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Freddie and Truus Oversteegen were just 14 and 16 years old when the Nazis invaded their hometown of Haarlem. Determined to do their part, the sisters joined the Dutch Resistance and began bombing trains, smuggling out Jewish children, and running refugee safehouses. But their most dangerous work by far was also the most unlikely for two young girls to ever take on: assassinating Nazi officers in broad daylight.

With our guest Sophie Poldermans, author of Seducing and Killing Nazis, discover this astounding true story of courage, camaraderie, and the fight to stay human in inhuman times.

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Sophie Poldermans is the author of the New York Post & Amazon best seller Seducing and Killing Nazis. Hannie, Truus and Freddie: Dutch Resistance Heroines of WWII (USA, 2019). She personally knew Truus and Freddie Oversteegen for 20 years and worked closely with them for over a decade as a board member of the National Hannie Schaft Foundation. Poldermans is the founder of "Sophie's Women of War," shedding light on women leaders in times of conflict, and a Dutch women's rights advocate, author, public speaker, lecturer and consultant on women and war, human rights-related issues from a legal, historical and sociological perspective and women's leadership. She has degrees in Dutch and International Human Rights and International Criminal Law (University of Amsterdam); Peace and Conflict Studies (UC Berkeley, USA); Human Rights and Democratization (EIUC, Venice, Italy; Vienna, Austria) and Women's Leadership (Yale School of Management). She has work experience as a lecturer in Conflict Resolution and International Human Rights and Criminal Law at several (international) universities.

Music featured in this episode included

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THE RESISTANCE Truus and Freddie Oversteegen - What'shername

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Freddie and Truus Oversteegen were just 14 and 16 years old when the Nazis invaded their hometown of Haarlem. Determined to do their part, the sisters joined the Dutch Resistance and began bombing trains, smuggling out Jewish children, and running refugee safehouses.

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Freddie was the first girl to shoot a Nazi traitor. They would trick the guys and ask them to take a walk in the woods and then shoot them. The three girls were given very risky tasks.

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Freddie was the first girl to shoot a Nazi traitor. They would trick the guys and ask them to take a walk in the woods and then shoot them. The three girls were given very risky tasks.

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Freddie and her family lived in poverty. They slept on mattresses made of straw

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Freddie and her family lived in poverty. They slept on mattresses made of straw

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Freddie Oversteegen was born Sept. 6, 1925 and died September 5, 2018. She and her family lived on a barge. She was raised by only her mother.

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Freddie Oversteegen was born Sept. 6, 1925 and died September 5, 2018. She and her family lived on a barge. She was raised by only her mother.

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In 1941 a commander with the Haarlem Resistance Group came to their house to recruit the sisters. They agreed to join and then later they found out they had to sabotage bridges and railway lines. Later they focused on killing Dutch collaborators and doing assassin missions on their own.

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In 1941 a commander with the Haarlem Resistance Group came to their house to recruit the sisters. They agreed to join and then later they found out they had to sabotage bridges and railway lines. Later they focused on killing Dutch collaborators and doing assassin missions on their own.

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Freddie learned that you have to make sacrifices for yourself to help somebody and make a difference. In 1940 Freddie and her sister started working with their mother and distributing anti-Nazi newspapers and papers for the resistance,

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Freddie learned that you have to make sacrifices for yourself to help somebody and make a difference. In 1940 Freddie and her sister started working with their mother and distributing anti-Nazi newspapers and papers for the resistance,

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Freddie was only 14 years old when she joined the Dutch resistance and shortly after that she became one of the armed assassins during World War II.  Freddie's mother always taught her and her sister it's important of always fighting injustice. Together with her sister and another girl they ambushed and killed German Nazis.

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Freddie was only 14 years old when she joined the Dutch resistance and shortly after that she became one of the armed assassins during World War II.  Freddie's mother always taught her and her sister it's important of always fighting injustice. Together with her sister and another girl they ambushed and killed German Nazis.

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Freddie and her sister Truus ambushed Nazi officers and assassinated from their bicycles.

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Freddie and her sister Truus ambushed Nazi officers and assassinated from their bicycles.