Emanuel Schlechter

Emanuel Schlechter (pseudonyms Eman, Olgierd Lech) (Emanuel Szlechter) (9 October 1904 – 1943) was born and died in Lwów. He was a Polish-Jewish artist, lyricist, screenwriter, librettist, writer, satirist, translator, composer and director.

His father was a house painter in Lwów. The family name of his mother was Begeleiter. Emanuel's brother was Emil Henryk Szlechter (1906-1995), an expert in the law of the Sumerian, Babylonian and Assyrian. When Szlechter was 14 years old, he joined to Małopolskie Oddziały Armii Ochotniczej (Lesser Poland's Volunteer Army) and during summer 1920 he participated in defense of Lwów.

After passing his matura exam around 1923 he studied law at the Jan Kazimierz University in Lwów and worked briefly in a law firm. His earliest lyrics were written for Leon Borunski's songs, staged at the Morskie Oko theater's Parada gwiazd show in 1930, performed and recorded by Syrena Rekord star Kazimierz Krukowski.

In 1931, Schlechter created the Lwów Academic Theatre Złoty pieprzyk (Golden mole). One of his first revues, Co słychać w wielkim świecie (What's going on in the big world) included his first hit song, Żołnierska brać. He performed as a singer in the Lwów cafes of Musa and Roma, accompanied by the pianist Julius Gabla. He also wrote columns for newspapers.

Around 1932, he moved permanently to Warsaw. In 1933, he wrote the screenplay and songs for the first Polish film operetta Każdemu wolno kochać (Everyone is allowed to love), directed by Mieczyslaw Krawicz. He worked at the Rex theater writing songs, revues, sketches, scenarios, satirical songs and monologues. Between 1933 and 1935 he recorded as a singer and guitarist, as himself or using a nickname of Olgierd Lech. He made a series of "Jewish" records including like Awremałe (Avremele), Śpiewak sobotni, Rabi Eli-Melech (Rabbi Elimelech), Alef Bet (Oyfn Pripetchok), and Żydowskie wesele (Yidishe khasene). One of the most popular songs by Schlechter was Srulek. He worked with the Columbia and Odeon orchestras. In 1934 he wrote for La Bohème theater, collaborating with Konrad Tom.

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