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Kurt Baum (1900-1989) was a dramatic tenor who was not averse to making a good story even better through embellishment…which makes it a bit difficult to separate fact from fiction when recounting his life story. Born in Cologne in 1900 (or Brno in 1899, or Prague in 1908, depending on which version of the story Baum was telling) he first made a name for himself as a nationally ranked amateur heavyweight. A member of Max Schmeling’s Sports Club in Cologne, the young boxer (who was also a competitive swimmer and high diver) began studies as a medical student at the University of Prague. He was well on his way to earning his doctorate when fellow students heard him singing at a party. Encouraged by their reaction, Baum dropped out of medical school during his final year and enrolled as a music student at the Academy in Berlin. After less than a year of study, Baum took first prize in a major Viennese singing competition. Most references state that Baum’s stage debut came in Zurich in 1933 in Alexander von
