Liesel Simon
Liesel Simon (1887-1958)
Biographical Cabinet "Frankfurt Once?"
Biographical Cabinet "Frankfurt Once?"
Liesel Simon, née Goldschmidt founded a puppet theatre for young audiences in Frankfurt around the year 1919, combining artistic means with educational objectives. Her puppet theatre was an important element of the social community in Frankfurt and beyond, touring with her productions and appearing on the radio. Simon ran her theatre as an artistic enterprise: she was the artistic director, created dramatic adaptations of fairy tales and theatre plays, and also appeared on stage with other actors. She commissioned her puppets mostly by professional artists, and had her set decorations designed by theatre craftsmen.
Contemporary newspaper reviews indicate the great popularity and professionalism of her performances. As a Jew, Simon was banned from performing when the Nazis seized power in 1933. She managed to flee to Ecuador in 1941, where one of her sons already lived. She died there in 1958, without ever returning to Germany again.
The descendants of Liesel Simon in Ecuador have donated her puppets to the Historical Museum, which along with a collection of photographs are now on view as part of the permanent exhibition "Frankfurt Once"?
