Judith Holofernes
Encyclopedia
Judith Holofernes is a German
musician and lyricist who is most widely known as the lead singer of the German Pop-Rock band Wir sind Helden
.
Her stage name, Holofernes
, alludes to the general of the Babylonian King
Nebuchadnezzar
, whose decapitation
by Judith in the deuterocanonical Book of Judith was told of in the Old Testament
. Judith and Holofernes is also a commonly covered topic in art history
; it was depicted on canvas by Gustav Klimt
and Rubens, and even the Italian
sculptor Donatello
.
. After finishing secondary school, she returned to Berlin
to study Communication
s at Universität der Künste Berlin. In November 2001, she successfully completed her degree for Communications while working with a team for Adbusters
magazine. Criticism of consumerism
and the media
are also quite prevalent in the lyrics of Wir sind Helden. Holofernes's first experience as a musician was as a street musician in Freiburg where she gained a little popularity as a solo artist. However, she started to study Art History in Heidelberg and dropped out after the first semester. She then spent a number of years studying various subjects at the Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen but never graduated. During this time she had various part time jobs selling musical instruments and computers. Later she worked as waitress and bartender.
Holofernes sings, plays the guitar
and writes the lyrics for Wir sind Helden
. A few of the band's more well known songs (Außer dir, Aurélie) are taken right off of Holofernes' solo-album Kamikazefliege which was released in 1999 and was met with little success, selling only 500 copies. Due to the breakthrough of Wir sind Helden more copies of Holofernes' solo-album have been sold.
Holofernes married fellow band member Pola Roy on 17 July 2006, and gave birth to their son in later that year. She gave birth to their daughter on 20 July 2009. Holofernes is a Buddhist and met the Dalai Lama
in 2007.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
musician and lyricist who is most widely known as the lead singer of the German Pop-Rock band Wir sind Helden
Wir sind Helden
Wir sind Helden is a German Alternative Rock band from Berlin, established in 2001 in Hamburg. The quartet is composed of lead singer Judith Holofernes and musicians Pola Roy, Mark Tavassol, and Jean-Michel Tourette. The group's style has often been considered similar to that of the Neue Deutsche...
.
Her stage name, Holofernes
Holofernes
In the deuterocanonical Book of Judith Holofernes was an invading general of Nebuchadnezzar. Nebuchadnezzar dispatched Holofernes to take vengeance on the nations of the west that had withheld their assistance to his reign...
, alludes to the general of the Babylonian King
King
- Centers of population :* King, Ontario, CanadaIn USA:* King, Indiana* King, North Carolina* King, Lincoln County, Wisconsin* King, Waupaca County, Wisconsin* King County, Washington- Moving-image works :Television:...
Nebuchadnezzar
Nebuchadnezzar
Nebuchadnezzar was the name of several kings of Babylonia.* Nebuchadnezzar I, who ruled the Babylonian Empire in the 12th century BC* Nebuchadnezzar II , the Babylonian ruler mentioned in the biblical Book of Daniel...
, whose decapitation
Decapitation
Decapitation is the separation of the head from the body. Beheading typically refers to the act of intentional decapitation, e.g., as a means of murder or execution; it may be accomplished, for example, with an axe, sword, knife, wire, or by other more sophisticated means such as a guillotine...
by Judith in the deuterocanonical Book of Judith was told of in the Old Testament
Old Testament
The Old Testament, of which Christians hold different views, is a Christian term for the religious writings of ancient Israel held sacred and inspired by Christians which overlaps with the 24-book canon of the Masoretic Text of Judaism...
. Judith and Holofernes is also a commonly covered topic in art history
Art history
Art history has historically been understood as the academic study of objects of art in their historical development and stylistic contexts, i.e. genre, design, format, and style...
; it was depicted on canvas by Gustav Klimt
Gustav Klimt
Gustav Klimt was an Austrian Symbolist painter and one of the most prominent members of the Vienna Secession movement. His major works include paintings, murals, sketches, and other art objects...
and Rubens, and even the Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
sculptor Donatello
Donatello
Donato di Niccolò di Betto Bardi , also known as Donatello, was an early Renaissance Italian artist and sculptor from Florence...
.
Personal History
Judith Holfelder had lived in Berlin until the age of six. Later on she moved across the country with her mother to Freiburg im Breisgau in Southern GermanyGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. After finishing secondary school, she returned to Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
to study Communication
Communication
Communication is the activity of conveying meaningful information. Communication requires a sender, a message, and an intended recipient, although the receiver need not be present or aware of the sender's intent to communicate at the time of communication; thus communication can occur across vast...
s at Universität der Künste Berlin. In November 2001, she successfully completed her degree for Communications while working with a team for Adbusters
AdBusters
The Adbusters Media Foundation is a Canadian-based not-for-profit, anti-consumerist, pro-environment organization founded in 1989 by Kalle Lasn and Bill Schmalz in Vancouver, British Columbia...
magazine. Criticism of consumerism
Consumerism
Consumerism is a social and economic order that is based on the systematic creation and fostering of a desire to purchase goods and services in ever greater amounts. The term is often associated with criticisms of consumption starting with Thorstein Veblen...
and the media
Mass media
Mass media refers collectively to all media technologies which are intended to reach a large audience via mass communication. Broadcast media transmit their information electronically and comprise of television, film and radio, movies, CDs, DVDs and some other gadgets like cameras or video consoles...
are also quite prevalent in the lyrics of Wir sind Helden. Holofernes's first experience as a musician was as a street musician in Freiburg where she gained a little popularity as a solo artist. However, she started to study Art History in Heidelberg and dropped out after the first semester. She then spent a number of years studying various subjects at the Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen but never graduated. During this time she had various part time jobs selling musical instruments and computers. Later she worked as waitress and bartender.
Holofernes sings, plays the guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
and writes the lyrics for Wir sind Helden
Wir sind Helden
Wir sind Helden is a German Alternative Rock band from Berlin, established in 2001 in Hamburg. The quartet is composed of lead singer Judith Holofernes and musicians Pola Roy, Mark Tavassol, and Jean-Michel Tourette. The group's style has often been considered similar to that of the Neue Deutsche...
. A few of the band's more well known songs (Außer dir, Aurélie) are taken right off of Holofernes' solo-album Kamikazefliege which was released in 1999 and was met with little success, selling only 500 copies. Due to the breakthrough of Wir sind Helden more copies of Holofernes' solo-album have been sold.
Holofernes married fellow band member Pola Roy on 17 July 2006, and gave birth to their son in later that year. She gave birth to their daughter on 20 July 2009. Holofernes is a Buddhist and met the Dalai Lama
Dalai Lama
The Dalai Lama is a high lama in the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" branch of Tibetan Buddhism. The name is a combination of the Mongolian word далай meaning "Ocean" and the Tibetan word bla-ma meaning "teacher"...
in 2007.