My Ph.D. research at the University of Surrey, supervised by Emeritus Professor of Music Jeremy Barham, investigates the life and work of composer Leon Kaczmarek (1903–1978), specifically the compositions he wrote throughout his imprisonment in the Nazi Dachau concentration camp in Germany between 1940 and 1945.

Published as a monograph by Palgrave Macmillan, the study represents a compelling contribution to the field by unearthing the biography and musical heritage of a previously unexplored twentieth-century composer, one of the most prolific from the Nazi concentration camps. In this book, I examine the ways in which Leon Kaczmarek affirmed his artistic identity, review the meaning of his pieces and how they relate to compositions written in other camps, and explore the extent of his collaborations with fellow prisoners in Dachau, as well as the human experience behind their works. In considering the multifaceted perspectives through which Kaczmarek created his compositions, this research restores the voices of marginalized individuals from the ashes of historical oblivion to eternal remembrance.

Volume Structure

The first chapter outlines the genesis and rationale of this work and provides a detailed overview of the historical background related to the topic of concentration camp music, followed by an extensive review of the existing scholarship in the field.

The second chapter provides a biographical account of Leon Kaczmarek and a review of the musical activities that occurred in the Dachau concentration camp, including an overview of the history and repertoire of the German camp choir of which he was director.

The  third chapter  offers an in-depth analysis of all the pieces featuring lyrics written by his fellow prisoners, in which the rediscovered compositions bear the essence of their lyricists with Kaczmarek’s work as a musical frame.

In the fourth chapter, the investigation focusses on the works set to pre-existing German poems in which Kaczmarek’s musical creation becomes a vehicle for introspection through which the composer sheds light on his most personal reflections. In addition, the fourth chapter examines the works he was allegedly forced to compose, and the ethical considerations surrounding this.

Finally, the fifth chapter  explores the instrumental compositions written by Kaczmarek, in particular his solo piano compositions, revealing how he was able to highlight his Polish national identity through music.