Last close relative to Heinrich Schenker dies aged 98 in Austria
The last remaining close relative to Heinrich Schenker , Helga Schenker, died aged 98 in Pitten ,Austria on the 8th June. What few people seem to realize is that quite apart from being related to such an illustrious personality as Heinrich Schenker, Helga Schenker was in her own right also a remarkable human being. In the course of her long life , Helga Schenker had been a well known graphic artist , having illustrated several books as well as having worked for some time for the Viennese newspaper Kurier.
Helga Schenker was born in 1907 in Egypt. Her father , Moritz Schenker, Heinrich ‘s younger brother , was a banker for the “Länderbank” and was stationed in Egypt at the time of her birth. From there the family moved to Rumania and eventually returned to Austria to take up residence in Baden bei Wien. At one point there was litigation between Moritz Schenker and Heinrich – the latter having referred to him at one stage as “ my millionaire brother”. However later a reconciliation must have occurred as Helga Schenker remembered Heinrich requesting her father to take care of the young violinist Yehudi Menhuin while on a concert tour in Vienna .
Her strongest memory of her own father was that he adored music. Every weekend would be devoted to chamber music performed by the individual members of the family. Helga’s brother Georg became a cellist with the Vienna Symphony, a post he held until his death.
One of her most vivid recollections of her uncle was when he brought his wife to visit them in Baden and in the words of Helga “ blew his own trumpet the entire time.” Needless to say , the impression made upon both children as a result of this encounter
was not very favourable.
Another aspect of the Moritz Schenker household was the existence of a cook as quasi family member . Frau Emma was from Bohemia who literally stayed with the family all her life. After the deaths of all other close family members , Helga Schenker nursed the family cook personally for some considerable time and Frau Emma was only compelled to spend the last two days of her life in hospital after suffering a heart attack at the age of 86. In fact one of the most interesting aspects of Helga Schenker’s personality was her altruism . Whenever people were in need , she was always willing to help them.
During the 30’s , 40’s and 50’s Helga Schenker ‘s art atelier in the Singerstrasse in the heart of Vienna was the scene of wonderful celebrations. Such events were frequented by
all the leading intellectuals of the era , including the novelist Heimito von Doderer, the osteopathic surgeon Albert Lorenz , the artist Luigi Kasimir to name just a few.
Helga Schenker was an Edwardian in the English sense and the embodiment of a “ Bildungsbüger” in the Austrian- a relic of times gone by in every respect. Her life enriched those of all who were fortunate enough to come into contact with her. Heinrich Schenker would have had every reason to be proud of his exceptionally unusual niece, Helga.