#OTD My great-great-aunt Mildred Harnack was beheaded on Hitler’s direct order. Born in Milwaukee, she graduated from the University of Wisconsin & moved to Germany to pursue a PhD. As an American grad student in Berlin, she witnessed a rapid increase in Hitler's popularity. 1/12 In 1928 the Nazi party got less than 3% of the vote in a Reichstag election.
In 1930, it got 18%.
In 1932, it got 37%.
Mildred Harnack was there, watching the rapid deterioration of Germany's fragile democracy. 2/12

#OTD My great-great-aunt Mildred Harnack was beheaded on Hitler’s direct order. Born in Milwaukee, she was 26 when she moved to Germany to pursue a PhD. As an American grad student in Berlin, she saw Germany swiftly progress from democracy to fascist dictatorship 1/9 Mildred Harnack and her husband Arvid began holding secret meetings in their apartment. She recruited working-class Germans into the resistance, helped Jews escape, plotted acts of sabotage, and collaborated in writing leaflets that denounced Hitler and called for revolution 2/9