Reinhold Fritz

Reinhold Fritz (16 March 1884 – 30 October 1950) was a German operatic bass-baritone. He was engaged at the Stuttgart Court Opera for 25 years and was awarded the title Kammersänger. He performed a broad repertoire of both serious and comic roles, and participated in world premieres including the first version of Ariadne auf Naxos by Richard Strauss, Siegfried Wagner's An allem ist Hütchen schuld! and Hindemith's Das Nusch-Nuschi. Fritz was dismissed in 1933 under the Nazi regime because his wife was Jewish.

Life and career Born in Ostfildern, However, unlike his Jewish colleagues Hermann Horner and Hermann Wilhelm Weil, who were also dismissed, he was given the right to a farewell performance. On 6 December 1933, he appeared as van Bett in Lortzing's Zar und Zimmermann, one of his signature roles, and was named an honorary member of the house that evening. He was also successful in guest appearances and impressed with his versatility. His work in Stuttgart was shown in the exhibition Verstummte Stimmen (Silenced voices), about the expulsion of Jewish performers from 1933 to 1945, which was also shown at the Stuttgart State Opera in autumn 2008. On 7 April 2016, another memorial session for the victims of the Nazi regime was held among the members of the Stuttgart State Theatres. In this context, a wall plaque "Verstummte Stimmen" for 23 artists, including Reinhold Fritz, was unveiled in the foyer of the Staatstheater.