Lisa Fittko
Lisa Fittko was born in Uzhorod (present day Ukraine) on August 23, 1909. Her Jewish family were prominent activists during the Czech national movement and patrons of the fine arts. They migrated to Berlin to raise Lisa in a city that hosted liberal humanist values that aligned with their own. However, they were met with the rise of Nazi power and Anti-Semitism. This motivated her family to participate in anti-fascist groups that protested against the triumph of Adolf Hitler’s National Socialist movement. During the 1930s, Fittko was a dedicated member of Berlin’s Socialist Student League. Alongside other colleagues, she began to write and publish illegal pamphlets denouncing the Third Reich. After publicly displaying these works of literature, the Nazi regime became increasingly aware of their group’s efforts. To remain safe, Fittko moved to Prague where she met her husband. Hans Fittko was a Gentile and a rising anti-Nazi publicist who was charged with the murder of a Berlin Nazi and sentenced to death. His flee to still-free Czechoslovak Republic left him in political exile. After they were married, the Fittkos worked together to escape Hitler’s reign and also distributed anti-fascist leaflets. However, in 1940, Lisa was unsuccessful and imprisoned in Gurs, a concentration camp, but found liberation after the French military collapsed in June. Her freedom inspired her and her husband to save the lives of other suffering Jews. Following this, the couple met Varian Fry, a journalist who created a rescue network for refugees escaping the Holocaust. He enlisted them for help. During their time working alongside Fry, a French mayor informed Lisa of an ancient smuggling path across the Pyrenees. In September of 1940, they organized the escape of almost 1,500 victims from persecution out of Nazi-controlled France. This became known as the F-Route in 1941. Today, it is recognized as a pragmatic role in the demonstration of civil courage in Germany. Due to rising pressures surrounding their capture, the Fittkos emigrated to Cuba and then the United States. Here, Lisa was rewarded with the Distinguished Service Medal, First Class by the Federal Republic of Germany for her bravery shown in her resistance efforts.
Written by Emma Rieser