Research Symposium

BIO

Hello! My name is Lilly Welch. I am from Columbus, Ohio and I am a sophomore at Florida State University. I am majoring in political science with the goal of attending law school post grad!

A Women of Resistance: The Life of Marie Loewenstein

Abstract

In early 1943, over 1700 Jewish men and children were captured by the Gestapo in Berlin, Germany, and taken to Rose Street to be detained. The imprisonment of these citizens resulted in an act of civil resistance that has long gone unrecognized throughout history. The Rosenstrasse protest was one of the most significant acts of civil resistance in the heart of Nazi Germany, where hundreds of German women gathered to demand the release of their Jewish husbands who faced imprisonment. I worked with the Rosenstrasse Civil Courage Foundation to research the women and their families who participated in the protest. The research aimed to highlight the significance of the event and to serve as an educational tool for the protest to be remembered, working to find the ancestors of the protesters and creating a collection of stories, artifacts, and testimonies that humanize and bring history to life. That was accomplished by using genealogical data and information from sources like Ancestry DNA. Through the research, I was able to better understand many of the brave women who partook in the protest. The project focused on one individual, particularly Maria Lowenstein. Research uncovered many of the pivotal moments of her life, making it possible to write a biography highlighting her bravery. Through the work with the Rosenstrasse Civil Courage Foundation, I was allowed to see into the lives and stories of these brave people who have been lost to time.

Keywords: Rosenstrasse, Civil Courage, WWII