History's Secret Heroes: Series 1: Bela Hazan and the Jewish Resistance

History's Heroes

BBC

Documentary, History, Society & Culture

4.8 • 704 Ratings

🗓️ 12 July 2023

⏱️ 30 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Poland, 1941. Bela Hazan, a young Jewish woman, secures an undercover job at the Gestapo headquarters. She is about to go undercover to fight against the Nazis.

Helena Bonham Carter shines a light on extraordinary stories from World War Two. Join her for incredible tales of deception, acts of resistance and courage.

A BBC Studios Podcast production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.

Producer: Amie Liebowitz Executive Producer: Paul Smith Written by Alex von Tunzelmann

Transcript

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0:00.0	He tells her that she will be sent to France as a secret agent, and if she's caught, she's going to be shot.
0:09.3	I'm Helen Obalam Carter, and this is history's secret heroes, where I shine a light on extraordinary stories from World War II.
0:17.6	What they wanted was someone to get themselves arrested and sent to Auschwitz.
0:22.0	Tales of deception, an incredible acts of resistance and courage.
0:26.3	She was a born soldier.
0:27.4	She's a freedom fighter in its widest sense.
0:29.3	The brand new series of History's secret heroes.
0:32.8	Listen first on BBC Sounds.
0:36.1	BBC Sounds, music, radio, podcasts.
0:40.3	Grodner, Poland, the 24th of December, 1941, a dusting of snow on the cobblestones.
0:47.3	For six months the Nazis had occupied the region.
0:51.3	Now the Gestapo were throwing a party to celebrate Christmas Eve.
0:56.2	Among the locals they invited was a 19-year-old woman called Bella.
1:01.1	One of the Gestapo officers, apparently he liked her very much. Perhaps he fell in love with her
1:06.5	because Bella was quite a good-looking, attractive young woman.
1:13.5	When Bella received this officer's invitation,
1:17.5	her friends, Lonka and Tema, were staying with her for the holidays.
1:19.2	She told the Gestapo officer,
1:21.5	I'm sorry I cannot come to your party because I have two girlfriends and staying at my place.
1:25.4	So he was a gentleman, and he said to her, why don't you bring them along?
1:30.0	This was the sort of invitation you couldn't refuse.
1:33.6	Reluctantly, Bella and her friends dressed up
	...

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