Philippe Sands

The heroic couple who defied Hitler

Norman Ohler describes the courage of Harro Schulze-Boysen and his wife in infiltrating the Nazi hierarchy to aid the German resistance

Harro Schulze-Boysen and his wife Libertas sailing on Wannsee. Credit: The German Resistance Memorial Centre, Berlin 
issue 08 August 2020

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.

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