Life history of Lewandowski

The son of a server in the synagogue, Louis Lewandowski was born to a poor family on 3 April 1821 in Wreschen, which is today in Poland. Like the children of many poor families of the time, at the age of 12 he left his family and went to Berlin.

He found shelter with the Jewish community. The cantor, Escher Lion quickly discovered the musicality of this boy soprano and made him his musical assistant in religious services.
At that time the conventions of synagogue music banned all musical instruments from the synagogue. The liturgy was led by a prayer leader and his two assistants, a bass and a soprano voice.

As his remuneration the community fed and housed Louis and paid for his schooling at a grammar school. Introduced into the Mendelssohn family by his teacher, Lewandowski became acquainted with many important artists of the time, whose concerts, conversation and encouragement had a significant influence on his development as an artist. Louis received violin and piano lessons and even became the first Jew to be allowed to study at the Berlin Academy of the Arts. There, with great success, he composed profane music.

Quelle: Nemtzov/Simon: Louis Lewandowski. Jüdische Miniaturen Bd. 114, Berlin 2011
Bild: Jüdisches Museum Berlin

For four years he suffered from a nervous condition, which forced him to interrupt his studies, but which brought about his return to his roots. And so began his long and finally successful struggle to link the two musical traditions. He was one of the first composers to link synagogue chant with the development of modern European music.

In 1840 Louis became the choirmaster for the Jewish community and in 1865 he was appointed as Royal Director of Music. In 1890 the Academy of the Arts bestowed on him the title of Professor of Music. Louis Lewandowski died on 3 February 1894. His grave is in the Jewish Cemetery in Berlin-Weissensee.