The internet in English will tell you that she was some kind of teenage anti-Nazi heroine. American sites in particular love to gush about her bravery.
According to the Airborne Museum in the Netherlands there are actually some 20 stories about her heroism. They investigated all of them.
None of them are true. They are myths.
Both her parents were active Nazis, almost from the time Hitler came to power in 1933.
Her father was Joseph Ruston, a British subject.
The British security services watched him closely from 1933 onwards. He had strong links with National Socialists in Belgium and Germany, and the security services regarded him as a potential traitor and spy.
Ruston adopted the name Hepburn-Ruston in 1939.
During the Second World War he was detained in the UK under Regulation 18B, that allowed the government to detain people who they thought were a danger for security.
Audrey's mother was Baroness Ella van Heemstra, a Dutch citizen.
She was a committed Nazi as well.
In 1935 Ella van Heemstra wrote two articles for a British fascist newspaper called The Blackshirt.
In the first one she glorified "The Call of Fascism".
In the second she glorified Hitler and Germany under the Nazis: "the Germans, under Nazi rule, are a splendid example to the white races of the world."
During the Second World War, van Heemstra's lover was a Dutch Nazi.
Witnesses have claimed there were Nazi regalia on display in her apartment.
The Dutch Resistance newspaper 'Oranjekrant" listed “Ella van Heemstra, Arnhem” as being “Gestapo.”
Yet, the Canadian officer who interviewed Audrey's mother after the war during the denazification process was lenient.
He wrote that she was "silly" and only "politically unreliable". She claimed that she had disavowed Fascism and had helped the resistance.
After the war, collaborators were tried by the Dutch government and sent to prison.
However, there were so many of them that the prisons became overcrowded and the economy was suffering.
The government decided to stop prosecuting collaborators. The incriminating documents were not destroyed but filed, and up till now nobody has been given access to them.
The collective Dutch myths that started after the war were basically a denial of the collaboration with the occupier and a denial of any involvement with the Dutch Holocaust.
75% of Dutch Jewry were murdered.
Later some diaries were found that had belonged to the Dutch SS volunteers. They were full of proud stories about how they killed Jews.
Both her parents were active Nazis, almost from the time Hitler came to power in 1933.
Her father was Joseph Ruston, a British subject.
The British security services watched him closely from 1933 onwards. He had strong links with National Socialists in Belgium and Germany, and the security services regarded him as a potential traitor and spy.
Ruston adopted the name Hepburn-Ruston in 1939.
During the Second World War he was detained in the UK under Regulation 18B, that allowed the government to detain people who they thought were a danger for security.
Audrey's mother was Baroness Ella van Heemstra, a Dutch citizen.
She was a committed Nazi as well.
In 1935 Ella van Heemstra wrote two articles for a British fascist newspaper called The Blackshirt.
In the first one she glorified "The Call of Fascism".
In the second she glorified Hitler and Germany under the Nazis: "the Germans, under Nazi rule, are a splendid example to the white races of the world."
During the Second World War, van Heemstra's lover was a Dutch Nazi.
Witnesses have claimed there were Nazi regalia on display in her apartment.
The Dutch Resistance newspaper 'Oranjekrant" listed “Ella van Heemstra, Arnhem” as being “Gestapo.”
Yet, the Canadian officer who interviewed Audrey's mother after the war during the denazification process was lenient.
He wrote that she was "silly" and only "politically unreliable". She claimed that she had disavowed Fascism and had helped the resistance.
After the war, collaborators were tried by the Dutch government and sent to prison.
However, there were so many of them that the prisons became overcrowded and the economy was suffering.
The government decided to stop prosecuting collaborators. The incriminating documents were not destroyed but filed, and up till now nobody has been given access to them.
The collective Dutch myths that started after the war were basically a denial of the collaboration with the occupier and a denial of any involvement with the Dutch Holocaust.
75% of Dutch Jewry were murdered.
This was the highest percentage in West Europe. One of the reasons for the high percentage was the extensive collaboration in the isolation, rounding up and deportation of the Jews by Dutch individuals and authorities,
Yet, according to the stories I have heard from people since I have lived in the Netherlands, the Dutch were not involved.
This is the first myth.
Then there is the myth about the large size of the resistance helping the Jews.
As, according to the myth, so many people were helping Jews, it seems remarkable that any were killed at all.
The final myth is about the Dutch volunteers for the SS.
Yet, according to the stories I have heard from people since I have lived in the Netherlands, the Dutch were not involved.
This is the first myth.
Then there is the myth about the large size of the resistance helping the Jews.
As, according to the myth, so many people were helping Jews, it seems remarkable that any were killed at all.
The final myth is about the Dutch volunteers for the SS.
The Netherlands had the highest number of non-German volunteers for the SS from the whole of occupied Europe.
According to the myth, they were only "adventurers". The Dutch authorities accepted this explanation. Those who wanted to, were integrated into the Dutch army.
According to the myth, they were only "adventurers". The Dutch authorities accepted this explanation. Those who wanted to, were integrated into the Dutch army.
Later some diaries were found that had belonged to the Dutch SS volunteers. They were full of proud stories about how they killed Jews.
An example: “I forgot to tell you how great it was to hang a chief rabbi from the tower of his synagogue and then torch the synagogue with the Jews inside.”
After the collective Dutch myths came the individual ones, like the myths about Audrey Hepburn. If the story of her Nazi parents had broken without any redeeming feature, it could have destroyed her career.
All that is known for sure is that she was 10-years-old when the war started and 15-years-old when it ended.
After the collective Dutch myths came the individual ones, like the myths about Audrey Hepburn. If the story of her Nazi parents had broken without any redeeming feature, it could have destroyed her career.
All that is known for sure is that she was 10-years-old when the war started and 15-years-old when it ended.
No comments:
Post a Comment