Karl Reitz

Karl Reitz (31 January 1887 – 10 February 1943) was a German violist. From 1922 until his death, he was principal violist of the Prussian State Orchestra of the Berlin Royal Court Opera (now Staatskapelle Berlin). He was known as violist in notable string quartets such as the Busch Quartet and the Deman String Quartet, regarded as one of the most renowned chamber music players of his time.

Life Reitz was born in Cologne as the first child of Carl Reitz and his wife Juliane née Meister, from the Koblenz Meister family of art dealers (see also Simon Meister). From 1922 until his death in 1943, he held the position of principal violist of the Prussian State Orchestra of the Berlin Royal Court Opera (now Staatskapelle Berlin). With the orchestra, he was a soloist in a recording of Don Quichote by Richard Strauss in 1933, conducted by the composer and with Enrico Mainardi as the cellist. and who was portrayed several times by August Sander. Karl Reitz met the painter Albert Aereboe whom he commissioned around 1917 to design the living room at 59a Holtenauer Strasse in Kiel (Brunswick) with murals and integrated paintings, watercolours and drawings to create an interior. The furniture was made according to designs by Hans Walter Reitz. This work has not survived, nor has the villa at Kranzallee 55 in Berlin-Westend, which Hans Walter Reitz later designed for his brother, but which was destroyed during one of the bombings of Berlin.

Reitz was first married to the violinist Henni Marie Reitz, née Kähler (1891–1973). His second wife was Hildegard Reitz, née Ehlers (1896–1989); the couple had four children.

Reitz died in Berlin at age 56.