Magda Hellinger [part 2]: The Auschwitz Prisoner Who Saved Lives Through Compassion

Magda Hellinger was a Jewish prisoner leader in Auschwitz-Birkenau who risked her life to save thousands of women from Nazi persecution. A young Slovak Jewish woman, she survived more than three years in the Nazi concentration camps Auschwitz and Birkenau. Deported in March 1942 as part of the first transport from Slovakia, Magda was later put in charge of more than 30,000 female prisoners in Birkenau. Instead of abusing her authority, she used her position to help others survive.She protected pregnant women, hid prisoners marked for death, stood up to SS guards such as Irma Grese and Maria Mandl, and even risked her own life to rescue 800 girls from the gas chambers by deceiving a drunken SS guard. Despite torture and punishment in a standing cell, Magda continued resisting. She demanded better conditions from Josef Kramer, persuaded SS officers to provide resources, and saved many prisoners from deadly “sanatorium” deception.After surviving a brutal death march and transfer to Ravensbrück, she was rescued by French prisoners she had helped earlier. Following the war, Magda settled in Australia, where she eventually shared her experiences in the memoir The Nazis Knew My Name. She died in 2006, leaving behind a legacy that lives on through her family and the countless people whose lives she helped save. Her courage under unimaginable conditions remains a powerful reminder that even in humanity’s darkest hour, compassion and bravery could still prevail.This episode is part of the series Survivors of the Holocaust and Nazi Persecution.Watch the full documentary and explore hundreds of historical films at:WorldHistory.tv