Alma Ottilie Leonore Germany-Zsolnay (1930-2010)

Alma Ottilie Leonore Germany-Zsolnay (1930-2010).

Relation to Gustav Mahler (1860-1911): First granddaughter

Born: 05-11-1930 Vienna, Austria.
Father: Paul Zsolnay (1895-1961).
Mother: Anna Justine Mahler (Gucki) (1904-1988). Previous generation.
Half-sister: Marina Fistoulari Mahler (1943).

Marriage : 00-00-0000
Husband: Mr. Germany (Died in 1963)

Children: 2:
Anna Fruhwirth-Germany (1960). Next generation. (now in Vienna, Austria)
Irene Flint-Germany (1961). Next generation. (now in Dorchester, United Kingdom)

Profession: She was working at Zsolnay music publishers (Zsolnay Verlag). This very famous publishing house was founded by her father, Paul Zsolnay (1895-1961). Alma was receiving dividends from this company and co-owner after her fathers death. She was also teaching German. Her students visit her in her apartment at Operngasse.
Died: 15-11-2010 Vienna. Aged 80.
Buried: 27-11-2010 Hietzing cemetery (5-8), Vienna, Austria.

Also: Zilina (Zsolnay).
A radio program concentrating on the life of Alma Zsolnay and her daughters Anna Fruewirth (1960) and Irene Flint (1961) in 2016: According to this program, the father of Anna and Irene (Mr. Germany) died when the girls were at a young age (3, respectively 4).
Anna was a highly gifted child and Alma was insecure in regards how to raise her.
Alma herself was very lonely during her childhood. She went to a wellknown Viennese psychiatrists, Dr. Walter Spiel (nowadays known to have been involved in terrible malaria ‘treatments’ for patients with psychiatric diseases). The doctor instructed her to set no bounderies on Anna. So everything was done as Anna said. If she wanted for example to go on vaccation but without her sister, Irene was left behind. Anna had the complete saying. This even lead to the building of a house on the Semmering when she was only 11 years old, completely designed by her. The house was not in use by the family for a long time and was up for sale at the time of the making of the radio program.
Anna soon become ill with a chronic disease (which one was not specified). Irene left the family when she was 15 and moved to a forster family in London. It became clear by the end of the programme that Anna is under custody as she said to the maker of the program that he shall contact her custodian in order that she gets a specific piano chair. So it is a sad and also in some respect crazy family history. Anna still lives in Vienna in the fourth district, whereas Irene lives in Dorchester. To tell from the programme, Irene seems to be very nice.
Alma was community president for a memorial of Gustav Mahler in the City of Jihlava.
She lived in a apartment in the Operngasse in Vienna.

1933. Alma Ottilie Leonore Germany-Zsolnay (1930-2010).

1933. Alma Ottilie Leonore Germany-Zsolnay (1930-2010), Vienna. In the garden of Villa Aste (her grandmother Alma Mahler (1879-1964)‘s house). See: Hohe Warte district.

1942. Anna Justine Mahler (Gucki) (1904-1988) and Alma Ottilie Leonore Germany-Zsolnay (1930-2010). Mother and daughter.

Anna Germany (great granddaughter of Gustav Mahler), Marina Fistoulari Mahler (1943) (granddaughter of Gustav Mahler and Almas half-sister) and Alma Ottilie Leonore Germany-Zsolnay (1930-2010) (granddaughter of Gustav Mahler) in Vienna.

Anna Germany (great granddaughter of Gustav Mahler), Gerhard Leihs (Anna Germany’s first husband) and Peter Mahler in Vienna.

1998. At re-opening 1860-1860 House Gustav Mahler Kaliste – House No. 9 (Birthplace).

Ca. 2000-2002. Peter Mahler, Carolina (the daughter of Anna Germany – great granddaughter of Gustav Mahler), Henry Mahler (brother of Peter Mahlers father) and Alma Ottilie Leonore Germany-Zsolnay (1930-2010) in Vienna.

Ca. 2000-2002. Anna Germany (great granddaughter of Gustav Mahler), Alma Ottilie Leonore Germany-Zsolnay (1930-2010) (granddaughter of Gustav Mahler), Henry Mahler (brother of Peter Mahlers father), two unknown men, Peter Mahler at the back, Peter Mahlers first wife first Gerda, Sheila Mahler (Henry Mahlers wife) and Leo Mahler. Leo is a cousin of Peter Mahler grandfather who was in the Austrian resistance during the Nazi occupation. Hotel Marriot, Vienna.

2010. Henry Mahler, Alma Ottilie Leonore Germany-Zsolnay (1930-2010) and Sheila Mahler. In Alma’s apartment in the Operngasse, Vienna.

2010. Alma Ottilie Leonore Germany-Zsolnay (1930-2010). In Alma’s apartment in the Operngasse, Vienna.

Obituary in Die Presse on 24-11-2010

Alma Zsolnay, 1930 als Tochter der Bildhauerin Anna Mahler und des Verlegers Paul Zsolnay geboren, verbringt eine aufregende Kindheit im großbürgerlichen Salon zu Hietzing, wo die Spitzen der Wiener Avantgarde verkehren. Doch die Ehe der Eltern scheitert bald aufgrund der legendären Affären der Mutter. Alma wächst bei Großmutter Zsolnay auf. 1938 wird sie mit dem Vater in die Emigration gezwungen. Anders als Paul Zsolnay, der 1945 seinen Verlag, der seit 1938 „arisiert“ war, wieder übernimmt, wartet die Tochter, bis der Staatsvertrag unterzeichnet ist, ehe sie nach Wien zurückkehrt. Als Paul Zsolnay 1961 stirbt, wird die Tochter zur behutsamen Mitregentin im Verlag. Am 15. November ist Alma Zsolnay, die bis zuletzt die Entwicklung des Wiener Kulturlebens wach beobachtet hat, gestorben.

Alma Zsolnay, born in 1930 as the daughter of the sculptor Anna Mahler and the publisher Paul Zsolnay, spends an exciting childhood in the upper-middle-class salon in Hietzing, where the leading Viennese avant-garde perform. But the marriage of the parents soon fails due to the mother’s legendary affairs. Alma grows up with grandmother Zsolnay. In 1938 she was forced to emigrate with her father. Unlike Paul Zsolnay, who took over his publishing house, which had been “Aryanised” since 1938, the daughter waits until the state treaty is signed before returning to Vienna. When Paul Zsolnay dies in 1961, the daughter becomes a gentle co-regent in the publishing house. On November 15, Alma Zsolnay, who has been watching the development of Vienna’s cultural life until recently, has died.