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Women Imprisoned in Nazi Concentration Camp Fought Back and Survived

BBG News

A fresh publication intends to safeguard the tales of women imprisoned at a female-only Nazi concentration camp during the Holocaust, who defied their oppressors to the fullest extent possible.

The Sisterhood of Ravensbrück: An Examination of a Female Labor Camp Near Berlin, 50 Miles from the City, Where Approximately 130,000 Women from Resistance Movements Throughout Nazi-Occupied Europe Were Housed”

In this book, Lynne Olson delves into the story of Ravensbrück, a labor camp located approximately 50 miles north of Berlin. These women, numbering around 130,000, belonged to various resistance movements across Nazi-controlled Europe. Despite their confinement, they undermined any tasks assigned to aid the war effort, concealed Polish prisoners subjected to medical experiments, and even collaborated on an opera to maintain their morale.

In her work, Olson utilized memoirs penned by prisoners, interviews previously conducted with them, as well as discussions with their relatives and acquaintances. She meticulously describes the appalling living conditions within the camp, including Nazi officers who threw scissors at inmates tasked with sewing uniforms, and the so-called doctors of the Nazis who surgically implanted gangrene bacteria, dirt, and glass into Polish prisoners’ wounds to observe the consequences. Tragically, as many as 40,000 prisoners in Ravensbrück succumbed to starvation, illness, torture, shootings, lethal injections, experimental procedures, and exposure to toxic gas.

Here, Olson discusses the most shocking stories about the all-female Nazi concentration camp.

TIME: Why isn’t the history of Ravensbrück better known?

As a cinephile, I’ve always been intrigued by history, and one fact that stands out is this: Unlike what many believe, it wasn’t the Americans who liberated the camps, but the Soviets. You won’t find any Western journalists or footage chronicling the liberation of these camps because, sadly, when the Soviets arrived, there was no one from the West present to capture those moments on camera.

Despite most concentration camps having already been freed, Ravensbrück was surprisingly late to be liberated. The attention and news surrounding other camps left many unaware of Ravensbrück’s existence until its liberation.

An astonishing disclosure found within the pages of this book unveils that one of the inmates housed at Ravensbrück was actually Geneviève, the niece of Charles de Gaulle – a prominent figure known for leading the French Resistance and later serving as President of France.

Prior to her arrest by the Gestapo, she played a significant role in convincing resistance leaders that General de Gaulle would assist in guiding France through the disastrous circumstances they faced.

As a captivated movie critic, I’d rephrase it like this: I, sneaking from barrack to barrack, would break the rules, engaging in heartfelt conversations with fellow Frenchwomen about him and his vision for post-war France. He offered them hope, a reason to persist, a belief that they might live on, and that France could endure. My role was crucial in maintaining their spirits within those confined walls.

What are some of the most surprising stories you learned about what happened in the camp?

One particularly horrific example is the gruesome medical tests that the Nazis performed on young Polish inmates, many of whom were still adolescents or in their early twenties. These experiments included intentionally breaking their legs to observe if they could heal, injecting them with bacteria like tetanus and germs, and then viciously cutting their limbs. The majority of these victims were left disabled for the remainder of their lives.

As the records indicate, almost everyone made it through. With the war nearing its end, the Nazis intended to execute all survivors of these experiments as a means to eliminate proof of their actions. In the final month of the conflict, Ravensbrück received tens of thousands of women from other camps. Due to confusion over identities, it was simpler for them to carry out questionable acts unnoticed. The women dug hidden shelters beneath the barracks and concealed Poles there. Some inmates managed to sneak the Poles into convoys destined for departure.

It’s intriguing to notice that one of the prisoners wrote an operetta detailing life within the camp, using it as a means of defiance. I suspect that it wasn’t staged within the camp.

Among all the stories in the book, that’s the one I find most captivating. It has been recorded and spread among French-speaking ladies.

1944 saw Germaine Tillion crafting her creation during a late-night moment. At that point in time, the women of Ravensbrück were grappling with the grim reality that they might not be liberated, but could meet their end before the war’s conclusion. In an effort to lift their spirits, Tillion spent 10 days meticulously creating this operetta, which included dancing, music, and melodies she recalled.

Each evening following her job, she’d secretly meet up with fellow women from the barracks who were French, teaching them tunes and dances in private. As they went to work, they’d sing these songs, watched over by German guards. Since Germans didn’t comprehend French, these women essentially amused themselves at the expense of the guards as they marched along.

Six decades after its original performance, it took place in Paris, just shy of Germaine Tillion’s centennial. The event was a resounding triumph and continues to be staged, predominantly in France, though performances have occurred in the U.S. and various other nations as well.

Were there any other key ways that these women resisted or stood up to the Nazis in the camp?

One significant method was to refrain from actions beneficial to the Germans in their war endeavors. Many chose to conceal themselves to evade being assigned to munitions facilities. Those unable to escape instead worked covertly to undermine their tasks. If they were manufacturing gun components, for instance, they strove diligently to ensure those weapons malfunctioned. They resorted to stealing supplies. Their primary goal was always to find ways to resist the Germans in whatever means possible.

What happened to these women after Ravensbrück was liberated?

Following the war, Germaine Tillion gained recognition as one of France’s leading intellectuals, while Geneviève de Gaulle established an international organization to aid those in need, particularly the homeless and impoverished. Upon witnessing the destitute and homeless in post-war France, she was struck by a striking resemblance to herself and her fellow prisoners at Ravensbrück concentration camp.

Essentially, the French people wished to move past the trauma of war. They aimed to disregard the reality that as a nation, France had surrendered to and subsequently collaborated with Germany. They preferred not to confront the actions taken by their country. Their aim was to make it unequivocally clear, both to their nation and to those claiming credit for the resistance, that women played an integral role in preserving their country’s freedom.

What did you find in your research that strikes you as particularly timely in 2025?

In this inhumane setting intended to strip your humanity, these women forged a sisterhood, resisting being dehumanized. The resilience showcased at Ravensbrück underscores the incredible strength that emerges when individuals unite against adversity, even in the most dire conditions. This book serves as a reminder: You are not powerless. You gain power when you contribute to the collective and work together towards change.

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2025-06-05 01:06

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