Mayor Hanno Benz praises courage against the Nazi regime
On the 125th anniversary of the birth of Darmstadt resistance fighter Arvid Harnack, Mayor Hanno Benz paid tribute to his efforts against the Nazi dictatorship.
“Arvid Harnack showed civil courage and stood up to National Socialism when many remained silent or followed,” Benz explained.
Resistance against war and persecution
Arvid Harnack, along with his American wife Mildred Harnack-Fish, belonged to the Berlin resistance network, which was later called the "Red Orchestra" by the Gestapo.
The group consisted of people from diverse political and social backgrounds and campaigned against war, persecution, and the crimes of the Nazi regime.
Benz pointed out that more recent research assesses the group in a more nuanced way than before. The long-held assumption of exclusively Soviet control is now considered refuted.
Darmstadt origins and resistance activities
Harnack was born on May 24, 1901, the son of a professor in Darmstadt. He studied law and economics and met his future wife, Mildred, during a stay in the USA.
Later, Harnack worked in the Reich Ministry of Economics and established early contacts with opponents of the Nazi regime. Together with Harro Schulze-Boysen and other associates, the Harnacks supported persecuted individuals, documented war crimes, and distributed leaflets.
Furthermore, they warned as early as 1941 about the planned German attack on the Soviet Union.
Arrest and murder by the Nazi regime
Arvid and Mildred Harnack were arrested on September 7, 1942. After being tortured, Arvid Harnack was murdered in Berlin-Plötzensee on December 22, 1942.
Mildred Harnack-Fish was also executed on February 16, 1943. She is considered the only US citizen murdered by the Nazi regime.
A memorial plaque has commemorated the resistance fighter at Harnack's birthplace on Hochstraße in Darmstadt since 2002. In Berlin, Stolpersteine (stumbling stones) were laid for Arvid and Mildred Harnack in 2013.
(DARMSTADT – RED/PSD/fre/dk)/
Featured image: Arvid and Mildred Harnack. Photo: City of Darmstadt
