Women of Espionage: Libertas Schultze-Boysen

 

“In the face of authoritarian rule, what is a citizen to do? Some will join the oppressors, while others, such as the diarist of the Nazi era Victor Klemperer, will keep their heads down, hoping the horrors will pass (they usually do not). Some, generally a tiny minority, choose the path of civil courage and resistance, of activity that aims to sabotage the regime. Such acts may take many forms, one being to work secretly from within the new establishment of which you are a part.” (1)

Libertas Schultze-Boysen was one of the latter. Born into a German aristocratic family on November 20, 1913, she was raised on her grandfather’s estate outside of Berlin. Her parents were bi-lingual, so she also learned English and French. At some point after her high school graduation, she moved to England, but by 1933, she was back in Berlin working as a press officer for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film studio.

According to several sources, she met her future husband Harro while sailing on the Wannsee during the summer of 1934. By then, Harro had already been subjected to Nazi atrocities when the Gestapo closed down the “left-leaning” publication he was producing, Der Gegner (The Opponent) and beat him badly enough he lost most of one ear and suffered damage to his kidneys. He was released because of his mother’s influence.

The couple married in 1936 with Herman Göring walking Libertas down the aisle. Over the next

several years, they used their positions (her with MGM and him in the Ministry of Aviation) to gather information about Nazi violence and crimes in Germany as well as their involvement in the Spanish Civil War. Additionally, Libertas and Harro held informal meetings with like-minded, anti-Nazi friends. In 1939, they met Mildred and Arvid Harnack with whom they would initiate a collection of resistance cells called the Red Orchestra at the end of the following year.

A great risk to herself, Libertas continued to collect photographs, help persecuted people escape and wrote and distributed Nazi leaflets and pamphlets “that contained dissident content.” She and other members of Red Orchestra also wrote letters to prominent individuals.

In July 1942, illegal radio transmissions by a Soviet agent were tracked down by the Gestapo, and the man, Johann Wenzel, was arrested. He was unable to withstand the torture and cooperated by releasing the radio codes which enabled the Germans to decipher the messages. One transmittal included the location of Libertas’s apartment.

Libertas was arrested in September 1942 eight days after Harro while on a train headed to see friends. Taken to Reich Security Main Headquarters in Berlin, the building that formerly housed the arts and crafts school where her father was rector. In December, she and Harro were “brought before the “Reich Court Martial” where they were tried for “preparation to commit high treason, helping the enemy, and espionage.” Found guilty, the couple was sentenced to death and were executed three days later on December 22, 1942.

Honored for her work, the chapel at Liebenberg Castle was named for her, and there are two “stumbling stones” at the front steps to the Castle for the couple. A memorial plaque hangs at Haus Altenburger Allee 19.

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Linda Shenton Matchett writes happily-ever-after historical Christian fiction about second chances and

women who overcome life’s challenges to be better versions of themselves. A native of Baltimore, Maryland, she was born a stone’s throw from Fort McHenry (of Star-Spangled Banner fame) and has lived in historical places all her life. She is a volunteer docent and archivist at the Wright Museum of WWII. She now lives in central New Hampshire where she explores the history of this great state, immerses herself in the imaginary worlds created by other authors, and drinks copious amounts of tea.

Shetland Sunset

Bonded by a cause but an ocean apart, will their love survive a world war?

After months in Norway helping his cousins with their fishing business, American Askel Westgard seems trapped when the Germans invade until he has a chance to get back at the Occupiers as part of the Shetlandsgjengen, or Shetland gang, a group of fisherman who transport weapons and equipment from Shetland to Norway under cover of darkness. Unfortunately, the beautiful Norwegian woman he’s just met refuses to join him in safety. Will he ever see her again?

Distraught when the Germans overrun her beloved Norway, Tonje Bondevik refuses to take the occupation sitting down. She joins the fledgling resistance movement, deriving great satisfaction distributing the underground newspaper and performing acts of sabotage…until the day the Nazis come looking for her, and she must flee for her life. Perhaps she should have listened to the handsome Norwegian-American when he offered to take her to Shetland.

Purchase Link: https://books2read.com/u/4AWqJk

1 “The Heroic Couple Who Defied Hitler,” Phillipe Sands, The Spectator, August 6, 2020.

Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libertas_Schulze-Boysen
https://lastwordonnothing.com/2013/02/18/the-sad-fate-of-libertas-schultze-boysen/
https://www.gdw-berlin.de/en/recess/biographies/complete-index/biographie-detail/view-bio/libertas-schulze-boysen https://tinyurl.com/38wsreh4
https://spectator.com/article/the-heroic-couple-who-defied-hitler/
https://www.tracesofwar.com/sights/9355/Memorial-Libertas-and-Harro-Schulze-Boysen.htm
https://www.gdw-berlin.de/en/recess/topics/14-the-red-orchestra
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Orchestra_(espionage)

Photo Credits:
Libertas: By Unknown author - https://www.faz.net/aktuell/gesellschaft/menschen/libertas-schulze-boysen-ein-weihnachtsengel-vor-der-hinrichtung-12000641/ich-bleibe-jung-in-eurem-12000645.html, Public Domain.
Libertas and Harro Schultze-Boysen: The German Resistance Memorial Center, Berlin
Memorial: Courtesy Traces of War