In 1933, as the Nazis came to power they started targeting and brutally killing of Jews and members of other oppressed groups, often from the minority — a bit before and during the Second World War.
These people were seen as threats to the Nazis’ distorted worldview and being inferior and blamed for Germany’s defeat in World War I.
Nevertheless, despite the danger posed by the Nazi regime, some courageous individuals refused to submit to their brutality and instead chose to hide from them.
The indomitable human spirit and steadfast resolve to endure, no matter the difficulty faced, are demonstrated by the experiences of those who survived and persevered through such trying conditions.
We’ll discuss the difficulties experienced by people who had to hide to avoid the atrocities of the Nazi dictatorship and the heroic deeds of those who assisted them in escaping.
It serves as a sad reminder of the tragedies of war and a tribute to people who displayed extraordinary bravery and compassion in the midst of such doom and gloom.
Tirosh And Zabinski — A Family’s Survival Tale Amidst Nazi-occupied Poland
The story of the Tirosh family and the Zabinskis is truly remarkable. They managed to resist and aid others amidst the chaos and horrors of Nazi-occupied Poland during World War II — their story tells the story of bravery, imagination, and kindness.
It all started in 1940 when the Tirosh family needed to get past German guards. They cleverly disguised themselves as Polish travelers and made their way to a zoo run by Jan and Antonia Zabinski.
The Zabinskis were members of the Polish resistance and had already started to use the zoo’s underground pathways to hide Jews from the Nazis. In addition, the zoo was being used as a storage place for arms and supplies for the resistance.
Unfortunately, the Nazis eventually killed most of the animals or shipped them off to zoos in Germany. But the Zabinskis didn’t let that stop them.
They turned the zoo into a pig farm to provide cover for their operations. When Nazi inspectors came to check on the pigs, Antonia would play the piano to communicate plans to those in hiding — — it was a risky move, but it surely worked.
Thanks to the bravery and resourcefulness of the Zabinskis, the Tirosh family and many others were able to survive the war. In fact, Moshe Tirosh, the youngest son of the family, eventually made his way to Israel.
Sima A Blonde Who Survived Holocaust
Sima Gleichgevicht-Wasser’s story is definitely one of incredible survival and resilience. Sima, along with her family, was subjected to the unspeakable horrors of Nazi oppression just because they were Jews who were living in the Nazi-captured territory of Poland.
In 1940, Sima’s family was forced into a ghetto situated north of Warsaw. But despite the harrowing conditions and constant danger, Sima’s fair features allowed her to slip past Nazi guards undetected, bravely venturing out to purchase and smuggle in much-needed supplies for her family.
Sima received the worst news of her life when she returned to the ghetto one day and discovered that her family had been liquidated and was nowhere to be seen. She was forced to leave and hide while constantly living in fear of the Nazis finding her.
Remarkably, Sima managed to evade capture, finding refuge with a Polish family until she was forced to flee once again when German soldiers came snooping around.
In Warsaw, she eventually found safety and refuge with another family, where she stayed until the second great war came to an end.
Through sheer grit and determination, Sima survived one of the darkest periods in human history. Sima tried to make the most of the advantages of having blonde hair and fairer skin provided her.
She moved to Israel after the war came to its conclusion before deciding to settle in Brooklyn, where she had a lengthy and fruitful life.
The Story of the Chiger Family Surviving The Holocaust In Sewers
In 1943, the Nazis ruthlessly deported the entire population of Lvov’s ghetto to concentration camps, but the Chiger family managed to evade this grim fate by hiding in a sewer.
For over a year, Jerzy and Peppa Chiger, along with their young children Krystyna and Pawelek, endured a life of unspeakable hardship, living in filthy water and subsisting on rats.
Daily battles with lice and the constant threat of drowning during heavy rainstorms were just a few of the challenges that they faced.
Yet amidst this darkness, a glimmer of hope emerged in the form of Leopold Socha, a black marketeerwho discovered the family near his hiding spot for smuggled goods.
Socha’s compassion and bravery saved the Chiger family from certain death, as he provided them with food every day and even found a Jewish prayer book for them to use in their underground sanctuary.
The day Socha gave them vodka to celebrate their survival is a powerful reminder that the human spirit can endure even in the bleakest of conditions.
Hanni Escaping Forced Labour
In 1943, Hanni was a young lady working as a forced laborer for the Nazis in a factory when she was wounded in a tragic accident that left her with a disfigured finger.
Little did she know that upon her return from the hospital, her entire neighborhood’s Jewish population would be rounded up for transport to concentration camps.
In the act of incredible bravery, Hanni fled and sought refuge with non-Jewish acquaintances in Berlin, who aided her in disguising herself as a non-Jew. She cut her hair short, dyed it blonde, and forged friendships with locals, including movie theater employees who helped protect her secret until the end of the war.
Hanni was successful in avoiding the fate that devastated so many of her fellow Jews because of her quick thinking and the assistance of her friends.
After the war had ended, Hanni moved to Paris, where she met the man of her dreams — who later became her husband; this was the start of a new chapter in her life.
Undoubtedly, Hanni’s early years were crucial to her existence and survival, which gave her the abilities and instincts that she needed to outwit her captors and start an entirely new life.
Tante Nel’s Hidden Refuge
During the harrowing days of 1942, the Nazi regime in Holland had made life extremely perilous for Jewish people. Young Mirjam Geismar’s family knew they had to act quickly to avoid being caught by the Nazis, and so they decided to go into hiding.
Mirjam was sent to live with a heroic woman named Tante Nel, who had bravely taken it upon herself to protect many children from the clutches of the Nazis.
Nel had ingeniously constructed a hidden compartment beneath her kitchen floor, accessible only by a trap door, where Mirjam and many other children were safely concealed.
Meanwhile, Mirjam’s parents had found refuge in a nearby church, where they hid themselves behind the grand organ. It was a risky move, and their fears were soon realized when the Nazis conducted a raid on the church. Miraculously, Mirjam’s parents managed to evade capture and remained hidden until the end of the war.
The family was finally reunited once the war was over. Yet Mirjam’s parents had been forever changed by the tragic event.
The organ’s tone, which had previously brought them delight, now served as a sad reminder of the threat they had faced.
They always had nightmares about their near escape, and the sound of the organ music made them shiver just thinking about it.
Anne Frank’s Family’s Hiding in an Attic for Two Years
It was July 1942, and the Nazis had begun sending Jews from Amsterdam to concentration camps. Among them was the Frank family, who decided to go into hiding in a secret attic apartment to escape the horrors of the camps.
They were accompanied by four Dutch Jews, who were also in hiding, and together they lived in the cramped space for two years.
To survive, they relied on the generosity of Johannes Kleiman, Victor Kugler, Jan Gies, and Miep Gies, who bravely maintained their hiding place and provided them with food and clothing.
These benevolent souls risked their own lives to keep the Franks and their companions safe, and their compassion and heroism will never be forgotten.
Unfortunately, the Gestapo found the family’s hiding spot in August of 1944, which led to their arrest and deportation to Auschwitz Concentration Camp.
Later, Anne and her sister Margot were sent to Bergen-Belsen for forced labor, where they sadly died along with everyone else who worked there, except for their father Otto, who was the only one to survive.
Marie Jalowicz Simon — The Submerged Woman Who Defied the Nazis
As the situation for Jews in Nazi Germany worsened, Marie Jalowicz Simon made a bold decision to hide in plain sight. In 1941, she approached a postman and told him that her “neighbor” Marie had been taken by the Nazis.
With this ruse, she started walking around without the required Jewish star on her jacket, assuming a new identity to evade detection.
Over the next few years, Marie took on menial jobs and lived in various apartments throughout Berlin, sometimes sharing space with fervent Nazis.
Despite living this double life, she bravely worked to sabotage production at the arms factory where she was employed. Her defiance and resistance were a testament to her unwavering courage and determination to survive.
After the war, Marie’s courage and brilliance emerged as she joined the faculty at Humboldt University, where she worked until her demise in 1998.
300 Hid From Nazi Oppression In A Zoo
The Warsaw Zoo turned into an unusual haven for people fleeing the Nazis during the terrifying years of World War II.
The Tirosh family, desperate to escape persecution, posed as Polish travelers and made their way to the zoo, where Jan and Antonia Zabinski, members of the Polish resistance, had set up an underground network of hiding places for Jews.
The zoo was more than just a hiding place though; it was also a hub for the resistance, with arms being stored on the grounds.
When the Nazis took over the zoo, the Zabinskis turned it into a pig farm, using it as a cover for their continued operations. Even during Nazi inspections, Antonia bravely played the piano to signal plans to those in hiding.
The Tirosh family made it through the peril and one of the youngest members, Moshe Tirosh, eventually made it to Israel.
Though it is believed that 300 people were sheltered at the zoo during the war, they were but a small portion of the many people that sought safety at the zoo.
Conclusion
The stories of those who hid from the Nazis during World War II are a testament to the indomitable human spirit, courage, and compassion.
Despite facing brutal oppression and danger, these individuals demonstrated remarkable resilience and ingenuity to survive and protect others.
Their tales serve as a solemn reminder of the tragedies of war and the strength that can emerge amidst the darkest of times.
