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Once a rising star of Polish ballet, Franceska Mann’s life ended in Auschwitz—but not before she made history. In October 1943, trapped in the camp’s gas chamber, she attacked SS guards, wounding and killing them with their own weapon. Her final act of defiance showed extraordinary bravery and inspired countless prisoners, leaving a legacy that turned tragedy into a legend of resistance.

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“Ballerina Who Slaughtered Nazi Officers at Auschwitz: Franceska Mann”

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Transcript
00:00A member of the Jewish Saunderskommando in Auschwitz later recalled how Francesca had
00:04noticed that two men were ogling her, and she launched into what appeared to be a titillating
00:08and seductive striptease dance. The SS men were hypnotized. Francesca undid her garter
00:15and approached Orberscharführer Kwakarnak and removed her heels with a swift move.
00:20She then bent down, grabbed the right shoe, and hit Kwakarnak with the metal end of the heel
00:25right in the nose. His bones crunched. He held with pain, dropped his pistol,
00:31and hid his face in his hands. What happened next later felt like a movie on fast-forward.
00:37Francesca grabbed the gun and fired two shots, wounding Orberscharführer Josef Schillinger in the
00:42stomach. He cried out and fell to the ground. Then she fired a third shot, killing an SS sergeant
00:48named Emerich. The shots also served as a signal for the other women to attack the SS men.
00:53One SS man had his nose torn off, and another was scalped.
01:00Discover the full story on worldhistory.tv
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