Hans Carste

Who was Hans Carste?

Hans Friedrich August Carste was a German composer and conductor. He arrived in Berlin in 1931 after working in Vienna and Breslau. He composed film music and as well as songs for the stage. Electrola offered him and his orchestra an exclusive recording contract and he recorded many high quality sides for them. Like so many, Hans Carste joined the Nazi Party in 1933. In 1937 when Ludwig Rüth, the Jewish Band Leader emigrated to South Africa, Hans Carste took up the baton. For some time the Orchestra was still known as the Ludwig Rüth Orchester but acknowledged that Carste was the conductor. Within a short time it became known as the Hans Carste Orchester. In 1942 he was drafted and sent to the Eastern front. He was badly injured and captured by the Red Army. He was released in 1948 and returned to Germany. He became one of the musical directors at Rundfunk im amerikanischen Sektor radio station in Berlin and once again worked for the stage and the movies. In 1957 he became president of BIEM in Paris. He withdrew from all activities in 1967 due to illness. One of his best known compositions is the opening tune of the "Tagesschau" - the TV news broadcast.