Mildred Fish-Harnack Paid The Ultimate Price For Her Role in the Red Orchestra

As World War II began, and even before, Resistance groups started appearing across Europe. Fueled by a determination to defend freedom and topple the oppressive Axis regimes, their members often risked their lives. The actions of these groups were nothing short of heroic, and one of the most notable underground operatives who put her own safety at risk was Mildred Fish-Harnack, an American residing in Germany.

Mildred Fish-Harnack's mother was a major influence

Mildred Fish-Harnack was born on September 16, 1902, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Raised in what many would consider a modest household that struggled with money problems, she was influenced by her mother, Georgina, a staunch supporter of the women's suffrage movement . A self-taught stenographer and typist, the elder Fish instilled in her daughter not just a sense of justice, but a passion for literature.

Fish-Harnack stoked her love for English at West Division High School, before attending George Washington University, followed by the University of Wisconsin. Throughout her post-secondary studies, she delved into the works of Walt Whitman and Ralph Waldo Emerson, who inspired the direction in which she took her own writing. It was during this time that she further became an advocate for social justice.

Making the move to Germany

In 1926, Mildred Fish wed German economist Arvid Harnack. They had crossed paths while she was at the University of Wisconsin, and soon after, she followed her new husband back to Germany where he continued his studies. Fish-Harnack also advanced her academic career, enrolling at the universities of Jena and Giessen.

By the time Fish-Harnack moved to Germany, the country was increasingly influenced by the National Socialist German Workers' Party. She observed its ascent up close, with many of her professors and peers openly supporting the regime.

Nevertheless, Fish-Harnack remained dedicated to her studies, eventually becoming an assistant lecturer at the University of Berlin. Specializing in English and American literature, she discussed the works of notable authors like Theodore Dreiser and Thomas Hardy . Her passion made her a favorite among her students.

Pursuing a career in literature

Mildred Fish-Harnack's career as an author thrived once she arrived in Germany. She penned essays on American literature, and her evocative writing style and insightful analysis received acclaim. Her skill was so remarkable that some even likened her to the renowned American novelist Thomas Wolfe.

As Fish-Harnack's reputation grew, her work started appearing in German literary magazines. Despite subtly using her growing prominence to critique Germany's drift toward dictatorship, she gained increasing respect. She also became interested in the Soviet Union, where, unlike in the United States, women enjoyed more rights. With her husband Arvid, Fish-Harnack organized evening meetings to discuss the USSR's economy, sharing the insights from these discussions with her students.

Her critical views on the regime eventually cost Fish-Harnack her job as a lecturer at the University of Berlin. Shortly thereafter, she and her husband became involved with the "Red Orchestra."

Red Orchestra

The Red Orchestra was an underground Resistance group that emerged in Germany during the 1930s. With a membership made up of government officials, artists and intellectuals, it aimed to undermine the increasingly-oppressive regime through espionage and propaganda leaflets. It also helped Jewish individuals escape persecution.

Similar to other Resistance groups that operated throughout Europe during the Second World War , the Red Orchestra consisted of a network of cells. The vastness of the group meant that it eventually became infiltrated by enemy agents, but this didn't stop members from continuing their duties, in the hopes of freeing Germany from the Führer 's grasp.

Mildred Fish-Harnack was heavily involved in the Red Orchestra

Mildred and Arvid Fish-Harnack were active in the Red Orchestra, with their fluency in English and German being a particular asset, as this allowed the group to communicate with Allied intelligence agencies. They participated in typical underground activities, such as distributing leaflets , and even connected with Lt. Harro Schulze-Boysen, a left-wing publicist and Luftwaffe officer who secretly documented German military efforts and forwarded them to the Soviets.

Among the couple's most notable efforts with the Red Orchestra involved them doing the same thing, filtering German military plans to the Red Army , which, if caught, would have undoubtedly led to their immediate executions. There's also evidence Fish-Harnack aided the Red Orchestra's efforts to help Jews flee Germany. Along with sheltering them, she secured false documents and safe passage out of the country.

Mildred Fish-Harnack was executed for her Resistance work

Mildred and Arvid Fish-Harnack's work with the Red Orchestra led the Gestapo to arrest the pair on September 7, 1942, while vacationing on the Baltic Sea. How did the officers know they were involved? The Funkabwehr , which had decrypted messages and intercepted radio transmissions detailing the extent of their espionage .

While initially sentenced to six years imprisonment, the Führer intervened and ordered a retrial , upset about what he viewed as a lenient sentence. The second trial saw Mildred handed a death sentence, which was carried out by guillotine at Berlin's Plötzensee Prison on February 16, 1943.

According to reports, her last words were, " Und ich habe Deutschland auch so geliebt ," which translates to, "And I, too, so loved Germany." Despite everything she'd faced and the oppression within the country, she still loved Germany and had hoped to free its citizens from tyranny.

A legacy that continues to be honored

Despite newspapers learning about Mildred Fish-Harnack's death upon the conclusion of World War II, the US government made a concerted effort to withhold information from the public, due to an investigation into whether her execution could be classified as a war crime. While they applauded her efforts, the case was ultimately closed, given she had been put on trial for her espionage work, making her prosecution " legally justifiable ."

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Fish-Harnack's legacy of courage and resistance continues to inspire over 80 years after her death, with her life memorialized in many ways. In her home state of Wisconsin, schools observe Mildred Fish-Harnack Day, while a street in Berlin's Friedrichshain neighborhood is named for her.