Erich Lauer

Erich Lauer was born on 2 July 1911 in Leibenstadt (Germany). There is no information available regarding his early years or his formal musical studies. However, the end of his studies around 1933 appears to coincide with the Nazi seizure of power and with an ideological alignment on the part of Erich Lauer. He joined the NSDAP as early as 1930 and, from 1934 onwards, served as a troop leader (Truppführer) in the SA. During this period, he composed extensively music intended for the taste and occasions of the Nazi regime, including "Trommellieder der Hitlerjugend" op. 9 (1936) and was the editor of the "Liederbuch der NSDAP" (1937). In 1939 Erich Lauer received the SA Cultural Prize for his "Reichsparteitagsfanfare". In addition he also worked as a music editor for the newspaper "Volksgemeinschaft" in Heidelberg. During the war years, Lauer was conscripted into the Wehrmacht.
After the end of the Second World War, Erich Lauer became head of the press office "Der Kreis" (European Feuilleton Press Service) in Munich and served as editor-in-chief of the Bayerische Volksbücherei. From 1951 onwards, he worked as a music editor for Bayerischer Rundfunk.
Alongside his institutional activities, Lauer remained active as a writer, editor, and author of publications on music. Among his books was "Gedenktage der Musikgeschichte" published in 1955.
Erich Lauer died on 11 January 1976 in Herrsching (Germany).

In my possession are two autograph manuscripts by Erich Lauer, both from the estate of the renowned pianist Elly Ney. The two works are:

• Sonatine in a minor, for piano (1941)
• Sonatine in C major, for piano (1943)