Women's Orchestra of Auschwitz. A Survival Story

In 1943, SS officers responsible for the concentration camp complex near the Polish town of Auschwitz ordered the creation of an orchestra made up of female inmates. Nearly fifty prisoners from eleven countries played march music in any weather for other forced laborers. Living in the most dreadful conditions, the orchestra members were forced to regularly perform concerts for Nazi officers, and some girls were sometimes called for solo performances. For almost everyone, this ultimately saved their lives. But at what cost? Historian and biographer Anne Sebba, drawing on archival research and unique firsthand accounts, gazes into this tragic narrative, full of complex ethical questions. What role did music play in the death camp? How did it affect those whose lives became indebted to participation in the Nazi propaganda project? What is it like to entertain those who destroyed, among others, your loved ones?