"Secret of the Hat"

Document | Not Digitized | Accession Number: 2007.429

Overview

Description: Consists of one videocassette containing a documentary entitled "Secret of the Hat," which appeared on Slovak TV in 1979. "Secret of the Hat" tells the story of Elzbieta Ross (Rossova), known as Elsa in the documentary, born in 1915 in Trencín, Czechoslovkia. Elzbieta, who was Jewish (though that is not mentioned in the documentary) became a communist and was expelled from medical school for her communist ties. She became a courier for the communist underground, carrying directives received from Prague in, among other hiding places, her hat. She was arrested on November 21, 1941, by the Gestapo, and was not able to escape with other prisoners during the Slovak National Uprising, nor was she released in November 1944 after serving her sentence. In February 1945, she was released to the custody of Einsatzgruppen, and was most likely tortured and killed at their hands. Includes an English language transcript (with comments) of the documentary.
Date: 1979

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Holder of Originals: United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
Legal Status: Permanent Collection
Provenance: Peter Eugene Weiss donated this videocassette, containing the documentary regarding his aunt, Elzbieta Ross, to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum on July 17, 2007. When he purchased the tape from Slovak TV, he obtained permission to donate it to institutions.