On March 31, 2024, concentration camp survivor Hermine Schmidt passed away at the age of 98. She was baptized as a Jehovah’s Witness in 1942 and was arrested by the Gestapo in 1943. In 1944, she was deported to the Stutthof concentration camp, where she had to witness indescribable atrocities. In 1945, she was rescued and liberated after a forced evacuation across the Baltic Sea.
Hermine said she wasn’t born a hero, but had to learn to stand firm. Her faith as a Jehovah’s Witness gave her the support she needed. Despite her painful experiences, she was a joyful, optimistic and life-affirming person. She describes her experiences in her autobiography “Die gerettete Freude”.
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