How Women Imprisoned at an All-Female Concentration Camp Resisted the Nazis

A new book has been released with the aim of preserving the accounts of the inmates of an all-female Nazi concentration camp during the Holocaust who resisted their captors to the best of their ability. Lynne Olson’s “The Sisterhood of Ravensbrück: How an Intrepid Band of Frenchwomen Resisted the Nazis in Hitler’s All-Female Concentration Camp” delves into the history of a labor camp located around 50 miles north of Berlin, where an estimated 130,000 female prisoners were part of resistance movements across Nazi-occupied Europe. These women carried out acts of sabotage, sheltered Polish prisoners who were subjected to medical experiments, and even created and performed an opera to maintain their morale.

In her research for the book, Olson utilized memoirs written by the inmates, historical interviews, and discussions with their families and acquaintances. She vividly portrays the dreadful conditions within the camp, including instances where Nazi officers threw scissors at inmates forced to sew uniforms and doctors inserted harmful substances into wounds of Polish prisoners. The camp saw the deaths of up to 40,000 inmates due to various causes like starvation, disease, torture, shootings, lethal injections, medical experiments, and gas chambers.

Olson sheds light on the lesser-known history of Ravensbrück in an interview, pointing out that the camp’s liberation by the Soviets, instead of the Americans, contributed to its lack of visibility in historical accounts. She highlights the story of Geneviève, the niece of Charles de Gaulle, a prominent figure in the French resistance, who played a crucial role in boosting the morale of fellow French inmates at Ravensbrück.

The book also reveals disturbing details of medical experiments conducted on young Polish prisoners by the Nazis, showcasing the prisoners’ resilience in the face of adversity and their acts of resistance against their captors. Olson emphasizes the importance of unity and collective action in combating authoritarianism, drawing parallels between the struggles of the past and the present day.

In conclusion, “The Sisterhood of Ravensbrück” serves as a testament to the strength and resilience of individuals who, even in the darkest of times, found ways to resist and maintain their humanity.