coolchicksfromhistory: Hannah Szenes (1921-1944) dressed in a Hungarian army uniform for Purim Hannah was born to a literary, secular Jewish family in Hungary.  The precarious situation facing Jews in 1930s Hungary deepened Hannah’s Jewish identity and led her to join Maccabea, a local Zionist student group.  As a teenager, she immigrated to Palestine without her family and enrolled in the Girls’ Agricultural School at Nahalal.  In 1941 she joined the Haganah, a paramilitary group that laid the foundation for the Israel Defense Forces.  Two years later she enlisted in the British army as a member of the Woman’s Auxiliary Air Force.  In March 1944, she parachuted into Yugoslavia to establish contact with local partisan groups.  Not until meeting Tito’s partisans did Hannah and her two male compatriots learned that the Germans already occupied Hungary.  The men decided to abandon the mission but Hannah continued on to Hungary.  She was arrested at the border when the Hungarian police found the British military transmitter she was carrying.  Tortured in prison, Hannah refused to give up any information about British military operations, even when they threatened to torture her mother.  On November 7, 1944 Hannah was executed by firing squad for treason. She was 23 years old. Hannah’s diary, which covers her life up to her execution, has been published in several languages including English.  Stuff You Missed in History Class also has a great podcast on Hannah.  Thanks to thepluralisphoenixii for reminder about what a cool chick Hannah was.

coolchicksfromhistory:

Hannah Szenes (1921-1944) dressed in a Hungarian army uniform for Purim

Hannah was born to a literary, secular Jewish family in Hungary.  The precarious situation facing Jews in 1930s Hungary deepened Hannah’s Jewish identity and led her to join Maccabea, a local Zionist student group.  As a teenager, she immigrated to Palestine without her family and enrolled in the Girls’ Agricultural School at Nahalal.  In 1941 she joined the Haganah, a paramilitary group that laid the foundation for the Israel Defense Forces.  Two years later she enlisted in the British army as a member of the Woman’s Auxiliary Air Force. 

In March 1944, she parachuted into Yugoslavia to establish contact with local partisan groups.  Not until meeting Tito’s partisans did Hannah and her two male compatriots learned that the Germans already occupied Hungary.  The men decided to abandon the mission but Hannah continued on to Hungary.  She was arrested at the border when the Hungarian police found the British military transmitter she was carrying.  Tortured in prison, Hannah refused to give up any information about British military operations, even when they threatened to torture her mother. 

On November 7, 1944 Hannah was executed by firing squad for treason. She was 23 years old.

Hannah’s diary, which covers her life up to her execution, has been published in several languages including English.  Stuff You Missed in History Class also has a great podcast on Hannah.  Thanks to thepluralisphoenixii for reminder about what a cool chick Hannah was.

Cite Arrow reblogged from coolchicksfromhistory
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    She was my age when she died, and we were born in the same place.
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