WALTZ KING’S ESTATE

Evening Star, Issue 23383, 28 September 1939, Page 12

WALTZ KING’S ESTATE

CONFISCATED BY VIENNA

The Vienna municipality has decreed tlv.it the entire personal estate and music rights of Johann Strauss the second, are the property of the city, reports a recent message'from Vienna to the ‘ New York Times.’ Johann Strauss, “the Waltz King,’ was the son of the equally celebrated musician of the same name. He died in 1899, leaving his personal property to his step daughter, now h rau Alice Meyssner-Strauss, and the royalties on his musical works to his widow, born Adelo Deutsch, who died some time aS She, the widow, was Jewish, and had previously married a bank director, also named Strauss, by whom she had a daughter, who wa s often called the daughter of Johann Strauss.’’ In a loosely-worded will Strauss left his widow, Adele, 4,000 crowns and the royalty rights on all his music; everyth! n fr else, to the Vienna Friends of Music Association. Annually until her death Adele Deutsch ‘Strauss-Strauss received a small fortune in royalties. She aecuir dated a large estate and at the same time she obtained from various relations all the relics of Johann that they P that she was collecting

everything possible connected with “ the Waltz King ” because she wished to leave them, on her death,to ilia Vienna municipality for the establish, ment of a museum

Upon Adele’s death Strauss’s relatives and friends learned with consternation that the municipality had not received them, but that the stepdaughter, Alice, had inherited everything. This stepdaughter is now 64 years old and is married to a retired non-Jewish army officer named Mcy.-sner and bears the name Alice Meyssner-Strauss She has continued to receive annual royalties on the Strauss music.

Upon the accession of the Nazis sh* attempted through Aryan lawyers to obtain a certificate stating that she was Aryan. She based her claim on the old rumour that Johann Strauss was really her father.

The Nazis refused this and in June the newspaper ‘ Stuermer ” made several demands for confiscation of all tho wealth, relics, and royalties connected with the Strauss family. This has now been done.