Voluntarias de la Libertad – Volunteers of Freedom

11.05.2020

In July of 1936 in Spain fascist generals seized power during a coup against the democratically elected government. They were supported by the dictatorships in Germany and Italy. Antifascists from all over the world came to help the Spanish people and joined thousands of courageous Spanish comrades in armed combat against fascism in Europe.

After the defeat of the Republic and the dissolution of the Interbrigades a great number of their members were transported from Spain through French prison camps to Nazi concentration camps. Others were able to avoid the prison camps and joined the French resistance. But many of those men and women were later arrested and – after agonizing interrogation by Gestapo officials – deported to German concentration camps.

Among the prisoners at Ravensbrück there were many women of various nationalities who had defended the Spanish Republic against Franco’s fascism.

Following their escape from Spain a big group of Spanish prisoners had joined the French resistance or had operated there in Spanish resistance units. This active participation in the resistance efforts against the German occupation was the reason for their deportation to Ravensbrück.

The following women were part of this movement:

*Spain:

Neus Català i Pallejà, Constanza Martinez Prieto, Secundina Barceló, Mercedes Bernal, Carmen Buatell, Alfonsina Bueno Ester, Lola Casadella, Antonia Frexedes, Felicitat Gasa, Sabina González, Mónica Jene, Rita Pérez, Conchita Ramos, Elisa Ruiz,

(Source: Neus Català, „In Ravensbrück ging meine Jugend zu Ende“, edition tranvia Berlin, ISBN 3-925867-11-2, Originalausgabe: De la resistencia y la deportación. 50 testimonios de mujeres espanolas, Barcelona 1984)

Austria:

Elisabeth (Lisa) Gavric, Melanie (Mela) Ernst, Anna Peczenik,

(Sources: Hans Landauer i. Zus. Arbeit mit Erich Hackl, Lexikon der österreichischen Spanienkämpfer 1936 – 1939, Verlag der Theodor Kramer Gesellschaft, Wien, ISBN 3-901602-18-6 and also Irene Filip in „80 Jahre Internationale Brigaden, 1936 – 2016. Neue Forschungen..." ISBN 978-3-901142-67-3.)

Germany:

Helma Berlin, Hildegard Cohn-Loner, Emmy Dörfel, Irma Götze, Ines Elisabeth Kühnen, Irma Ostermann, Antonia Stemmler, Magdalena Weber

France:

Elisabeth (Lise) London, Henriette Marrane,

Italy:

Teresa Noce

Hungary:

Anna Maria Basch, born Révesz

Latvia:

Frida Marta (Mara) Ginsburg

Poland:

Guta Kinzelewska, Adela Korn-Szerman, Dora Lorska, Rachel Luftig, Esther Zilberberg

Netherlands:

Henderkien (Henny) Peeks, Trijntje Hulleman

Moldavia: Rachel Orlianetsky

(Source: I. Schiborowski, A. Kochnowski (Hrsg), Frauen und der spanische Krieg 1936-1939, Eine biografische Dokumentation, Verlag am Park, Berlin ISBN 978-3-945187-75-3)* https://internationale-frauen-im-spanischen-krieg-1936-1939.de/