Martin Roman

Martin Roman (Berlin 1913-1996) was a German jazz pianist.

At the time of the Reichstagsbrand in February 1933, Martin was stopped by SS men at the entrance to the huge Vaterland emporium in Berlin, where his band, the Marek Weber Band, was employed. He left for Holland. In January 1944 Roman was transported to Terezín.^[1] In summer 1944 he was forced to participate in a propaganda film in Terezinstadt which the commandant Rahm had coerced the actor Kurt Gerron to direct. Roman appeared leading his Ghetto Swingers. When the filming was over Roman and Gerron were sent to Auschwitz, where Gerron perished.^[2] Like jazz drummer and guitarist Coco Schumann, Roman survived. Gerron and clarinetist Fritz Weiss of the Jazz-Quintet-Weiss did not.

References

1. ^ Cross currents: No.7 University of Michigan. Dept. of Slavic Languages and Literatures, University of Michigan. Center for Russian and East European Studies - 1988 "In 1944 Martin Roman came to Terezin; he had played piano with the celebrated German orchestra, the Marek Weber Band, and because he was transported to the ghetto so late, had had an opportunity to follow the latest jazz developments.
2. ^ F. C. DeCoste,Bernard Schwartz The Holocaust's ghost: writings on art, politics, law, and education

Persondata
Name	Roman, Martin
Alternative names
Short description	Jazz pianist
Date of birth	1913
Place of birth	Berlind, Germany
Date of death	1996
Place of death