hollywood-Erinnerungen/dp/3000302395. Retrieved 2010-07-12. 

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Name	Schnauber, Cornelius
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Date of birth	1939
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