Josef Casimir Hofmann (1876 - 1957)

Born 20 Jan 1876 in Podgórze, Bezirk Podgórze, Galicia, Austria

Husband of Marie Clarice Eustis — married 1905 in Strand on the Green, London, England, United Kingdom

Died 16 Feb 1957 at age 81 in Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States

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Biography

Josef was born on 20 January 1876 in Podgórze. Now it is a district of Kraków in Poland. Then it was in Austro-Hungarian Galicia. Josef's father, Casimir (Kazimierz) Hofmann, was a distinguished pianist, composer and conductor. His mother was Matylda Pindelska, a singer. Josef was a child prodigy sometimes compared to the young Mozart and Mendelssohn. His first recital was performed in Warsaw at the age of five, and his talent was recognised two years later by Anton Rubinstein who heard him play Beethoven’s C minor Piano Concerto.

Like his father before him, Josef became a musician of considerable repute. He was a virtuoso concert pianist as well as a composer, music teacher and prodigious inventor.^[1][2] He was especially renowned for his brilliance in performing the works of Frédéric Chopin.

In 1905, Josef married Marie Clarice Eustis in The Strand, London, England.^[3] He was Marie's second husband.

Josef arrived in New York from Europe the year after World War I ended and applied for American citizenship.^[4] Josef and Marie settled in Aiken County, South Carolina. They had one child, a daughter Josefa Hofmann, born in Potsdam in 1906. He gained his US citizenship in 1926.

Josef's second wife was Elizabeth Short known as Betty. She had been one of his students. They were married at Paddington Register Office, London, England on 27 September 1927.^[5] In 1930, Josef, Betty and their son Josef Anton Hofmann, aged 2, were living in Lower Merion, Montgomery, Pennsylvania with Elizabeth's parents.^[6]

Despite his fame, by the early 1930s Josef had become an alcoholic. It seems that a combination of drink, marital problems and a loss of enthusiasm led to erratic performances and a gradual loss of stature in the music world.^[7]

In 1939, Josef moved to Los Angeles, California. In his last years, he focused mainly on his inventions and was a named inventor on over 70 patents. On 16 February 1957, Josef died of pneumonia.^[8] He was buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale, Los Angeles.^[9]

Sources

1. ↑ Josef Hofmann. (2023, April 2). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josef_Hofmann (accessed 6 August 2023).
2. ↑ Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Josef Casimir Hofmann." Encyclopedia Britannica, Invalid Date. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Josef-Casimir-Hofmann.
3. ↑ Marriage Registration': "England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1837-1915"
   Original data: England and Wales Civil Registration Indexes. London, England: General Register Office; Volume: 1b; Page: 1104
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry uk Record 8913 #9182328 (accessed 5 August 2023)
   Marie Clarice Eustis marriage registered Oct-Nov-Dec 1905 in Strand.
4. ↑ Naturalization Declaration': "Pennsylvania, U.S., Federal Naturalization Records, 1795-1931"
   The National Archives in Washington, D.C.; Washington, D.C.; Record Group Title: Records of District Courts of the United States; Record Group Number: 21
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry uk Record 2717 #190319 (accessed 6 August 2023)
   Name: Josef Hofmann; Declaration Age: 43; Record Type: Naturalization Declaration; Birth Date: 20 Jan 1876; Birth Place: Poland; Arrival Date: 1887; Arrival Place: New York City, New York; Declaration Date: 26 Dec 1919; Declaration Place: Pennsylvania, USA; Naturalization Place: Pennsylvania, USA; Spouse: Marie Hofmann.
5. ↑ Marriage: "U.S., Consular Reports of Marriages, 1910-1949"
   National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Washington, D.C.; Marriage Reports in State Department Decimal Files, 1910-1949; Record Group: 59, General Records of the Department of State, 1763 - 2002; Series ARC ID: 2555709; Series MLR Number: A1, Entry 3001; Series Box Number: 506; File Number: 133
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry uk Record 1652 #18507 (accessed 6 August 2023)
   Josef Hofmann (51) marriage to Elizabeth Short (22) on 27 Sep 1927 in Paddington Register Office, London, England.
6. ↑ 1930 Census: "1930 United States Federal Census"
   Year: 1930; Census Place: Lower Merion, Montgomery, Pennsylvania; Page: 3A; Enumeration District: 0074; FHL microfilm: 2341816
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry uk Record 6224 #53612606 (accessed 6 August 2023)
   Josef Hoffmann (54), married, Pianist, head of household at 246 Bowman Ave., Lower Merion, Montgomery, Pennsylvania, USA. Born in Poland.
7. ↑ Josef Hofmann (1876-1957). Biography. Available at: https://mahlerfoundation.org/mahler/contemporaries/josef-hofmann/ (accessed 18 April 2024).
8. ↑ Death: "California, U.S., Death Index, 1940-1997"
   Place: Los Angeles; Date: 16 Feb 1957
   Ancestry uk Record 5180 #3365444 (accessed 6 August 2023)
   Josef Casimir Hofmann death 16 Feb 1957 (born 20 Jan 1876) in Los Angeles.
9. ↑ Burial: "U.S., Find a Grave® Index, 1600s-Current"
   Original data: Find a Grave. Find a Grave®. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi; URL: Find A Grave: Memorial #2079
   Ancestry uk Record 60525 #1362028 (accessed 6 August 2023)
   Josef Hofmann burial (died on 16 Feb 1957) in Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale, Los Angeles County, California, United States of America.