In 1943, he was arrested and deported to the Theresienstadt concentration camp in what is now the Czech Republic. There, he joined a band, the Ghetto Swingers; they were forced to perform for Nazi SS officers. Along with the other members of the band, he was sent to Auschwitz, where he had to play for prisoners. After WWII, he returned to Germany and his musical career, making several records. He became one of Germany's first prominent electric guitar players.