Document Blog EHRI | Secret notes from Austrian resistance members in Gestapo captivity
Another post was published on the EHRI Document Blog. The post, entitled “‘Since the Collar Is Stiff, No One Will Feel a Small Sewn-in Note’: Secret Notes from Austrian Resistance Members in Gestapo Captivity”, was written by Barnabas Balint. It examines clandestine notes (Kassiber) held at the Documentation Centre of the Austrian Resistance from Elfriede Hartmann, an Austrian member of the resistance against the Nazi regime.
This post examines the clandestine notes written by Elfriede Hartmann, a member of the resistance against the Nazi regime in Austria, while she was imprisoned by the Gestapo and awaiting execution. Smuggled to her family inside clothing and parcels, these notes document her prison experience and reveal the strategies that members of the resistance used to maintain contact, express emotions and preserve a sense of self. Rediscovered decades after the war, the Kassiber therefore unintentionally created a unique archive of a resistance fighter’s experiences.
You can find the post online here: https://blog.ehri-project.eu/2026/07/30/secret-notes-from-austrian-resistance/
