GermanHarpist
739 posts
Dec 03, 2009
7:17 AM
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Has the star on the pre-war hohners something to do with the star of david? Would kinda make sense, as it dissappeared during the Nazi time.
Any thoughts?
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germanharpist on YT. =;-)
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toddlgreene
206 posts
Dec 03, 2009
7:19 AM
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Good question! Since first seeing one a club member acquired, I wondered the same thing. It would be interesting to know this bit of history. Were the Hohners German Jews perhaps?
EDIT: check this out:
http://archive.chazzanut.com/jewish-music/msg09694.html
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~Todd L. Greene, Devout Pedestrian
"listen to what you like for inspiration, but find your own voice"
crescentcityharmonicaclub@gmail.com
Last Edited by on Dec 03, 2009 7:22 AM
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blogward
28 posts
Dec 03, 2009
7:38 AM
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Ask yourself - whether or not you were Jewish, would you have continued to stamp ambiguous symbols on your product under the Nazi regime? I daresay that if the word came from the Chancellery, there's a record of it somewhere.
Also, the harmonica being the instrument of choice for the poorer, itinerant type of musician (like most of us on this board:•)), it wouldn't surprise me to learn that poorer, itinerant Jews saw a market for it, and the piece-work of the mid-to-late industrial revolution would have been perfect for small workshops or cottage manufacture - in which Jews denied access to more respectable occupations (yes, in the 19th century) would have found an income. However, the diatonic tuning was made for the playing of Christian hymns, wasn't it? And isn't it ironic that it got turned for the Devil's music...
Last Edited by on Dec 03, 2009 7:39 AM
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MrVerylongusername
669 posts
Dec 03, 2009
7:52 AM
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No - it's not a Star of David, the Hohners weren't Jewish. I read somewhere (Pat Missin I think) that the star respresents M Hohner's family (6 sons) and that early harps had a 5 pointed star (before his youngest son's birth). Obviously the star was dropped in the 30s to avoid the perception of association. If Hohner's family was Jewish none of us would be playing Hohners now.
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blogward
31 posts
Dec 03, 2009
7:57 AM
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http://www.usmbooks.com/nazi_sa_harmonica.html
Hohner made Harps for the Wehrmacht. I imagine the star came up in a meeting.
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GermanHarpist
740 posts
Dec 03, 2009
7:58 AM
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"I imagine the star came up in a meeting." lol
I also read that hohner were very opportunistic... however not especially right.
I.e. they recommended the movie "Nothing new on the western front" as a good war-movie with harmonicas. As there was a military harmonica band playing in the trenches.
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germanharpist on YT. =;-)
Last Edited by on Dec 03, 2009 7:59 AM
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toddlgreene
209 posts
Dec 03, 2009
8:40 AM
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haha, I envision Hitler looming over the Hohner rep in a meeting, in his best Bill Lundbergh(from Office Space)voice...
'Ummm, yeaahhhh...about the star thing on the cover plates...I'm gonna need you to come in on Sunday and take that off of there. That'd be great'
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~Todd L. Greene, Devout Pedestrian
"listen to what you like for inspiration, but find your own voice"
crescentcityharmonicaclub@gmail.com
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nacoran
487 posts
Dec 03, 2009
10:23 AM
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The Star of David didn't always have such a strictly Jewish meaning. Back in the 1800's, for instance, the U.S. used it interchangeably with the five pointed stars. It shows up on some coins and such. I imagine WWII did a lot to publicize it's Jewish meanings which probably changed how other groups used it.
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blogward
33 posts
Dec 03, 2009
12:35 PM
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My son made me LOL by asking what the Wehrmacht were doing playing mouth-organs anyway. A fair point I suppose.
Last Edited by on Dec 03, 2009 12:36 PM
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GermanHarpist
741 posts
Dec 03, 2009
12:45 PM
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@blogward: I read that it was an issue of debate whether the mouth-organ was enough of an "arian" instrument. However, once they realized it's powerful potential for front-line-use, it was very much promoted.
And well, obviously hohner was game.
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germanharpist on YT. =;-)
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barbequebob
153 posts
Dec 03, 2009
3:11 PM
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They stopped using that just before World War II, and any of those Hohners play far better than most of the newer ones do. I have several pre-WWII MB's, including one that is in almost brand new condition and was made sometime in the early 1900's. Plays unbelievable!!! Fat chance those will ever leave my house or get sold. They fetch pretty high bids on Ebay for a damned good reason.
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Sincerely,
Barbeque Bob Maglinte
Boston, MA
http://www.barbequebob.com
CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
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blogward
36 posts
Dec 03, 2009
3:20 PM
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'Lili Marlene', the tune that Axis and Allies both adopted in WWII, is a nice tune to tongue-block in 1st.
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LIP RIPPER
141 posts
Dec 03, 2009
3:31 PM
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BBQ Bob, you're right about the old ones. I recently bought a late 30's model in the key of C. I swear it is mint, unbelievable. I mean I took it apart and the wood was spotless inside. I think it is the best out of the box harp that I have purchased. I don't even play it. It's here in front of me at my desk and whenever I get my garage project completed I will sand seal and massage this jewell.
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barbequebob
156 posts
Dec 03, 2009
3:43 PM
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The first pre-WWII MB's I got were in 1983, and an elderly gentlema had an old wood combed 280 Chromtic for sale in brand new condition, and a few other things for sale.
When he wrote back to me, he told me he had two of those chromatics, but I was one day too late as he had sold both of them, and he told me he had 4 pre-WWII Marine Bands for sale in the keys of Bb, D, E, and F. I bought them all four of them sight unseen for a grand total of $17.00!!!!
When I got them, they were all in their original paper boxes that had an attached phto of an 1896 US Marine Band on them, and noticed how considerably more wide open they were in the back covers. As soon as I played them, trust me, my jaw freaking dropped to the other side of the freaking world!!! The worst playing of these was the Bb, it it easily outplayed a brand new one at the time, and the best playing one was a D, and it was loud!!!!!
I brought these over to my friend Jerry Portnoy's house and let him play the D, and he almost damned near s**t himself and the first thing out of his mouth was "My God!! These are so f******g loud!!!!"
A few years later, I gave him the one in the key of E for a birthday present, which he never lets ANYONE play at all.
About 6 years ago, a buddy of mine from Mississippi sold me an early 1900's MB in just about new condition for $50.00, and it was sooooo sweet!
About 8 years ago, another friend of mine gave me something I almost drooled when I saw it, a pre-WWIUI MB in the key of A!!! Damn!!!!!
Trust me, those harps will never leave me house (although I do have to qualify that because I actually did a recording session using one).
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Sincerely,
Barbeque Bob Maglinte
Boston, MA
http://www.barbequebob.com
CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
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CJames
50 posts
Dec 04, 2009
6:49 AM
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lol @ toddlgreene. so true
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groyster1
2490 posts
Dec 18, 2013
11:30 PM
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I would like to revive this 4 year old thread for the reason that I have acquired a dozen star of david marine bands,some I got from tom of blue moon and some on ebay.they all are great harps but not all necessarily pre WW2 as the star of david appeared on 1950s marine bands.anyway to tell the difference between what is pre war and what is not?
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