Ilse Totzke

Ilse Sonja Totzke (1913-1987) was a German musician who had studied in Würzburg where she made a number of Jewish friends. After the Nuremberg Laws were enacted in 1935, she was reported to the Gestapo for associating with Jews but it was not until 1941 that she was warned not to continue these relationships. In late 1942, she nevertheless began a friendship with Ruth Basinski, a Jew, with whom she attempted to flee to Switzerland the following February. They reached the border but the Swiss guards handed them over to the Germans. Basinski was sent to the Auschwitz Concentration Camp while Totzke was returned to Würtzburg. After insisting on maintaining relationships with her Jewish friends, she was sent to the Ravensbrück Concentration Camp in May 1943. A gifted flautist, Basinski became a member of the Auschwitz orchestra. Totzke survived until she was liberated in April 1945. Totzke was recognized as Righteous Among the Nations in March 1995.