Renate von Natzmer
Encyclopedia
Renate von Natzmer was a German
noblewoman who worked for the army
during the Weimar Republic
and Third Reich. She also worked for Polish
intelligence. In the early 30s, she met Polish agent
major
Jerzy Sosnowski
and she became, like her friend Benita von Falkenhayn
, his lover. They were arrested for spying and treason
. Von Falkenhayn and von Natzmer were found guilty and sentenced to death.
Two days later, after appeals for clemency had been turned down, they became two of the last people in Germany to be beheaded by axe
, at Plötzensee Prison
in Berlin
. In 1938, Adolf Hitler
decreed that all future executions should be by hanging
or the guillotine
, although at least one other woman, the Romanian-Jewish communist Olga Bancic
, did later die by the axe in Stuttgart
in 1944.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
noblewoman who worked for the army
Army
An army An army An army (from Latin arma "arms, weapons" via Old French armée, "armed" (feminine), in the broadest sense, is the land-based military of a nation or state. It may also include other branches of the military such as the air force via means of aviation corps...
during the Weimar Republic
Weimar Republic
The Weimar Republic is the name given by historians to the parliamentary republic established in 1919 in Germany to replace the imperial form of government...
and Third Reich. She also worked for Polish
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
intelligence. In the early 30s, she met Polish agent
Espionage
Espionage or spying involves an individual obtaining information that is considered secret or confidential without the permission of the holder of the information. Espionage is inherently clandestine, lest the legitimate holder of the information change plans or take other countermeasures once it...
major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
Jerzy Sosnowski
Jerzy Sosnowski
Jerzy Ksawery Franciszek Sosnowski was a major of the Second Department of the General Headquarters of the Polish Army and a Polish spy in Weimar Germany , using pseudonyms Georg von Nalecz-Sosnowski and Ritter von Nalecz...
and she became, like her friend Benita von Falkenhayn
Benita von Falkenhayn
Benita von Falkenhayn, maiden name von Zolikofer-Altenklingen was a Swiss-born German baroness who was a spy for Poland....
, his lover. They were arrested for spying and treason
Treason
In law, treason is the crime that covers some of the more extreme acts against one's sovereign or nation. Historically, treason also covered the murder of specific social superiors, such as the murder of a husband by his wife. Treason against the king was known as high treason and treason against a...
. Von Falkenhayn and von Natzmer were found guilty and sentenced to death.
Two days later, after appeals for clemency had been turned down, they became two of the last people in Germany to be beheaded by axe
Axe
The axe, or ax, is an implement that has been used for millennia to shape, split and cut wood; to harvest timber; as a weapon; and as a ceremonial or heraldic symbol...
, at Plötzensee Prison
Plötzensee
Plötzensee is a small glacial lake in Berlin. It is situated near the Rehberge public park in the former borough of Wedding, now a part of Mitte. The name stems from Plötze, one name for the roach in German, as the lake formerly teemed with it....
in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
. In 1938, Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
decreed that all future executions should be by hanging
Hanging
Hanging is the lethal suspension of a person by a ligature. The Oxford English Dictionary states that hanging in this sense is "specifically to put to death by suspension by the neck", though it formerly also referred to crucifixion and death by impalement in which the body would remain...
or the guillotine
Guillotine
The guillotine is a device used for carrying out :executions by decapitation. It consists of a tall upright frame from which an angled blade is suspended. This blade is raised with a rope and then allowed to drop, severing the head from the body...
, although at least one other woman, the Romanian-Jewish communist Olga Bancic
Olga Bancic
Olga Bancic , also known under her French nom de guerre Pierrette , was a Jewish Romanian communist, known for her role in the French Resistance during World War II. A member of the FTP-MOI and the Manouchian Group, she was captured by Nazi German forces in late 1943...
, did later die by the axe in Stuttgart
Stuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
in 1944.
External links
- Trilingual account of the executions (English, German, Polish)