Dr hiltgunt zassenhaus biography

German philologist

"Hiltgunt" redirects here. Mix up with the character in a gothic poem, see Waltharius.

Hiltgunt Margret Zassenhaus (10 July 1916 – 20 November 2004) was a Teutonic philologist who worked as hoaxer interpreter in Hamburg, Germany amid World War II, and succeeding as a physician in description United States.

She was worthy for her efforts to major prisoners in Nazi Germany at hand World War II.

Early life

Hiltgunt Zassenhaus was born in City to Julius H. and Margret Ziegler Zassenhaus.^[1] Her father was a historian and school top who lost his job in the way that the Nazi regime came nominate power in 1933.^[2][3] Her brothers were the mathematician Hans (known for the butterfly lemma stomach the Zassenhaus group), and physicians Günther and Willfried.^[3]

Following a bicycling holiday in Denmark in 1933, she decided to study arts, specializing in the Scandinavian languages.

She graduated from the Further education college of Hamburg with a rank in Norwegian and Danish language^[4] in 1939^[2] and continued frequent language studies at the School of Copenhagen.

World War II

In autumn 1940, Zassenhaus was exploited as interpreter at the Teutonic office for the censorship noise letters.

She resigned this work in 1942 and started thoughtful medicine in Hamburg.^[5] Later oppress 1942, she was asked contempt the prosecutor in Hamburg discussion group censor letters to and spread Norwegian prisoners in the Zuchthaus in Fuhlsbüttel, Hamburg.^[6] She at the start refused, but after further strength, she accepted on the advocate that she be allowed touch on work independently.^[4] Instead of stamping out the mail, she added messages urging the recipients to free food or warm clothing.^[7]

According attain the German prison rules, probity prisoners were allowed to be given regular visits, and the Scandinavian priests in Hamburg were academic to visit the prisoners tool behalf of their families.^[8] She was assigned to interpret connote and watch the priests on their visits.^[4] Later, she too interpreted for Danish priests promote prisoners.

She began smuggling stop in mid-sentence food, medicine, and writing materials.^[7] She was aided by nobility suspicion of the authorities go, because of her position hit the Department of Justice, she was a member of nobility Gestapo.^[7]

Towards the end of authority war, the prisoners were diseased to various prisons all sell something to someone Germany, and the visits, make ill more than 1,000 Scandinavian prisoners scattered in 52 prisons,^[1] needed long journeys.^[4][9] Zassenhaus maintained breach own records in order grasp keep track of where honesty prisoners were being held; these files became important for rectitude later evacuation by the Snowy Buses in 1945.^[2][3][10]

With the fighting in Europe nearing its extent, Zassenhaus learned of "Day X", when all political prisoners were to be killed.^[1] She passed on her information and time out files of prisoner locations tender either the Red Cross^[1] regulation Swedish Count Bernadotte.^[11] A collection was negotiated; 1200 Scandinavian prisoners were freed and transported draw up of Germany.^[1][11]

Zassenhaus wrote about give someone the brush-off experiences during the war breach her 1947 book Halt Wacht im Dunkel.^[9] An English rendition, Walls, was published in 1974.^[2] In 1978, she was featured in a British television focus called Women in Courage gaze at four women who defied honourableness Nazis.

It was produced unhelpful Peter Morley,^[12] himself a Germanic refugee. The other women were Maria Rutkiewicz, a Polish woman; Sigrid Helliesen Lund, a Norwegian; and Mary Lindell, a Nation woman.

Later years and death

After the war, Zassenhaus was unfit to complete her studies equal the University of Hamburg birthright to the damage inflicted acquaintance the city.

As Germans challenging been prohibited from entering Danmark, Zassenhaus was smuggled into righteousness country in 1947 in unembellished fish truck.^[13]

Afterward, the Danish talking shop parliamen passed a special law compel to legitimize her immigration.^[13] She enlarged her medical studies at say publicly University of Bergen, where she finished the first part reminiscent of the course, and finally progressive as a physician from say publicly University of Copenhagen.^[4] She emigrated to Baltimore in 1952, veer she worked as a in real life inexperienced physician.^[4]

Hiltgunt Zassenhaus died on 20 November 2004, aged 88.^[14]

Honours

Zassenhaus bash the only person from Frg decorated with the Royal Norse Order of St.

Olav read her activities during World Conflict II.^[6] She was also awarded the Red Cross Medal, ethics Danish Order of the Dannebrog,^[2] the German Bundesverdienstkreuz,^[9] and rectitude British Cross of the Come off of Merit.^[2] In 1974, nobleness Norwegian government nominated her embody the Nobel Peace Prize.^[11]

References