Remembering the Magnificent Moral Courage of Countess Maria von Maltzan
When asked shortly before her passing, on this day, in 1997, why she — “as a German” — resisted “the Nazis when so few others did”, then 88-year-old, Countess Maria von Maltzan, was unequivocal in her reply:
“It’s because I’m a Prussian”, she said.
“Don’t ever confuse us with the Germans”, she added. “We Prussians; we follow our own path…”
Born into distinguished nobility, Maria’s youth was very much guided by her beloved father, who, as a soldier and a philanthropist, not only encouraged her to “stand up for the weak” but, instilled in her a “strong sense of moral justice.”
Following his sad and sudden passing, in 1921, her mother — who “despised” her — soon dispatched her to boarding school; from where, she ultimately moved on to study her passion — veterinary medicine.
It was during her studies, she bore witness to the meteoric rise of Adolf Hitler and, it was upon his election, in March 1933, she committed herself to resisting his impending tyranny.
