Wilhelm Fischer (musicologist)


Wilhelm Fischer was an Austrian musicologist.

Life

Born in Vienna, Fischer studied musicology at the University of Vienna with Guido Adler, as well as geography and history and took private composition lessons with Hermann Graedener. From 1912-1928 he was assistant to his former teacher and now patron Adler. After his habilitation with the topic Zur Entwicklungsgeschichte des Wiener klassischen Still in 1915, he was appointed professor in 1923. In 1928 he took over the chair of musicology at the University of Innsbruck as successor of Rudolf von Ficker.
After the Anschluss, Fischer was forced to retire as a Jew in April 1938. When a "Gauverbot" was imposed on him for Tyrol in 1939, he had to move back to Vienna and was employed in a metal factory as a forced labourer until 1945. Other family members were murdered in The Holocaust, including his sister in the Auschwitz concentration camp. His 85-year-old mother died after the forced evacuation of her apartment in an emergency shelter.
In 1945 Fischer was rehabilitated and appointed director of the Music and Arts University of the City of Vienna until 1948. The same year he was reinstated to his chair in Innsbruck, where he taught as professor from 1951 to 196.
Fisher died in Innsbruck at the age of 75.

Literature