Karel ŠvenkKarel Švenk, born Schwenk (1907-1945), was active in Prague and other Czech towns as actor, ‎director, writer, and composer before the war. One of the prime initiators of Terezín's cultural ‎activities, he crated the cabaret, or variety show, becoming Terezín's most popular theatre producer.‎
On December 28, 1941, the Nazis sanctioned performances in Terezín, reasoning that the prisoners ‎would cause less trouble. These Kameradschaftsabende (evenings of fellowship) then sprang up ‎rapidly in succession. Svenk joined forces with pianist/conductor Rafael Schächter, who was ‎involved in Terezín's choral activities, and in early 1942, presented the first all-male cabaret, called ‎‎"The Lost Food Card," for men living in the "Sudeten" barracks. At this time, Czech inhabitants ‎were still in the city and the camp's prisoners were forbidden to leave their barracks.‎
Švenk wrote the text as well as the music, and besides being director and producer, he participated ‎in the performance as an actor. Besides being amusing, the cabaret had a more important mission: to ‎strengthen the morale of the prisoners. The show's success was instantaneous, especially when the ‎final song, the Terezín Hymn [also called the Terezín March], sung only in Czech, reached the ears ‎of the listeners. Its refrain expressed the cruel present and hope for the future. Svenk incorporated ‎the hymn into all his subsequent cabarets.‎
Cabarets were easy to assemble, and with small groups the show could move from one attic to ‎another and be performed in modest accommodations for limited audiences. The gates of the ‎barracks eventually opened, and people could attend cultural activities of their own choice, thus ‎enabling the women to see and also participate. Women took part in Švenk's third and most ‎important cabaret ¬ his only Terezín play ¬ "The Last Cyclist," but it was immediately censored after ‎the dress-rehearsal. Švenk put together several more or less improvised shows before being sent to ‎Auschwitz in September, 1944. About a month later, he was selected to go as a laborer to a factory ‎in Menselwitz near Leipzig. The heavy work, long hours and insufficient food caused a rapid ‎deterioration of his already weakened health and he died in April, 1945. Only six songs from his ‎Terezín output have been preserved. "The Last Cyclist" was performed in Prague following the war. ‎

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