Wilhelm Strienz

Wilhelm Strienz, born on September 2, 1900, in Stuttgart, Germany, was a bass operatic singer. He debuted in 1922 at the Deutsche Oper Berlin as the hermit in Weber's Der Freischütz. Strienz performed at opera houses in Wiesbaden, Kaiserslautern, and Stuttgart, taking on roles such as Mephistopheles in Gounod’s Marguerite and Van Bett in Lortzing’s Zar und Zimmermann. Between 1926 and 1933, he worked for Westdeutscher Rundfunk in Cologne. He was engaged by the Berlin State Opera in 1933 after joining the S.A.. In 1940, Strienz recorded various war songs as a soloist and appeared in propaganda films such as Wunschkonzert. During World War II, Adolf Hitler included him on the Gottbegnadeten list. Post-war, he continued his career with successful tours and received a record contract from Decca. Wilhelm Strienz ended his singing career in 1963 and died on May 10, 1987, in Frankfurt am Main.