Django and his protector Dr Dietrich Schulz-Köhn

ChrisMartin

Just digging back to find what had previously been posted about the Luftwaffe officer Dietrich Shulz-Kohn as I came across another reference recently.

He was mentioned in a couple of old posts on here:

https://www.djangobooks.com/forum/discussion/5403/

and:

https://www.djangobooks.com/forum/discussion/10690/

One of my other interests is old classic cars and a recent article in Classic & Sports Car magazine detailed the history of a Mercedes-Benz 540K built to order for Lucy Franchi. She was a well known entrepreneur in Paris in the 1930s and owned among other establishments the club 'La Roulotte' at 62 Rue Pigalle. She ordered the car in 1936 and gifted it to her brother Pierre who assisted her in her business ventures. Django of course was a regular attraction at La Roulotte and Franchi sold him the club in 1944. Lucy was also credited with discovering a street busker and took her in to her club which is how Edith Piaf became a star.

The story in the magazine goes on to mention Dietrich Schulz-Köhn and his part in protecting Django and the Parisian jazz community during the war. Although the Mercedes was confiscated by the Germans during the occupation it was returned to the Franchis, one theory being that Schulz-Köhn played a part in that too.

Further digging found some reference to Schulz-Köhn on this website dedicated to research into the German forces and allies during WW2:

Dietrich Schulz-Köhn (1912-1999) - Axis History Forum

https://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?t=10328

This is an apolitical forum for discussions on the Axis nations and related topics hosted by the Axis History Factbook in cooperation with Christian Ankerstjerne’s Panzerworld and Christoph Awender's WW2 day by day. Founded in 1999.

There is even a report that Schulz-Köhn wrote a couple of songs, seemingly some sort of propaganda morale booster perhaps?

Further correspondence in the magazine following the story about Schulz-Köhn says he was known as Dr Jazz and presented a jazz program on the radio until the 1970s as well as being chairman of the Hot Club Hanover.

Anyone know any more?

Teddy Dupont

Lucy Franchi aka Lulu de Montmartre was a well known Parisian madam and La Roulotte a pretty seedy nightclub.

AndyW

To see Django in La Roulotte is on my “time machine” list - the poster shows a pretty gypsy fortune-teller wearing little more than a shawl and a strategically placed deck of cards & promises “luscious performances” and “a seductive programme” every night from 9.30 - all “with the permission of the authorities”. Enjoyed your research, Chris.

Teddy Dupont

Dietrich Schulz-Koehn wrote an article for the Melody Maker about Django ( I can’t remember the date) in which he says he spent some time in Paris before the war and met Django, Charles Delaunay & Co and went to a recording session of the Quintette. I think it was 1936 but I will have to try to find the article and check. I remember him saying Django’s clothes at the session were pretty tatty; split shoes and badly repaired jacket. He also said he did “protect” the Hot Club of France offices in Rue Chaptal when the Gestapo raided them.

He visited Paris again in 1951 and saw Django at Club Saint Germain but I think he said he did not like Django’s electric guitar playing.

spatzo

Above all in 1936 it is said that Dietrich Schulz-Koehn at a recording session had to wrote down the lyrics of "I can't Give You Anything But Love" to help refresh the memory of Freddy Taylor that could remember onlypart of the song

Teddy Dupont

I have just found the Melody Maker, Schulz-Koehn article and he actually says it was “Georgia on my Mind” where he wrote down the lyrics for Freddy Taylor. There was one line that he could not remember and Freddy Taylor substituted “a little scat”. However, I think Spatzo’s information is probably better than Schulz-Koehn’s memory because it is in “I Can’t Give You Anything But Love” that Taylor scats over the line “All those things you’ve always pined for”. He returned to Paris in 1937 and then the next time was in 1942 under very different circumstances.