1. Jannetje Johanna Schaft was a Dutch resistance fighter during World War II.
23 Facts About Hannie Schaft
1. 2.
Hannie Schaft became known as "the girl with the red hair".
3.
Jannetje Johanna Hannie Schaft was born in Haarlem, the capital of the province of North Holland.
4.
From a young age, Hannie Schaft discussed politics and issues of justice with her family, which encouraged her to pursue law and become a human rights lawyer.
5.
Hannie Schaft became friends with the Jewish students Sonja Frenk and Philine Polak.
6.
Rather than act as a courier, Hannie Schaft wanted to work with weapons.
7.
Hannie Schaft was responsible for sabotaging and assassinating various targets.
8.
Hannie Schaft carried out attacks on Germans, Dutch Nazis, collaborators and traitors.
9.
Hannie Schaft learned to speak German fluently and became involved with German soldiers.
10.
When seen at the location of a particular assassination, Hannie Schaft was identified as "the girl with the red hair".
11.
Hannie Schaft's involvement led "the girl with the red hair" to be placed on the Nazis' most-wanted list.
12.
When she resumed her Resistance work, Hannie Schaft dyed her hair black and wore glasses to hide her identity.
13.
Hannie Schaft contributed to assassinations and sabotage, as well as courier work, and the transportation of illegal weapons and the dissemination of illegal newspapers.
14.
Hannie Schaft survived the attack and in 1948 he testified in Amsterdam for the benefit of his Velser girlfriend, the traitor Nelly Willy van der Meijden.
15.
Hannie Schaft was eventually arrested at a military checkpoint in Haarlem on 21 March 1945 while distributing the illegal communist newspaper de Waarheid, which was a cover story.
16.
Hannie Schaft admitted her Resistance activities, but there is no evidence that she gave the Nazis information about her fellow fighters.
17.
Hannie Schaft was executed by Dutch Nazi officials on 17 April 1945.
18.
On 27 November 1945, Hannie Schaft was reburied in a state funeral at the Dutch Honorary Cemetery Bloemendaal.
19.
Hannie Schaft eventually became one of "The Breda Four", one of the last four Nazi war criminals, all of whom were on death row, but eventually reprieved due to Juliana's hesitance, still serving time in the Netherlands.
20.
Hannie Schaft was reburied in section 22 at the honorary cemetery Erebegraafplaats Bloemendaal in the dunes in Overveen in the presence of Princess Juliana and her husband Prince Bernard.
21.
Posthumously Hannie Schaft received the Dutch Cross of Resistance, one of only 95 people.
22.
Hannie Schaft was awarded the Resistance Memorial Cross and General Eisenhower awarded her the Medal of Freedom.
23.
Hannie Schaft's life is the basis of the 2023 historical novel, To Die Beautiful by Buzzy Jackson.