Sonya Olschanezky
| Sonya Olschanezky | |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Tania |
| Born |
25 December 1923 Chemnitz, Saxony, Germany |
| Died | 6 July 1944 Natzweiler-Struthof, France |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom, France |
| Service/branch | Special Operations Executive |
| Years of service | 1940-1944 |
| Unit | Juggler |
Sonya Olschanezky or Sonia Olschanesky (25 December 1923, Chemnitz, Saxony, Germany – 6 July 1944, Natzweiler-Struthof, Germany) was a member of the French Resistance and SOE during World War II.
The daughter of a Russian Jew, Eli Olschanezky, a chemical engineer who worked as a sales representative for a manufacturer of ladies' stockings, she was seven years old when the family moved to Paris, France and her father opened a lingerie shop there. Olschanezky was a good student but her main ambition was to become a dancer, and after leaving school she worked as an au pair.
In May 1940, France was invaded by the German Army. It was not long before Olschanezky had joined the French Resistance and stationed in Châlons-sur-Marne, spent her time carrying messages between Special Operations Executive (SOE) agents in the area.
After the French surrender, the new leader, Henri-Philippe Petain, cooperated in the persecution of the Jews in the country. In May 1942, orders were given for all Jewish men, women and children to wear a six-pointed yellow star on their clothing over the region of the heart. The following month, Olschanezky was arrested and sent to a camp at Drancy, where she awaited being sent to an extermination camp in Nazi Germany.
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