Helliesen Sigrid

Sigrid Helliesen-Lund Sigrid Hjelliesen-Lund was born in 1892 to a Swedish mother and a Norwegian father. Her activity on behalf of persecuted Jews began in 1939, when she was involved in bringing Jewish children from Prague to Norway. She was very active in the maintenance of the Jewish orphanage, where these children and other refugees lived, supported by the Jewish community. Following the German occupation and the beginning of the deportations of the Jews from Norway, she became involved in smuggling these children into safety in Sweden. On 25 October 1942, Sigrid Helliesen-Lund, who was a member of the Norwegian underground, received a telephone call. “Tonight we're having a big party. We will only take large packages”, said the voice at the other end. The code meant that there would be a mass roundup and that the police would only arrest men. Not wanting to use the telephone, Sigrid decided to personally go and knock on the doors of the Jewish families she knew. A month later another message arrived: “tonight there will be another big party. This time small packages will also be taken”. Knowing that this meant that women and children would too be taken, Sigrid set out again. She first went to the home of the wife of Rabbi Samuel who had already been arrested. She took the Rabbi’s wife and her children to the home of her brother, and brought the youngest child to another address. As she was on her way, a siren sounded announcing curfew. Despite the danger she went on, and when the German cars passed she hid lay down with the child and hid. After she had brought little Amos Samuel to safety, she ran to warn the staff of the Jewish orphanage. On her return home she found a number of Jews who had run to her place. All these Jews were brought into safe hiding places, and the underground smuggled them out of Norway. Sigrid was arrested and interrogated. Her name had been reported by Jews who had been caught by the police. Fortunately she was released. On14 May 2006 Yad Vashem recognized Sigrid Helliesen-Lund as Righteous Among the Nations.