Birth Name: Tomáš Sträussler
Date of Birth: 3 July, 1937
Place of Birth: Zlín, Czechoslovakia (now Czech Republic)
Date of Death: 29 November, 2025
Place of Death: Dorset, England, U.K.
Ethnicity: Ashkenazi Jewish
Tom Stoppard was a Czech-born British playwright, screenwriter, journalist, and drama critic. He was a playwright of the National Theatre; among his plays were Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, Jumpers, Travesties, Night and Day, The Real Thing, Arcadia, The Invention of Love, The Coast of Utopia, Rock ‘n’ Roll, and Leopoldstadt. He also directed and wrote the film version of Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead; and wrote the films Despair, The Human Factor (1979), Empire of the Sun, The Russia House, Enigma (2001), and Anna Karenina (2012), the made-for-tv movies Three Men in a Boat and Poodle Springs, the teleplay Professional Foul, and the series Parade’s End. He co-wrote the films Brazil, Shakespeare in Love, and Tulip Fever. For Shakespeare in Love, he won the Academy Award for Best Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen, with Marc Norman.
Tom was the son of Martha Eugenia (Beck/Becková) and Eugen Sträussler. His parents were Czech Jews, who left the country because of the Nazis, moving to Singapore on 15 March, 1939, the day the Nazis invaded Czechoslovakia; his father’s boss, Jan Antonín Baťa, had transferred his Jewish employees out of Europe. His father was born in Podmokly, Rokycany District, Plzeň Region, and was a physician. He was a volunteer in Singapore for the British Army there, against the invading Japanese army. He died in February 1942 in Singapore, on a ship bombed by Japanese forces. Tom’s paternal grandparents were killed in the Holocaust in 1942. Tom’s maternal grandparents were killed in the Holocaust in 1944.
Tom later lived in Darjeeling, in the Indian Himalayas, where he attended boarding school. In 1946, he moved to Notting, England, taking the surname of his stepfather, British army major Kenneth Stoppard.
Tom was married to British-Irish television producer Sabrina Guinness, of the brewing Guinness family, until his death. Tom had two children with his former wife, nurse Josie Ingle; and two children, including actor Ed Stoppard, with his former wife, medical doctor, author, television presenter, and advice columnist Miriam Stoppard, or Miriam, Lady Hogg (born Miriam Stern). Ed is married to Amie Stoppard, who is the daughter of Chris Stamp, a music producer and manager; and was the niece of actor Terence Stamp.
Tom’s paternal grandfather was Julius Sträussler (the son of Alois Lazar Sträussler/Schick Rappel and Fanny Spitzer). Julius was killed in the Holocaust in January 1942, in Riga, Latvia. Alois was born in Nový Bydžov, Hradec Králové Region, Czechia, the son of Josef Sträussel/Rappel and Anna Schick. Fanny was born in Boskovice, South Moravian Region, the daughter of Michael Spitzer and Katharina Werner.
Tom’s paternal grandmother was Hildegard Bechinky/Bechinsky (the daughter of Josef Bechinsky and Hermine Stein). Hildegard was born in Krahulčí-Telč, Vysocina Region, Czechia, and was killed in the Holocaust in January 1942, in Riga, Latvia. Josef was born in Tučapy, Tábor District, South Bohemian Region, the son of Philipp Bechinsky and Eva Pollak. Tom’s great-grandmother Hermine was born in Krahulčí-Telč, Vysočina Region, and was killed in the Holocaust in April 1943, in Terezín.
Tom’s maternal grandfather was Rudolf Beck (the son of Markus Beck and Anna Nalos). Rudolf was born in Lovosice, Ústí nad Labem Region, Czechia, and was killed in the Holocaust in July 1944, in the Terezín concentration camp and ghetto. Markus was born in Ješín, Středočeský kraj, the son of Philipp Beck and Franziska Grossmann. Anna was born in Solany, Ústecký kraj, the daughter of Lazar Nalos and Martha/Magdalena Scheiter.
Tom’s maternal grandmother was Regina Ornstein (the daughter of Leopold Ornstein/Ohrenstein and Theresia Weil). Regina was born in Horepnik, and was killed in the Holocaust in April 1944, in Terezín. Leopold was born in Horepnik, the son of Jakob Ornstein/Ohrenstein and Anna Langer. Theresia was born in Slavoňov, Jihočeský kraj, the daughter of Samson Weil and Katharina Fröhlich.
Sources: https://stljewishlight.org
Genealogy of Tom Stoppard – https://www.geni.com
Interviews with Tom Stoppard about his background – https://www.theguardian.com
https://www.nytimes.com
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