Friedrich Wilhelm Ernst Busch was born on January 22, 1900. He grew up in Kiel and trained as a mechanical fabricator. He was active in the Social Democratic Workers’ Youth and took part in the Kiel Mutiny in 1918. In 1919, he joined the USPD (Independent Social Democratic Party of Germany) and later the KPD (Communist Party of Germany). In the early 1920s, Ernst Busch took acting and singing lessons and landed his first acting engagements at theaters in Frankfurt an der Oder and Stettin. In 1927, he moved to Berlin, where he was employed at Erwin Piscator’s Volksbühne until 1933, performing in plays by Berthold Brecht and Ernst Toller. As a singer, he became well-known due to his friendship with composer Hans Eisler, who wrote most of Busch’s songs. Until his escape to the Netherlands in 1933, Ernst Busch also appeared in films such as Slatan Dudow’s “Kuhle Wampe”. He later gave concerts in Belgium, England, and Switzerland, where he also performed in radio broadcasts and participated in recordings. After spending time in the Soviet Union, he traveled to Spain and performed as a singer for the International Brigades. Busch was arrested in France in May 1940, extradited to Germany, and charged with high treason. While in custody he suffered severe injuries during an air raid. He was ultimately liberated from the Brandenburg-Görden prison in April 1945. After the war ended, Ernst Busch returned to the stage in Berlin; in 1949, he moved to East Berlin and became a permanent member of the Berliner Ensemble and the Deutsches Theater. He was particularly well-known as a performer of international workers’ songs. The recipient of numerous awards, he spent his final years suffering from dementia and died on June 8, 1980. His grave is located at Cemetery III in Pankow.
“In Busch, you have chosen a dedicated artist and a good communist as your role model.
And don’t forget to listen to his songs every now and then.”
His wife, Irene Busch, in a message on the occasion of the naming of the school, October 3, 1984.
The school’s curricula, starting with first grade, included specific guidance for exploring the life and work of Ernst Busch.
