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Lilly Lieser (1875-1943).

Henriette Amalie Lieser, called Lilly (Lilli, Lily) Lieser, widow of a prosperous industrial and patron of the arts. Born Landau. Lilly Lieser-Landau.

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Lilly Landau was the daughter of the affluent couple Albert and Fanny Landau. In 11-1896 she married the entrepreneur of HITIAG and Imperial Council, Justus Lieser, with whom she had two daughters, Helene (1898-1962) and Annie (1901-1972). About the same age as Anna Justine Mahler (Gucki) (1904-1988). The marriage was in 1905 divorced.

Between 1910 and 1915 Lilly Lieser was friends with Alma Mahler (1879-1964), her summer houses in Breitenstein bordered on each other (House Alma Mahler Breitenstein am Semmering 1913-1937 (Werfelweg 6, Villa Mahler)). They traveled together to Scheveningen in the Netherlands, and Lilly supported Alma in an abortion. See Alma Mahler herself in the Netherlands (1912, 1920 and 1938).

When Alma noticed in 1915 that Lilly had lesbian tendencies and was obviously making a play for her, the friendship cool down. Alma’s tendencies towards same-sex love are not documented. Lilly disappeared just as suddenly from Alma’s life as she had priviously appeared in it. In the 1920s and 1930s the contact seemed to have broken off completely, even though both of them continued living in Vienna. Lilly was one of the few women who can be described as a close friend of Alma’s.

Lieser promoted, among others, the composer Arnold Schoenberg (1874-1951) and between 1915 and 1918 she let him live rent-free in her house in Vienna in Gloriettegasse 43 in Hietzing. Arnold Schoenberg (1874-1951) also received 500 crowns a month from her and a harmonium.

Lanna Palace, Argentinierstrasse 20a, Vienna.

Her daughter Helene was the first woman in Austria in 1920 to receive a doctorate in political science. Daughter Annie was married from 1929 to 1943 with the Austrian civil servant Hans Sidonius.

In 1925 she was able to support Alban Berg (1885-1935) financially at the printing of his opera Wozzeck, which he then dedicated to Alma Mahler (1879-1964).

After the annexation of Austria the Liesers assets and the residential buildings were aryanized. In her possession were furniture, musical instruments and pictures, for example from Maurice Utrillo. Her daughters managed to escape to England and America. Lilly Lieser was 11-01-1942 deported to Riga and was murdered on 03-12-1943. According to other information, she was transported to the concentration camp Auschwitz and killed there.

Stolpersteine Lilly Lieser, Argentinierstrasse 20a, Vienna.

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