Portraits of Hannie Schaft, Who Became the Nazi’s Most Wanted Woman in the Netherlands During World War II

Hannie Schaft (full name: Jannetje Johanna Schaft, September 16, 1920 – April 17, 1945) was a Dutch resistance fighter during World War II whose bravery made her one of the most famous symbols of anti-Nazi resistance in the Netherlands. Known as “the Girl with the Red Hair” (Het meisje met het rode haar), she became a national heroine after the war and remains a powerful figure of courage, sacrifice, and defiance.

Hannie was born in Haarlem, the Netherlands, to a socially conscious, left-leaning family. Her father, Pieter Schaft, was a schoolteacher, and her mother, Aafje, encouraged strong moral values.

In 1938 she began studying law at the University of Amsterdam, intending to become a lawyer or diplomat. There she befriended Jewish students and became increasingly aware of the rising threat of Nazism.

After Germany occupied the Netherlands in May 1940, anti-Jewish measures intensified. When her Jewish friends were forced to register, Hannie refused to sign a declaration of loyalty to the Nazis, which cost her the right to continue her studies.

Around 1943 Hannie became active with the communist-led Raad van Verzet (Council of Resistance), one of the most daring underground groups. She carried out sabotage missions, transported weapons, distributed illegal newspapers, and provided safe houses for Jews and other fugitives.

Hannie also participated in armed actions, including assassinations of German officers and Dutch collaborators. To avoid recognition, she often dyed her distinctive red hair black. Despite precautions, her striking appearance earned her the nickname “the Girl with the Red Hair.”

In March 1945, only weeks before the war’s end, Hannie was caught at a German checkpoint near Haarlem while carrying illegal documents and a pistol. After harsh interrogations and torture, she refused to give names of fellow resistance members, famously declaring: “I shoot better than I talk.”

On April 17, 1945, just three weeks before the Netherlands was liberated, she was executed by firing squad in the dunes of Bloemendaal. Witnesses later recounted that the first bullets only wounded her, and she defiantly told the soldiers, “I shoot better,” before being killed by a final shot.

Hannie Schaft was celebrated as a national heroine. In 1945 she received a state funeral attended by members of the Dutch royal family and the provisional government. Streets, schools, and monuments across the Netherlands bear her name. A yearly commemoration is held at the Erebegraafplaats Bloemendaal (Honorary Cemetery of Bloemendaal), where she is buried.

Her life inspired books, films, and plays, including Het meisje met het rode haar (The Girl with the Red Hair), which cemented her legend in Dutch history.