Photo: Courtesy of Ruth Wiseman

Civil Resistance in Nazi-Era Berlin
“Give us our husbands back”

In 1943, hundreds of non-Jewish women defied the Nazi regime. They demanded the release of their Jewish husbands who had been incarcerated by the Gestapo, only succeeding by putting their own lives on the line. They showed how ordinary people can become heroes by defying authority and taking risks, day by day.

Susan Neiman, American philosopher and board member of the Rosenstrasse Foundation, writes, “In today’s Berlin, a beautiful monument just steps away from Alexanderplatz honors the protest. Astonishingly, many Berliners have never heard of the Rosenstrasse Protest, though they have often passed close by. Raised on the claims that protest against the Nazis was useless, and usually fatal, many Germans do not want to remember that another way was possible. It always is. The women who risked their lives in the worst days of tyranny should embolden the rest of us to stand up against injustice wherever it occurs.”

Monument to the Rosenstrasse Protest in Berlin, Germany

Photo: picture alliance / Bildagentur-online/Joko | Bildagentur-online/Joko

Berlin’s Unsung Female-Led Protest
Everyday Defiance Builds up to Heroic Action

The Rosenstrasse Protest (February 27th to March 6th, 1943) is a rare example of open resistance in Nazi Germany. Coming to power in 1933, the Nazis confidently calculated that married couples of “Aryans” (in Nazi vocabulary) and Jews would divorce as their friends vanished, their jobs were lost, their children were tossed from schools, and other opportunities to succeed faded away.

Fritz and Frieda Kuhn with their children, Rita and Hans

Photo: Courtesy of Ruth Wiseman

Interview with Ruth Wiseman
“Do not be afraid to stand up against injustice”

When Rita Kuhn was a teenager, the Nazi Party arrested her and detained her in a building on Berlin’s Rosenstrasse. Rita’s daughter Ruth Wiseman shares her family’s experiences on Rosenstrasse.

Jaques and Anni Abraham in their grocery store in Brooklyn, New York

Photo: Courtesy of Katrin Balaban

Interview with Katrin Balaban
“I have faith in the future”

In February 1943, the Gestapo arrested Jaques Abraham and brought him to a detainment center on Berlin’s Rosenstrasse. His wife, Anni, was one of the first women to show up to protest outside of the building. Their daughter Katrin tells their story.

Rudi and Elsa Holzer with their children

Photo: Courtesy of Nathan Stoltzfus

The Families of Rosenstrasse
“So many women — that was a real demonstration!”

At the center of the Rosenstrasse Protest are the families that the Gestapo tore apart — and the wives and mothers who fought back. These are some of their stories.

Timeline

Rosenstrasse street sign in Berlin commemorating the Jewish community center, where the men were imprisoned during the 1943 Rosenstrasse Protest

Photo: picture alliance / POP-EYE | POP-EYE/Christian Behring

1933–1943
The Rosenstrasse Protest: A Historical Timeline

This timeline puts the Rosenstrasse Protest in historical context, expanding on the events leading up to the 1943 demonstration.

Exhibit Opening and Panel Discussion

On March 8th, International Women’s Day, the Goethe-Institut Washington celebrated the opening of the exhibition “Give us our husbands back” with a reception and panel discussion. If you were unable to attend the event, you can view the recording here.

Partners

Produced by the Goethe-Institut Washington with the support of the German Embassy Washington and the Rosenstrasse Foundation. Find more information on the exhibit and materials here.

Civil Resistance in Nazi-Era Berlin “Give us our husbands back”

Berlin’s Unsung Female-Led Protest Everyday Defiance Builds up to Heroic Action

Interview with Ruth Wiseman “Do not be afraid to stand up against injustice”

Interview with Katrin Balaban “I have faith in the future”

The Families of Rosenstrasse “So many women — that was a real demonstration!”