3 Lieder für Marie Nejar at Goethe Institute
A Solo Show by Artist James Gregory Atkinson
January 14th is the opening reception of Goethe-Institut New York | Exhibition, 3 Lieder für Marie Nejar, a solo show by artist James Gregory Atkinson. The exhibition centers on the figure of Marie Nejar, an Afro-German actress and singer widely considered to be the last known Black survivor of Nazi Germany, who passed away in May 2025. Through video, music, photography, and archival media, Atkinson interweaves his own biography as a child of a Black US soldier father and white German mother to illuminate the legacy of transatlantic exchange of racist ideologies between Germany and the United States and to showcase how contemporary Black German artists reclaim the cultural narrative.
As an element of the exhibition, Atkinson is releasing a vinyl LP record with newly recorded versions of three of Nejar’s classic songs, performed by Detroit-based harpist Ahya Simone. Please consider January 15th for the launch of this new record! The exhibition and the record will be on view during opening hours through March 19th.
Marie Nejar (1930-2025) was a prominent Afro-German singer and actress, and one of the last known Black survivors of Nazi Germany, who navigated persecution by appearing in Nazi propaganda films, which paradoxically helped her survive but also involved playing into racist stereotypes, later becoming a celebrated figure in the Afro-German community for her resilience and voice against prejudice after a post-war career as singer Leila Negra.
Early Life & Survival
- Mixed Heritage: Born to a Black sailor and a German woman, Nejar grew up in Hamburg with her grandmother, facing racism despite her multi-ethnic community.
- Nazi Exploitation: Due to racial laws, she was forced out of school and into labor, eventually appearing in Nazi propaganda films like Münchhausen (1943) as a Black servant, a role that provided food and protection but also exoticized her.
Post-War Career & Legacy
- Leila Negra: After the war, she became a successful Schlager (pop) singer under the stage name Leila Negra, though she grew to dislike the simplistic, racist roles associated with her persona.
- Nurse & Activist: She later trained as a nurse, working in Hamburg, and became a vital voice for Black German history, sharing her experiences in interviews and documentaries.
Key Contributions
- Last Witness: Her death in May 2025 marked the loss of a crucial eyewitness to the Black German experience under Nazism.
- Documenting History: Nejar’s life story is considered an important document of resilience, fighting prejudice, and understanding the unique challenges faced by Black people in Nazi Germany.