European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 11, 1947, Darmstadt, Hesse                                An artist in politics continued Page 3 i heard something about i believe much i read in the was How did you feel about the musicians who had to leave Germany they Are better Oft than More Gieseking what did he think of Hitler he was a very gifted a Clever politician and achieved Many things for his he used to say he didst want War and we believed you never thought of leaving he was not after i would have lost my entire and i had my family and father to think about you understand that in these times a person of your artistic Caliper May be used for i dont agree with he Art is something More than prop the state should be the servant of its 4 you Are known Lei throughout the world As the Foremost interpreter of French impression Listic during the you stopped playing Ravel and that was an order of the Reich music he you did play Debussy before a foreign press association in Berlin during the even with the special permission you had obtained to do dont you think that kind of a Deal Lowers your professional standing Gieseking replied i always abide by the i never try to go against its no you also played for the Usfo Luftwaffe the students in this school after graduation became Polit ical party they were a fanatical nazis and hated by the answer this was in the line of i want drafted into the army in on condition that i do my duty whenever called you played for the Ogdensburg in this was a training acad Emy for future did you know that the Young fanatics in Ogdensburg were trained in the use of brutal Force Many of them took part in the mass executions and similar Matroci this was also in the line of it was in Switzerland in the Early part of 1945 that i first heard about even then we didst believe it maybe you didst want to be he was in reply he i am an All i want to do is be Able to play the Many germans Are of the opinion that you were quite willing to cooperate with the More than other outstanding German artist they were envious of because i used to go what did you do to oppose the nazis he was answer i played Debussy there was no ruling on but i took a this the Wiesbaden de Nazif cation prosecutor reported his findings to they could find no evidence whereby the Law of liberation from National socialism could affect the pianist a lot of evidence against the artist is not one of com but of of rather than simultaneously with the news of Gieseking a storm of protest broke out in the the Finger of accusation was pointed at the Man by no less a pianist than Vladimir once called the greatest keyboard artist and particularly by foreign artists who had to flee David author of a number of Authora Tive books on wrote the new York times suggesting that a United nations committee be formed to investigate the merits of foreign artists with collaborationist he mentioned specifically the Case of Walter several music critics voiced their protest and demanded that All Gieseking phonograph recordings be Jacque Thi the French now living and working in the made some of the most damning and vitriolic comments of All in an american musical Trade he was sub sequently called to Back up his charges and admitted that his state ments were All Edward Gieseking american who As a Soldier in the army during this War had been with the first troops to enter Germany concentration Camps and talked to the survivors of came to Gieseking i ask Only that those of you who insist on making politicians out of artists get their facts he wrote to the new York a Wiesbaden Denali fiction Board has declared repeatedly that there was no taint of political guilt on Gieseking was first cleared by the French and he we gave him a clean Bill of political health Only after a thorough eighteen months word of Mouth like a always seems to particularly in the music he it does seem that the responsible Public and the responsible pub Lisher should get their facts straight and that is All we have made no attempt to White Wash William Dubensky Gieseking is one of those rare germans who has not tried to White Wash also we do not believe in Clearing an artist simply because he is an artist there Are still Many cases where the political past of an individual artist is so Black that you cant see his Art for his in his own Gieseking said America will probably cond emn me for Lack of political interest is not the fault of germans not knowing enough was my fault and the guilt of neglecting to try and inform when he obeyed the Laws of nazi he he did so because bucking so Many Petty regulations did not seem Worth i had always that when i let other things distract me from my i did not play so i tried to submerge my self in All i Ever wanted to do was play the that was my life and my he says the real nature of the nazis was not known to if his concerts were As his Paris affairs were he he Felt that he was promoting understanding and Mutual esteem be tween different even while their armies were at when As a play Debussy with what is said to be perfect he pointed is this not a proof that germans and French and All other Peoples can be friends during the third his financial gains were he after deducting income his prof its for his most profitable were Only Marks More than those of since the ban against his playing in Public has been perform ances in the British and French zones and in where enthusiastic russians showered him with the manuscripts of their National have proved that time has net dulled the touch of Gieseking sensitive invitations from All Over the world for future engagements have followed the lifting of the Gieseking american managers have signed him for the season of hoping that by that time the peace treaty with Ger Many will have been signed and the artist will be Given an exit mean Gieseking is keeping his ears tuned to the reception Kirsten stad is getting in her attempts to re establish herself again with american the norwegian wagnerian Soprano fell from when she left the United states during the War to return to Norway and her now professor and Gieseking and their two Blond nine and live in a modern bomb damaged built on a plateau overlooking the City of continued on Pope 23