Mildred Fish Harnack was executed by guillotine on February 16, 1943. Originally, on December 22, 1942, the same day her husband was sentenced to death, Mildred received a sentence of six years hard labor. However, on January 16, 1943, she was retried on Hitler's orders. Without any new evidence, she was sentenced to death for her role in the Red Orchestra.
The following images are from Mildred's time in prison. When she was arrested, Mildred had a volume of Goethe's poems with her and spent her time in prison translating several of them. Mildred's translation of Goethe's poem "Vermachtnis" is shown in the two images on the right. One is a photocopy of the German version with English translation notes scribbled on the sides, dated '16.II.43' - the day Mildred was executed. The retyped/reformatted English translation is on its right. This translation, which Mildred worked on right up until her execution, was found and saved by a prison minister.
| PART I. 1902 - 1929: Wisconsin, U.S.A. |
1902.beginnings. |
1921...back in Wisconsin. |
1922 - 1924.Wisconsin Literary Magazine. |
1921 - 1925.pieces of UW-Madison life. |
1926 - 1927...life style changes. |
| PART II. 1929 - 1943: Germany. |
1929...easing into life in Germany. |
1920s & 1930s.a passion for the literary. |
1939 - 1941.foreshadowing of danger. |
1942..Arvid's parting. |
1943.Mildred's parting. |
| PART III. 1943 - Present: |
Late 1940s.a memorial's failed attempt. a relative's story. a friend's poem. the media's slant. the FBI's files. |
1970s - Present.media recognition. |
Present Day.memorials remember. |
PART II.
1929 - 1943: Germany.
1943. Mildred's parting.
[Photograph: copy] Gedenkstätte Deutscher Widerstand Material Copy courtesy of Arthur Heitzer |
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![FULLSIZE [275K]](../../../images2/mfh/images/fullscreen/2/foto_1929_mfHaH_fs.jpg){kind=link}
[Poem: photocopy] Goethe poem "Vermachnis", with accompanying notes by Mildred Fish Harnack Original resides in Humboldt University Archives Copy courtesy of Shareen Blair Brysac |
[Poem: retyped/reformatted] Retyped/reformatted sections of English translation of Goethe poem "Vermachtnis" Frank Cook, UW-Madison Archives Last verse translation Democratic German Report April 23, 1975, p. 50. Copy courtesy of UW-Madison Archives |
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UW - Madison Archives and Records Management Services
B134 Memorial Library
University of Wisconsin-Madison
http://archives.library.wisc.edu
B134 Memorial Library
University of Wisconsin-Madison
http://archives.library.wisc.edu
©2001 by the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System (Images and text, unless otherwise noted.)
Background images were derived from reprinted photographs originating from the following sources:
Gedenkstätte Deutscher Widerstand Material (Berlin: 17.2, 10/91),
exhibit materials on loan from Arthur Heitzer and
University of Wisconsin - Madison Badger yearbooks (1924 and 1925).
All materials on this site are under copyright and meant for educational use only.
They may not be otherwise used without obtaining the expressed permission of the copyright owner first.
Background images were derived from reprinted photographs originating from the following sources:
Gedenkstätte Deutscher Widerstand Material (Berlin: 17.2, 10/91),
exhibit materials on loan from Arthur Heitzer and
University of Wisconsin - Madison Badger yearbooks (1924 and 1925).
All materials on this site are under copyright and meant for educational use only.
They may not be otherwise used without obtaining the expressed permission of the copyright owner first.
Web site inquires to uwarchiv@library.wisc.edu
Prepared by: Jenifer Ihde
Last update: 30 January 2001