A popular figure of the Carnival in Cologne

Known in the local dialect as D’r verdötschte Judd (Kölsch for “The foolish Jew”), Hans David Tobar (b. 1888 in Cologne as Hans David Rosenbaum) was a much-loved Carnival performer. Even before serving in World War I he had appeared as an entertainer at various Carnival and other events, and by the 1920s he had gained a permanent place in the programme, among other venues at the Kaiserhof. Nor was his popularity confined to Cologne: he appeared on stages as distant as Norderney, an island off the North German coast.

The National Socialist accession to power in 1933 radically changed Hans Tobar’s life. His appearances were now almost exclusively confined to Jewish associations or events organised by the Jewish Cultural Confederation of the Rhine and Ruhr. In December 1939 he emigrated to New York with his family. Here, he continued to pursue a stage career, expressing his profound feelings for his German hometown, Cologne, in new programmes on Broadway and other venues. Hans Tobar died on April 4, 1956.