Born: 16 September 1920, Netherlands
Died: 17 April 1945
Country most active: Netherlands
Also known as: Johanna Jannetje Schaft, Johanna Elderkamp
The following bio was written by Emma Rosen, author of On This Day She Made History: 366 Days With Women Who Shaped the World and This Day In Human Ingenuity & Discovery: 366 Days of Scientific Milestones with Women in the Spotlight, and has been republished with permission.
Jannetje Johanna (Jo) Schaft was a Dutch resistance fighter during World War II, renowned as “the girl with the red hair.” Within the resistance, she operated under the codename “Hannie.”
Schaft’s early exposure to political and social discussions within her family influenced her aspirations to pursue a legal career, ultimately aiming to become a human rights lawyer. She commenced her law studies at the University of Amsterdam in 1938 and formed close bonds with Jewish students Sonja Frenk and Philine Polak, which deepened her stance on anti-Jewish actions.
Her involvement in resistance activities began with small-scale actions, including the theft of ID cards for Jewish people, including her friends. Following her departure from university, she joined the Raad van Verzet, also known as the “Council of Resistance,” an organization with strong ties to the Communist Party of the Netherlands.
Schaft was determined to engage in armed resistance. She engaged in sabotaging and assassinating various targets, comprising German soldiers, Dutch Nazis, collaborators, and traitors. Schaft’s fluency in German facilitated her interactions with German military personnel.
On 1 March 1945, Hannie Schaft, along with Truus Oversteegen, executed NSB police officer Willem Zirkzee near the Krelagehuis on the Leidsevaart in Haarlem. On 15 March, they wounded Ko Langendijk, a hairdresser affiliated with the Nazi intelligence agency, Sicherheitsdienst (SD), from IJmuiden.
Schaft was arrested at a military checkpoint in Haarlem on 21 March 1945. At the time of her arrest, she was distributing the illegal communist newspaper “de Waarheid” (literally ‘The Truth’) while transporting confidential documentation for the Resistance.
Hannie Schaft was executed on 17 April 1945 by Dutch Nazi officials.