When he honored the Oberlangen Girls—and never knew one was Jewish
The Oberlangen Girls at St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City, 1946.
In 1946, Pope Pius XII prepared to honor a group of young Polish women who had become symbols of resistance during World War II.
They were known as the Oberlangen Girls—fighters in the…
In 1946, Pope Pius XII prepared to honor a group of young Polish women who had become symbols of resistance and courage during World War II. They were the famous Oberlangen Girls – decorated resistance fighters who had survived Nazi imprisonment as prisoners of war. Fifteen of these celebrated women were selected to receive papal…
In one of the most extraordinary ironies of World War II, a 12-year-old Jewish girl who had fought with the Polish resistance received a personal audience with Pope Pius XII in Italy in 1946. The Pope never knew her true identity.
