#57 A Teacher Who Outwitted the Nazis & A Woman Full of Hot Air (Anna Essinger & Sophie Blanchard)

Welcome back to Mostly Unsung the weekly comedy history podcast hosted by women, where Annie and Andrea bring you two bite-sized biographies of the forgotten people, overlooked pioneers, and extraordinary lives history didn’t quite know what to do with.If you enjoy funny history podcasts, women in history, social history, and remarkable true stories, you’re in exactly the right place.This week Andrea tells the inspiring story of Anna Essinger, a head mistress who made a life-changing decision in the face of rising danger in Nazi Germany. Determined to protect her students, she relocated her entire school to England, helping dozens of children escape persecution in the years leading up to the Second World War. Then Annie introduces the dazzling and daring Sophie Blanchard, one of the world’s first female balloonists and a true star of early aviation history. Performing breathtaking aerial displays across France, and for celebrities like Napoleon Bonaparte and LOUIS XVIII, Sophie became famous for her fearless flights… and a flair for drama that occasionally got a little too close to danger. Expect wartime heroism, aviation spectacle, women’s history, and plenty of surprising moments as we dive into two lives that prove history is anything but dull.If you love history podcasts, forgotten women in history, World War II stories, early aviation, and inspiring true stories, Mostly Unsung is your new favourite weekly listen.For this episode Andrea used these sources:https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-schoolteacher-who-spirited-her-students-away-from-the-nazis-180980393/https://45aid.org/carers/anna-essinger/https://www.theguardian.com/education/2003/jul/18/schools.uk1https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anna_EssingerWhere you can find us:https://www.instagram.com/mostlyunsung/https://www.facebook.com/share/16J4vuMy1h/https://www.tiktok.com/@[email protected] you next Wednesday!