Liane Berkowitz
Liane Berkowitz (7 August 1923 in Berlin - 5 August 1943) was a German resistance fighter (Red Orchestra).
Life
Liane Berkowitz was the daughter of conductor Victor Vasilyev and his singing teacher wife, Catherine Jewsienko. The family fled from the Soviet Union to Berlin in 1923. Catherine married Henry Berkowitz shortly after Victor's death, and Henry adopted Liane immediately. Henry arranged for Liane's education at the private Heilsche preparatory school. There, she joined a circle of friends which coalesced around her schoolmate Eva Rittmeister and the latter's husband, John. Ursula Goetzel, Otto Gollnow, Fritz Thiel, and Friedrich Rehmer also belonged to the group.
There they joined the circle of friends around her classmate Eva captain and her husband John Captain to the even Ursula Goetze, Otto Gollnow, Fritz Thiel and Friedrich Rehmer belonged. Under the guidance of Captain John, the friends became a circle of Hitler's opponents, who later with Harro Schulze-Boysen in resistance group Red Orchestra worked against the Nazi regime. She became engaged to Friedrich Rehmer and was pregnant when she was arrested.
Together with Otto Gollnow, her fiancé was wounded in the hospital, Berkowitz attached on the evening of 17 May 1942 about 100 sticky notes between Kurfürstendamm and Uhland Street. The following labels were written on the notes: "Permanent Exhibition - The Nazi paradise - War - Hunger - lie - Gestapo - How long?" This was intended to lie against the issuing | protest Soviet Paradise The Soviet Paradise of the Empire Propaganda Office of the NSDAP. Also wanted to show that anti-fascist resistance in Germany was still active. It is not certain whether during this action Berkowitz and Gollnow were discreetly accompanied and protected by Harro Schulze-Boysen.
In the context of breaking the group, Liane Berkowitz was arrested and charged on 26 September 1942. Friedrich Rehmer, in the Hospital Britz was trying to recuperate from a serious war injury of the Eastern Front. He was arrested in his hospital ward on 29 November 1942. The Second Senate of Reich Court s convicted on 18 January 1943 Berkowitz and Rehmer together with other friends involved in the adhesive action "for aiding the preparation of high treason and aiding the enemy," and sentenced them to death. In the women's prison Barnimstraße was born on 12 April 1943 Liane's and Friedrich's daughter Irina. She was supervised in July 1943 by her grandmother.
As the Reich Court pronounced the sentence recommendation when checking against Adolf Hitler to dismiss the pregnant Liane Berkowitz from prison, this was expressly rejected. The death sentence was confirmed by Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel and countersigned.
Liane Berkowitz was executed in Plötzensee Prison on 5 August 1943. Friedrich Rehmer had already been executed as early as on 13 May 1943. After death her body was released to anatomist Hermann Stieve to be dissected for research. Her final resting place is unknown.
Her daughter Irina died on 16 October 1943 in hospital in Eberswalde under unclear circumstances.
Liane Berkowitz was a member of the Russian Orthodox Church. Her letters from death row are marked by a deep faith. The Catholic chaplain Peter Buchholz enabled her to death at the reception of the communion.
Honours
- In the courtyard of the Berlin his Humboldt University in the district of center (Unter den Linden 6) there is an at the Humboldt University
- Liane Berkowitz lived in Berlin-Schöneberg, Viktoria-Luise-Platz 1, where a plaque commemorates it.
- On 18 January 2000, the Liane Berkowitz Square was inaugurated, which in the Berlin district of Friedenau between Südwestkorso Wilhelmshoeher and Rheingaustraße is.
Literature
- Claudia Gélieu: Women in prison prison Barnimstrasse. A story of justice. Elephant Press, Berlin 1994, ISBN 3-88520-530-0, ( EP 530), (reprint: Espresso Publisher: ISBN 3-88520-530-0).
- Regina Griebel, Marlies Coburg, Heinrich Scheel: Captures? The Gestapo album for Red Orchestra. A photo-documentation. Audioscop, Hall 1992, ISBN 3-883-84044-0, 372 pp.
- Gert Rosiejka: The Red Chapel. , Treason 'as anti-fascist resistance. With an introduction by Henry Scheel. Results-Verlag, Hamburg 1986, ISBN 3-925622-16-0, (33 Results).
- Kurt Shields (eds): Eva-Maria and the book, Red Chapel '. Memory of the resistance against National Socialism. A copy of the Bruno and-Else-Voigt Foundation. Overall, Berlin 1992, ISBN 3-925961-06-2, (In this volume, the prison letters and secret messages from Liane Berkowitz were printed).