The teenage girls who seduced and killed Nazis
These girls' courage really puts my wi-fi complaints into perspective
You know what fascinates me most about history? It's the stories of everyday people. The people who were just doing their thing when the world went crazy around them.
Take World War II, for example. We've all heard the numbers - millions dead, cities reduced to rubble, unspeakable atrocities committed. But those numbers, as staggering as they are, can sometimes feel abstract, distant. It's only when you start digging into the personal experiences of those who lived through it that the true weight of it all starts to sink in. These were real individuals with hopes and dreams, fears and flaws, just like you and me. They had families they loved, friends they laughed with, and plans for the future that got turned upside down, completely destroyed, in an instant. Honestly, I can not even begin to imagine what it must have been like waking up one day to find everything you valued gone and having to watch, unable to do anything, as your loved ones and those you cared about were taken away from you.
Maybe it was the neighbor you used to chat with every day when you got home from work, or the grandmother who just brought you a homemade cookie last week. The barber who always knew just how you liked your hair cut, the grocer who always saved you the best cuts of meat, or the schoolteacher who saw potential in you that you never knew you had. Or maybe it's the elderly couple who lived down the street or the young family who just moved in next door with the adorable baby who was just learning to walk.
Poof. Suddenly, they are all gone.
Everywhere you look, there are reminders of what's been lost. A child's doll, lying forgotten in the street next to a torn and muddy wedding photo. The young couple looks so happy in there! Or that pair of glasses still sitting on a bedside table in an empty house. You can't help but wonder, what happened to the people who once cherished these things? Will you be next?
When you're surrounded by so much senseless destruction, it's easy to lose hope and start thinking that maybe the only way to survive is to keep your head down and just try to make it through another day. But astonishingly, in the middle of all this horror, there were people who somehow managed to do the exact opposite, to stand up and scream, "Hell no, not on my watch, you sick motherf*ckers!". And this, to me, is mind-blowing.
For example, Simone Segouin, the French teenager who started out as a courier for the resistance and eventually took up arms herself, capturing 25 German soldiers during the liberation of Paris. Witold Pilecki, the Polish resistance fighter who voluntarily - yes, you heard that right - got himself arrested and sent to Auschwitz so he could gather intelligence and organize a resistance from inside the camp. People like Miep Gies and her colleagues, who hid Anne Frank and her family in their Amsterdam office building for two years, risking their own necks every single day to keep them safe. And the college kids behind the White Rose, who knew they could be executed for handing out leaflets calling for resistance, but did it anyway.
Thankfully, there are many stories like these, including the one I'm going to share with you today.
“In spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart.” ― Anne Frank
Jo Schaft was born on September 16, 1920, and was raised in a loving family in Haarlem, Netherlands. Her father, Pieter Schaft, was an elementary school teacher and a vocal advocate for workers' rights and welfare, while her mother, Aafje Talea, like most women in those days, dedicated herself to the duties of a traditional housewife. Growing up in a nurturing yet politically charged environment, Jo learned, from a very young age, that you just don't stand by and watch when people are getting screwed over. This conviction not only shaped her into a kind and nice person but also into someone who was really tuned into the social injustices happening around her.
Jo had gorgeous red hair and an adorable face full of freckles. But you know how kids can be, and those same features made her an easy target for bullies. I'm sure the stupid jokes eventually got to her, but they weren't enough to stop her from absolutely crushing it in school. In 1938, at the age of 18, she enrolled at the University of Amsterdam to study law.
Beyond the walls of the campus, things were getting pretty wild. In Germany, a politician named Adolf Hitler was rising to power, and he had some pretty messed up ideas about expanding his territory. Okay, he had messed up ideas about everything, but still. Hitler believed that Germany needed "Lebensraum," or "living space," to accommodate its growing population and secure its future prosperity, and he used this idea to justify an aggressive expansion into neighboring countries. From here, most of you know how it went down: In March 1938, Hitler annexed Austria, and just six months later, he demanded that Czechoslovakia hand over the Sudetenland region, which had a lot of ethnic Germans living there. The idea of another war breaking out just 20 years after World War I had ended had the leaders of Great Britain, France, and Italy pretty much freaking out. They rushed over to Munich to sit down with Hitler and came up with something called the Munich Agreement, basically a document that said, "Okay, Adolf, you can have the Sudetenland, but you gotta pinky promise to chill out from now on." Spoiler alert: he didn't.
On May 10, 1940, the Nazi war machine unleashed its fury upon the Netherlands. The Dutch military fought back and tried their best, but they were no match for the sh*tstorm the Germans were bringing. In just five days, the country was on its knees, waving the white flag.
For the next five years, the Dutch people had to endure a living nightmare. The Germans imposed all sorts of oppressive rules and restrictions, making everyday life a constant struggle. For the Jewish population, things only got progressively worse, with men, women, and children eventually forced into concentration and extermination camps. By the time the war finally drew to a close, approximately 70% of Dutch Jews had been wiped out.
In the days following the invasion, whispers of resistance started spreading among people. Jo, who was living in Amsterdam with her friends Annie and Nellie, found herself drawn to clandestine gatherings at the university, where students and professors huddled together to try to make sense of the chaos that had engulfed their nation. Then, in May 1942, the occupying forces introduced a new law requiring all Jews to wear a yellow Star of David on their clothing. When Jo finds out about this, she's absolutely devastated, thinking about her Jewish friends, Sonja Frenk and Philine Polak, and how this is going to affect them. But this also changed, or fueled, something inside her, and she instantly started looking for ways to resist the Nazi occupation actively.
She probably knew all too well that getting involved in the resistance was a dangerous game, no matter how small your contribution was. Those who got caught could be tortured, deported to concentration camps, and even executed; and entire communities could be made to pay for the actions of a few.
Nevertheless, doing nothing went against everything Jo believed in. For her, the only way forward was to resist. One of the first things she did was swipe identity cards from non-Jewish individuals and distribute them to her Jewish friends and others in need. These stolen IDs helped people move around the city more freely without the Nazis constantly on their backs. Soon, Jo was also distributing underground pamphlets and stealing weapons from German soldiers for the resistance.
“Look at how a single candle can both defy and define the darkness.” ― Anne Frank
Life had never been easy for one family living in the small village of Schoten. For Jacob and Trijntje Oversteegen, each day brought the struggle of providing for the children. Jacob just didn't seem able to hold down a steady job, making life at home extremely unstable and leaving Trijntje to stretch their limited resources as far as she could. Eventually, this constant financial stress took its toll on their marriage. In 1933, the couple decided to split up, and Trijntje was left as a single mom to raise their two young daughters, Truus (born in 1923) and Freddie (born in 1925).
In this new reality, money was tighter than ever, but Trijntje worked hard, determined to give her kids a decent upbringing. She eventually remarried, and the Oversteegen family welcomed a new baby.
For a brief period, it seemed like their lives were finally taking a turn for the better. But then, you know. World War II broke out, and before long, the Dutch found themselves living under Nazi occupation.
The Germans, masters of propaganda and manipulation, wasted no time in taking control of the Dutch media. They took over newspapers, radio stations, and even the newsreels that aired before movies. Suddenly, every story, broadcast, and image was meticulously produced to promote the Nazi agenda, burying the truth under a huge pile of lies. Publishers and journalists had to follow these new rules, or they could get arrested, thrown in jail, or worse. This oppressive environment created a pressing need for alternative sources of information and voices of dissent and fostered the rise of underground publications, which not only offered a lifeline of authentic information but also played a crucial role in uplifting the spirits of those opposing the new regime. At 16 and 14, Truus and Freddie caught wind of this movement and decided to help out by passing around pamphlets and newspapers for the resistance, becoming part of the sneaky and super important network of couriers that helped spread the resistance's message.
“I can't imagine how anyone can say: "I'm weak," and then remain so. After all, if you know it, why not fight against it, why not try to train your character? The answer was: "Because it's so much easier not to!”― Anne Frank
Now, guys, these resistance groups were no joke. They formed a big network that mostly operated independently but sometimes managed to establish vital connections with the Allies. The British Special Operations Executive (SOE) and the American Office of Strategic Services (OSS) sent in agents to make contact, train the resistance fighters, and provide them with crucial supplies like weapons, radios, and medical equipment. The scale of this support was quite amazing. According to historian M.R.D. Foot, in his book "SOE in France," states that the SOE alone managed to deliver over 10,000 tons of supplies to various resistance groups throughout the war. The Soviets also teamed up with partisan groups in Eastern Europe, especially in Yugoslavia, where the resistance actually managed to beat back a bunch of German forces.
In the Netherlands, the resistance network was divided into several groups, each with its own specialty. I'll mention just a few. The LO (Landelijke Organisatie voor Hulp aan Onderduikers), for example, was really good at helping people go into hiding. The OD (Orde Dienst) focused on gathering intelligence and staying in touch with the Dutch government-in-exile. Finally, whenever something needed to be blown up, or someone had to be killed, the RVV, (Raad van Verzet or Council of Resistance) would be on it.
The collective efforts of these groups were vital in resisting the German occupation and supporting those affected by it.
Ps: The activities of these groups weren't just limited to what I described. Things were way more complex, but we're not diving into that today.
“It was a necessary evil, killing those who betrayed the good people.” ― Freddie Oversteegen
One day, Frans van der Wiel, the Regional Commander of the RVV in Haarlem, shows up at Truus and Freddie Oversteegen's door and invites them to join the group. Quite taken aback, the sisters were understandably nervous and hesitant. They needed more time to think it over.
But Frans couldn't wait, so he decided to put them through a test. A few days later, he pops back up, this time dressed up like a Gestapo officer, waving a fake gun around, demanding to know where a specific Jewish guy was hiding. Despite how unexpected and basically horrifying this situation was, Truus and Freddie refused to betray the dude, kicking and hitting van der Wiel to make their point clear. Then, Frans drops the act and reveals that this whole crazy encounter was just a test to see if they have what it takes to join the resistance. Truus and Freddie, now realizing that they can handle the heat, decide to take on the offer and officially become part of the RVV.
Ironically, their young age proved to be an unexpected advantage. They could move through the streets without drawing the same level of suspicion as adult men, which allowed them to carry messages, transport weapons, and gather intelligence with a lower risk of being caught.
In 1943, Jo Schaft reached out to the RVV, expressing her desire to deepen her involvement with the resistance. Naturally, the group wasn’t just going to hand out guns to anyone who showed up. To make sure Jo was up for the challenge, they decided to team her up with fellow comrade Cor Rusman, and subject her to a little initiation test. Their mission was to assassinate an SD (Sicherheitsdienst, or Nazi Security Service) officer. If Jo could do this, she would prove herself worthy of becoming a member of the RVV and undertake even more important missions in the future.
When the time came, she was shaking uncontrollably. And, well, HOW CAN YOU NOT BE? If I were there, I'd probably be trying to convince the SD officer that I was just a really lost tourist or something. But anyway. Jo took a deep breath, steadied her hand, and pulled the trigger.
Click.
Fuck.
The gun was empty.
As the SD officer walked right up to her, Jo thought she was done. But then he introduced himself as Frans van der Wiel - the same guy who'd pulled a similar stunt on the Oversteegen sisters. Jo was pretty mad about being tricked like that, but she had to admit, it was a clever move. And more importantly, she'd passed the test.
With her new status as a resistance member confirmed, Jo said goodbye to her old life and embraced her new identity. She knew there was no turning back now, but she was ready for whatever the future might bring. The Nazis had better watch their backs, because Hannie Schaft was coming for them.
“Today I know what hate is, real hate, and I swear to myself that these acts will be paid for.” ― Lucie Aubrac
Things were getting a little too hot for Truus and Freddie Oversteegen in Haarlem. Their resistance activities had become a bit too well-known for comfort, so they decided it was time to get the hell out of there. They packed their bags and made their way to Enschede, where they joined their aunt Griet and started working as nurses at the Evacuation Hospital Twente. Meanwhile, Frans van der Wiel was coming up with an idea. He had been working with Truus and Freddie for a while, and he knew they were damn good at what they did. But he also knew that they could be even more effective with the right partner. And he had just the person in mind - Hannie Schaft.
Disguised as a student nurse and doing what she had been instructed to do, Schaft arrived at the hospital looking for the sisters. Aunt Griet played matchmaker, and set up a meeting between the three young women.
Now, if you thought blind dates were awkward, try having one with two other resistance fighters in a hospital office. As Freddie would later recount, the three of them sat there in silence for what felt like an eternity, hands on their hidden weapons, sizing each other up and waiting for someone to make the first move. Minutes went by, and nobody blinked. Then, the mood changed. Maybe it was the absurdity of the situation, or maybe it was just the relief of finally meeting someone who understood the risks they were taking. Whatever it was, the three of them suddenly burst out laughing. The ice was finally broken, and they put their guns on the table, ready to get down to business.
Freddie later confessed that she felt a bit jealous towards Hannie at first. After all, she and Truus had been the only girls in the RVV until then. But any doubts quickly vanished as Hannie showed herself as a brave and passionate resistance fighter. As Freddie put it,
“At first sight, Hannie was a sweetheart and very gentle. If she seemed so soft at first, you would think 'How is it possible that such a person is in the resistance? We [Freddie and Truus] were, in my mind, much tougher than she was. We assumed wrong, as it quickly turned out. Hannie was a real resistance woman, very courageous and fiercely anti-fascist. And when she did her thing, you thought, "Yes!"."
As the girls started working together, they realized that they complemented each other perfectly. Hannie, sharp and nerdy, taught Truus and Freddie German and English. Truus, the practical one, stepped up as the leader of the group. And Freddie, the detail-oriented one, meticulously planned and mapped out every part of their missions. Before long, they became inseparable, ready to take on whatever came their way.
Truus, Freddie, and Hannie quickly built a reputation around a bold tactic of seducing German soldiers, leading them into the woods, and taking them out once they were there. To pull this off, they would slick on some bright, red lipstick, put on a tipsy act, and transform themselves into "moffen girls" - a derogatory term for Dutch women who were overly friendly with the German occupiers.
The first time they did this was in a mission that featured Truus at the forefront, tasked with charming a high-ranking German SS officer at a local bar. She engaged him in casual conversation, gave him a smirk, and suggested they go for a little romantic walk in the woods. Meanwhile, Freddie was on the lookout, and Frans van der Wiel was hiding, ready to jump into action. Truus was nervous as hell, but she did what she had to do. Once she got the officer alone in the woods, Frans took his shot. The mission was a success, but there was no time to celebrate, as the sound of German trucks and barking dogs in the distance warned them to get out before the afterparty started.
In the chaos of the escape, Freddie was accidentally left behind at her lookout post. When Truus realized what had happened, she raced back to find her sister frozen in the same spot, visibly shaken and having wet herself from fear.
While the men of the resistance primarily led the frontline ambushes and shootings, Truus, Freddie, and Hannie were no strangers to handling firearms themselves. In fact, they became particularly good at eliminating targets while riding their bicycles. In later years, when people asked the Oversteegen sisters how many people they'd eliminated, they always avoided the question. "You never ask a soldier how many people he's killed," was their response. "We were dealing with cancerous tumors in our society that you had to cut out like a surgeon."
“A man fighting for his life can do more than he ever imagined he could.” ― Witold Pilecki
Hannie Schaft's striking red hair had always made her stand out, even back in her school days when bullies targeted her for it. But during the war, the last thing you wanted was to stand out in a crowd, especially when you were busy sabotaging Nazi plans and leaving a trail of dead soldiers in your wake. Hannie's distinct hair kept catching the enemy's eye every time they were lucky enough to get glimpses of her as she fled the scene of her latest attack. They didn't have a name for her, but they had a nickname: the girl with the red hair.
On June 21, 1944, Schaft and her comrade Jan Bonekamp went after Willem Ragut, a Dutch police officer and Nazi collaborator. Cornering Ragut on the streets of Zaandam, Schaft acted swiftly, firing a shot into his back. Yet, Ragut managed to retaliate, injuring Bonekamp. Badly wounded, Bonekamp completed the mission, killing Ragut, but was caught by the Nazis as he tried to flee the scene and was taken to the hospital. Maybe in a morphine-induced state, he inadvertently revealed information about Hannie to the nurses, who, too bad for him, were Nazi sympathizers. The Nazis, of course, jumped on this info, arresting Schaft's parents and deporting them to Herzogenbusch concentration camp. They figured they could use them as bargaining chips to get her to surrender. Hannie was a wreck, but she was too smart for that. She knew that turning herself in wouldn't do any good - the Nazis would just kill her and probably her parents too. So, she waited, and nine months later, her parents were released.
By 1944, the Allies were making progress on different fronts. The invasion of Normandy on D-Day, June 6, 1944, opened up a new battleground in Western Europe while the Soviet Red Army was relentlessly pushing back in the East. The Nazis were being squeezed from both sides, and they knew the end of the war was coming fast. Despite this, Schaft knew she couldn't let her guard down, particularly after what happened to her parents. In an attempt to create a new layer of protection, she decided to change her appearance, dyeing her signature red hair black.
What she didn't realize was that time was running out. The fearless resistance fighter was on a collision course with destiny.
“I’ll die clean and beautiful.” — Hannie Schaft
On March 21, 1945, Hannie Schaft was detained at a police checkpoint in Haarlem. A search of her bag turned up copies of the underground Communist paper De Waarheid and a pistol, serving as incriminating evidence for her arrest.
Once Schaft was in custody, the Nazis immediately attempted to break her, placing her in solitary confinement and subjected her to relentless torture. Nonetheless, she maintained her composure, refusing to give them anything. But then, she was transferred to Amsterdam, where she came face to face with Emil Rühl, a notorious Nazi interrogator. Rühl swiftly identified her as the infamous "girl with the red hair” who had been causing so much trouble for the Germans. He gave her an ultimatum: confess everything or five Dutch girls would be executed. It was too much for her to bear. Exhausted, Hannie Schaft broke down.
While she languished in her prison cell, her resistance allies were desperately trying to find a way to get her out, pulling every string they could, trying to call in favors, and making deals to secure her release. Unfortunately, despite the Nazis knowing they were going down, they were still thirsty for blood and revenge.
On April 17, 1945, a few days before the Netherlands' liberation, Hannie Schaft was led to the dunes of Overveen by two Dutch Nazi scumbags, Mattheus Schmitz and Maarten Kuiper. Without warning, Schmitz whipped out his pistol, aiming a shot at Hannie's head. He missed. The bullet grazed her temple, and as blood trickled down her face, she uttered an almost surprised "Oh." Then, Kuiper pulled out his gun, took aim, and fired. This time, there was no glancing blow, and she dropped like a stone.
The Girl with the Red Hair was gone.
On May 5, 1945, the Germans finally surrendered in the Netherlands. However, for Truus and Freddie Oversteegen, the battle was far from over. In the years that followed, they committed themselves to preserving Hannie's legacy and ensuring that the world never forgot the contributions of the Dutch resistance. In 1996, Truus started the National Hannie Schaft Foundation to honor her fallen friend and to educate people about the sacrifices that the resistance fighters had made. Freddie worked tirelessly alongside her.
The two sisters carried out their mission until the very end. Truus passed away in 2016 at the age of 92, and Freddie followed two years later at 93.
Extremely interesting story! Thank you for the read.
I love your work. I love your books. I love your history and stories.
Thanks Marina