A former spy who ventured behind German enemy lines in order to report Nazi troop movements will share her story with hundreds of people at Colorado State University.
Marthe Cohn, a Jewish spy for French Army Intelligence and a Holocaust survivor, will be speaking in the Lory Student Center on CSU’s campus Wednesday, Feb. 21 at 7 p.m.
Cohn, who received France’s highest military award for her actions, will detail her harrowing account during the keynote event of Holocaust awareness week on campus. Cohn is one of a small number of Holocaust survivors who are still living and able to tell their story.
“This is an increasingly rare experience and we must remember these individuals and never forget what they were forced to endure,” said Denise Peters, President of Students for Holocaust Awareness. “Marthe was dealt a hand of hardships and was able to fight back.”
Cohn’s event, along with five other events, will take place throughout the course of next week.
“The goal of Holocaust Awareness Week is to raise awareness and educate about the Holocaust and the lasting impact,” Peters said.
Throughout the week, CSU students and citizens of Fort Collins will be invited to participate in events such as “A Litany of Martyrs,” where the names of victims of the Holocaust will be read out loud on the Plaza.
“We want to honor and remember all of the people who perished in the Holocaust, all of the individuals who did not survive or who were unable to share their stories,” Peters said.
A Field of Flags Ceremony will be set up on the Plaza on Friday, Feb. 16. Flags will be planted in the ground on the Plaza, with each flag representing 5,000 holocaust victims. The flags will be on display the entire week and the purpose of the display is for remembrance of the victims.
A showing of “The Zookeeper’s Wife” will take place at the LSC on Tuesday, Feb. 20. The movie details the true account of how zookeepers in a Warsaw zoo housed hundreds of Jews who were hiding from the Germans.
Collegian reporter Carson Lipe can be reached at news@collegian.com or on Twitter @carsonlipe.
