[Python] No connection to MySQL-database - PythonAnywhere/ Beginners Plan

Attempt to connect to MySQL-database by module MySQLdb fails and will be responded by: name 'MySQLdb' is not defined... in the servers log. Environment is not virtual, framework is Flask

The connection attempt via MySQLdb.connect(<credentials>) is in a try/except-clause and an exception will be thrown. In order to verify the correct credentials I entered host/user/password/database in the bash-console and the connect-function returned True for connect-state (=connected). But when running this in the Flask-App, then the server returns the above error message.

from flask import Flask
try:
import MySQLdb
except Exception as e:
print("A problem with import MySQLdb......", e)

def checkDBConnection():
try:
cnx = MySQLdb.connect(
host = '<myUserName>.mysql.eu.pythonanywhere-services.com',
user = '<myUserName>',
password = '<myPW>',
database = '<userName>$sensorData'
)
return True
except Exception as e:
print("Database error: ", e)
return False

app = Flask(__name__)
#application = Flask(__name__) # see hint in *.wsgi file

@app.route("/sensorData/<val>")
def storeDB(val):
#return f'val is: {val}'
check = checkDBConnection()
if check:
return "<p>Database access successful...........</p>"
# Closing Database Connection
#cnx.close()
else:
return "<p>Connection failed ......</p>"

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