Liane Berkowitz

Liane Berkowitz (7 August 1923 in Berlin - 5 August 1943) was a German resistance fighter (Red Orchestra).

Life
Berkowitz was the daughter of concertmasters and conductors Victor Vasilyev and his wife, the singing teacher Catherine Jewsienko. The family fled in 1923 from the Soviet Union in Berlin. Soon after the death of the husband married the mother of Henry Berkowitz, who adopted Liane immediately. Berkowitz made sure that Liane could be prepared in 1941 at the private school Heilsche Night School to school.

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. They became engaged to Friedrich Rehmer and was pregnant when she was arrested by him.

Together with Otto Gollnow, her fiancé was wounded in the hospital, Berkowitz stuck on the evening of 17 May 1942 about 100 sticky notes between Kurfürstendamm and Uhland Street. Stood on the labels: "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 this action Berkowitz and Gollnow are discreetly accompanied and protected by Harro Schulze-Boysen.

In the context of breaking the group Liane Berkowitz was born on 26 September 1942 arrested and charged. Friedrich Rehmer, in the Hospital Britz a serious war injury of the Eastern Front wanted to recuperate, was 29 November 1942 arrested out of the ward out. 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 s and aiding the enemy" to death. In the women's prison Barnimstraße they brought on 12 April 1943 her daughter Irina to the world, which was supervised in July 1943 by the grandmother.

As the Reich Court pronounced the sentence recommendation when checking against Adolf Hitler to dismiss the pregnant Liane Berkowitz from prison, this expressly rejected. The death sentence he was confirmed by Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel and countersign.

Liane Berkowitz was executed in Plötzensee Prison on 5 August 1943, Friedrich Rehmer had already been executed as early as 13 May 1943. After death her body was released to anatomist Hermann Stieve to be dissected for research. Her final resting place is unknown.

The daughter Irina died on 16 October 1943 in hospital Eberswalde under unclear circumstances. It was probably a victim of Nazi Euthanasia action, maybe they died because of malnutrition by Liane Berkowitz during pregnancy.

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).