The Pianist

Władysław Szpilman writes his 1946 memoir, The Pianist, about his experiences in Poland during World War II. Before the war, he is a well-known pianist and composer who works with Radio Poland. When the Germans invade Poland in September 1930, Władysław and his family are relegated to the Warsaw ghetto. Though not as wealthy as some of the other inhabitants of the ghetto, Władysław is part of the intelligentsia, a class of artists and intellectuals. For the first couple of years in the ghetto, Władysław continues to play piano in cafes, relying on his music to connect to a sense of self.

German decrees and regulations begin gradually and increase in intensity as the years go on. The regulations are intended to destabilize and dehumanize the Jews. From wearing Star of David armbands to bowing to Germans in the street, Jews like Władysław suffer blows to their sense of self. Resettlement takes place, which the Germans describe as moving the Jews to perform labor in other locations. Eventually, Władysław realizes that resettlement is code for moving the Jews to concentration camps and exterminating them. As time goes on, conditions worsen, and Władysław trades playing piano in cafes for physical labor.

In August 1943, Władysław’s family is selected for resettlement. Just as everyone is about to board the train for Treblinka, a Jewish policeman recognizes Władysław and pulls him back. He never sees his family again, and spends the rest of the war in hiding. Władysławreturns to the ghetto and gets a job performing manual labor,during which time he aids the Jewish resistance by smuggling in food and ammunition. In February 1943, Władysław escapes the ghetto with the aid of his friends and goes into hiding for the remainder of the war. At first, he is able to hide outin his friends’ extra apartments. Later, he is forced to hide out in the attics of abandoned buildings. In the winter of 1944, Władysław encounters the German soldier Wilm Hosenfeld. Władysław plays Hosenfeld a Chopin Nocturne, and Hosenfeld helps Władysław through the remainder of the war by bringing him supplies and helping him hide.

Władysław survives the war and returns to his occupation as a pianist. Though he attempted to find Hosenfeld, he failed in doing so prior to Hosenfeld’s death in a prisoner of war camp.