Remigration of Werner Richard Heymann
Remigration of Werner Richard Heymann
Es ist ein unbeschreibliches Wunder, wie populär ich immer noch bin. Wenn ich meinen Namen sagte, fragten die Leute: Sind Sie der Heymann? Dass meine Melodien sich 18 Jahre wie Volkslieder gehalten haben, obwohl sie 12 Jahre lang mehr oder weniger verboten waren, ist unbegreiflich.
[It is an indescribable miracle how popular I still am. When I said my name, people asked: Are you the Werner R. Heymann? It is incomprehensible that my melodies, like folk songs, are still popular after 18 years, despite their being more or less forbidden for 12 years. (ed. trans.)]
Werner R. Heymann in a letter to friends in the US, 18 May 1951
In early May 1951 the news service of the German Press Agency reported that Werner R. Heymann had arrived in Munich and would soon be working for the (also remigrated) actor, director and film producer Richard Eichberg. For days the press was full of reports on the composer, who had returned to Germany after 18 years of absence. The 65-year-old had not expected such a reception: "I haven't had five minutes to myself all week. Dozens of interviews, dozens of photographers, two hours at the Munich radio station which was preparing a 'Heymann hour'. They interviewed me for nearly half an hour, interrupted by a truly wonderful special arrangement of all my hits." (quoted from Hubert Ortkemper (ed.),"Liebling, mein Herz lässt dich grüßen", 2011)
Although Eichberg's "Betragen ungenügend" project, which had lured him back to the old country, never actually came to fruition, it had most welcome consequences for Heymann. He made the acquaintance of the film actress Elizabeth Millberg who was pencilled in for the lead role and who eventually became his fourth wife.
Further reading:
Ortkemper, Hubert (Hg.): Werner Richard Heymann „Liebling, mein Herz lässt dich grüßen“. Der erfolgreichste Komponist der UFA-Zeit erinnert sich. Mainz: Schott 2011
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