Anna Friessnegg
Encyclopedia
During the National Socialist dictatorship the Viennese
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...

Anna Friessnegg (1899-1965), together with her husband Ludwig interceded on behalf of the persecuted Jews. Since 1984 she is an Austrian Righteous among the Nations
Righteous Among the Nations
Righteous among the Nations of the world's nations"), also translated as Righteous Gentiles is an honorific used by the State of Israel to describe non-Jews who risked their lives during the Holocaust to save Jews from extermination by the Nazis....

.

Anna Friessnegg and her husband were the parents of the helpers Anna Manzer and Edi Stecher. In 1944 they helped the Hungarian Jew Melvine Deutsch, looked after her and hid her in their apartment, whenever there was any danger to be found and deported by the Gestapo
Gestapo
The Gestapo was the official secret police of Nazi Germany. Beginning on 20 April 1934, it was under the administration of the SS leader Heinrich Himmler in his position as Chief of German Police...

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Deutsch was placed in a labour camp of the company Siemens in Floridsdorf, Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...

. When she was deported to concentration camp Mauthausen, she escaped on the way to the train and came to Vienna, where she didn't know anybody. In her situation of despair she turned to Manzer, previously unknown to her.
The Gestapo did not give up to look for Deutsch, who fled from the transporter to Mauthausen. When she was in danger at Manzer' s home, Manzer turned to her brother Stecher for help. Deutsch stayed with Stecher for a few months, whithout being found by the Gestapo
Gestapo
The Gestapo was the official secret police of Nazi Germany. Beginning on 20 April 1934, it was under the administration of the SS leader Heinrich Himmler in his position as Chief of German Police...

.

But Manzer and Stecher didn't have enough rationed food. That is why their parents helped out and provided food for the hidden Deutsch. When the Gestapo searched the surroundings for Jews, Deutsch often had to hide in Frissneggs apartment as well. After the liberation Deutsch was able to leave that very same apartment safe and unharmed.

Her husband, Ludwig Friessnegg, as well as Anna Manzer und Edi Stecher also are Austrian Righteous among the Nations.

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