Gimpel Yiddish theatre in Lemberg: a forgotten Odyssey

Abstract

The specialists of Yiddish theatre have largely ignored the importance of the Yiddish theatre in Lemberg (Lwow or, today, Lviv, in the Ukraine), founded in 1889 by Jakob Ber Gimpel (1840-1906). When the founder died, his descendants took charge of the theatre, until the war put an end to its activities in 1939. The article recounts the fifty years during which the Gimpel theatre, despite being rashly accused of spreading “shund” (second-rank culture), was a central institution of Yiddish culture in Galicia. Many testimonies of Galician Jews, written in Yiddish, German, Polish or English mention the important role played by the Yiddish theatre of Lemberg in their intellectual evolution. The Gimpel theatre attracted important figures of American Yiddish theatre and became a breeding ground for artists who then left for Berlin, Vienna, New York or even Hollywood, like Rudolf Schildkraut or Paul Muni. The article also recalls the three generations of the Gimpel family (actors, musicians), who played a role of mediation between scholarly and popular culture, between Polish, Austrian, Jewish, and American spheres, between various traditions and identities. Artists from Lemberg also had an important part in the Yiddish music produced at the beginning of the XXth century. These voices from the past, now audible again thanks to the Internet, are waiting to be included in new cultural projects.