Resistance fighter who planted seeds for new roses to bloom for free, democratic Austria

By Harsh Thakor*
On 14 April, 2024, at the ripe old age of 98 years, Kâthe Sasso, a resistance fighter, passed away. A courageous and relentless combatant against fascism, a model of how to wage resistance, the intensification of Austro-fascism in the mid-1930s and the rule of Nazi dictatorship from 1938 propelled the course of Kathe Sasso’s life. As political opposition was turning illegal, anti-government activists were compelled to function underground and beyond the boundaries of mainstream society.
Born as a Burgenland-Croatian, Käthe Sasso eceived political baptism when she was very young, as her parents played an integral role in the communist resistance after the February Uprising 1934 and fought against Austro-fascism and Nazi fascism. Her parents Johann and Agnes Smudits were active in the resistance against the Nazi regime.
Following the death of her mother and after her father was posted into the German Wehrmacht, Käthe Sasso, at the age of just 16, treaded her parents’ footsteps, adopting work in the Gustav Adolf Neustadl resistance group.
From her inception as a young girl, Käthe Sasso fought for an independent and free Austria. Even as a young school girl Käthe was involved in the production of political leaflets for distribution, leaving them in trains, public benches along the streets or in parks.
As part of a communist resistance group, she supplied relatives of executed resistance combatants with food and distributed leaflets against Nazi fascism. As many others, she was trapped in the custody of the Gestapo, and after some time of confinement in Austria she was deported to the concentration camp in Ravensbrück.
Arrested on 21 August 1942, after two years in Austrian prisons and camps, where she was one of the youngest prisoners to experience the brutality of the Nazi penal system, she was deported to Ravensbrück concentration camp in 1944. In April 1945, she managed to escape a death march headed for Bergen-Belsen concentration camp and make her way to Vienna.

Her death defying or resilient spirit for a free, independent and anti-fascist Austria was reflected in the book The Sky is Blue. Maybe

She pulled off an escape from the so-called Death March from the concentration camp towards Bergen-Belsen with a friend. Both could secure return to Vienna thanks to the support of the Soviet Red Army. Not only the battle she waged against Austro-fascism, but also the one combating occupation of Austria by Nazi Fascism was her monumental effort.

Since the 1990s Käthe Sasso persisted with constructing a memory culture and respect for the resistance fighters who laid their lives for a free, independent and democratic Austria. It is a testimonial to Käthe Sasso efforts that the memorial Gruppe 40 was erected at the Vienna’s central cemetery.
Käthe Sasso was married to Josef Sasso, who had also been an active member of the resistance. Her death defying or resilient spirit for a free, independent and anti-fascist Austria was reflected in the book ‘The Sky is Blue. Maybe. Women in the Resistance. Austria 1938-1945’. In her memoirs she narrates how the resistance struggle shaped her life:
“They will detain me, but I won’t snitch, and if they beat me to death, I will never ever betray anyone. I did not regret, I think even if there would have been the possibility to flee or run away – I wouldn’t have done it. I was convinced, when others must stand it, then I can also stand it.”
In one of her last public appearances, Käthe Sasso shimmered the torch of liberation stating: “Bring it to the next generations, to be able to warn on Fascism, when we cannot speak anymore.”
Käthe Sasso’s life and deeds manifested or symbolised the revolutionary, anti-fascist and democrat spirit and enabled people draw the lessons of the resistance struggle and place them into concrete action. She planted seeds for new roses to bloom.
---
*Freelance journalist

Comments

From plagiarism to proxy exams: Galgotias and systemic failure in education

By Sandeep Pandey* Shock is being expressed at Galgotias University being found presenting a Chinese-made robotic dog and a South Korean-made soccer-playing drone as its own creations at the recently held India AI Impact Summit 2026, a global event in New Delhi. Earlier, a UGC-listed journal had published a paper from the university titled “Corona Virus Killed by Sound Vibrations Produced by Thali or Ghanti: A Potential Hypothesis,” which became the subject of widespread ridicule. Following the robotic dog controversy coming to light, the university has withdrawn the paper. These incidents are symptoms of deeper problems afflicting the Indian education system in general. Galgotias merely bit off more than it could chew.

Covishield controversy: How India ignored a warning voice during the pandemic

Dr Amitav Banerjee, MD * It is a matter of pride for us that a person of Indian origin, presently Director of National Institute of Health, USA, is poised to take over one of the most powerful roles in public health. Professor Jay Bhattacharya, an Indian origin physician and a health economist, from Stanford University, USA, will be assuming the appointment of acting head of the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), USA. Bhattacharya would be leading two apex institutions in the field of public health which not only shape American health policies but act as bellwether globally.

The 'glass cliff' at Galgotias: How a university’s AI crisis became a gendered blame game

By Mohd. Ziyaullah Khan* “She was not aware of the technical origins of the product and in her enthusiasm of being on camera, gave factually incorrect information.” These were the words used in the official press release by Galgotias University following the controversy at the AI Impact Summit in Delhi. The statement came across as defensive, petty, and deeply insensitive.

Farewell to Saleem Samad: A life devoted to fearless journalism

By Nava Thakuria* Heartbreaking news arrived from Dhaka as the vibrant city lost one of its most active and committed citizens with the passing of journalist, author and progressive Bangladeshi national Saleem Samad. A gentleman who always had issues to discuss with anyone, anywhere and at any time, he passed away on 22 February 2026 while undergoing cancer treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital. He was 74.

Growth without justice: The politics of wealth and the economics of hunger

By Vikas Meshram* In modern history, few periods have displayed such a grotesque and contradictory picture of wealth as the present. On one side, a handful of individuals accumulate in a single year more wealth than the annual income of entire nations. On the other, nearly every fourth person in the world goes to bed hungry or half-fed.

From ancient wisdom to modern nationhood: The Indian story

By Syed Osman Sher South of the Himalayas lies a triangular stretch of land, spreading about 2,000 miles in each direction—a world of rare magic. It has fired the imagination of wanderers, settlers, raiders, traders, conquerors, and colonizers. They entered this country bringing with them new ethnicities, cultures, customs, religions, and languages.

Thali, COVID and academic credibility: All about the 2020 'pseudoscientific' Galgotias paper

By Jag Jivan The first page image of the paper "Corona Virus Killed by Sound Vibrations Produced by Thali or Ghanti: A Potential Hypothesis" published in the Journal of Molecular Pharmaceuticals and Regulatory Affairs , Vol. 2, Issue 2 (2020), has gone viral on social media in the wake of the controversy surrounding a Chinese robot presented by the Galgotias University as its original product at the just-concluded AI summit in Delhi . The resurfacing of the 2020 publication, authored by Dharmendra Kumar , Galgotias University, has reignited debate over academic standards and scientific credibility.

'Serious violation of international law': US pressure on Mexico to stop oil shipments to Cuba

By Vijay Prashad In January 2026, US President Donald Trump declared Cuba to be an “unusual and extraordinary threat” to US security—a designation that allows the United States government to use sweeping economic restrictions traditionally reserved for national security adversaries. The US blockade against Cuba began in the 1960s, right after the Cuban Revolution of 1959 but has tightened over the years. Without any mandate from the United Nations Security Council—which permits sanctions under strict conditions—the United States has operated an illegal, unilateral blockade that tries to force countries from around the world to stop doing basic commerce with Cuba. The new restrictions focus on oil. The United States government has threatened tariffs and sanctions on any country that sells or transports oil to Cuba.

Conversion laws and national identity: A Jesuit response response to the Hindutva narrative

By Rajiv Shah A recent book, " Luminous Footprints: The Christian Impact on India ", authored by two Jesuit scholars, Dr. Lancy Lobo and Dr. Denzil Fernandes , seeks to counter the current dominant narrative on Indian Christians , which equates evangelisation with conversion, and education, health and the social services provided by Christians as meant to lure -- even force -- vulnerable sections into Christianity.

Search This Blog