Dési von Halban
Désirée Louise Anna Ernestine "Dési" von Halban (10 April 1912 – 12 February 1996) was an Austrian opera and concert singer. She was the daughter of Austrian parents: operatic soprano Selma Kurz and gynecologist Josef von Halban.
Dési von Halban | |
|---|---|
.jpg.webp) Dési von Halban in 1946 | |
| Born | Désirée Louise Anna Ernestine von Halban 10 April 1912 |
| Died | 12 February 1996 (aged 83) |
| Nationality | Austrian |
| Occupation(s) | Opera and concert singer |
| Spouses | |
| Children | Edouard von Saher (b. 1939) |
| Parent(s) | Josef von Halban and Selma Kurz |
Life
Dési von Halban was married to Dutch art dealer Jacques Goudstikker who fled the Nazis in 1940, but died on-board the SS Bodegraven while passing the English Channel. His wife and infant son, Edouard, made their way to New York City, via Montreal.[1] His art collection was looted by the Nazis, and a group of 202 paintings was restituted in 2006, a decade after her death, only after a lengthy legal dispute.[2]
Halban remarried in 1950, to twice-divorced Dutch lawyer August von Saher.[3] Her son adopted his stepfather's surname.[4] He married Marei Langenbein, a West German figure skater. Their daughter, Charlene von Saher, became a competitive figure skater.[5]
Physicist Hans von Halban was Dési's second cousin.
References
- "Seized, Reclaimed and Now on View". The New York Times. April 27, 2008.
- "Dutch to Return Art Seized by Nazis". The New York Times. February 7, 2006.
- Alexander, Ilonka Venier (2015). The Life and Times of Franz Alexander: From Budapest To California. Karnac. pp. 56–59. ISBN 978-1-78181-509-0.
- "Heirs Claim Art Lost To Nazis in Amsterdam; Another Collection Joins the Disputes Over Who Owns War's Cultural Booty". The New York Times. January 12, 1998.
- "A British Figure Skater With Roots in Greenwich". The New York Times. January 23, 1994.