Perwe Erik

Perwe, Erik Between 1942-1944, Erik Perwe served as the pastor in the Swedish church in Berlin, which had been established in 1903. After the Nazi rise to power, the home of Perwe’s predecessor, Birger Forell, became a meeting place for members of the church who resisted Hitler. In 1938 Forell created a hiding place under the roof of the church and used his connections to help Jews emigrate. By 1942 the Nazi authorities complained to the Swedish envoy in Berlin, and it was decided that Forell be returned to Sweden; he nevertheless continued his activities after his departure. In 1943 he published an article about the situation in Germany, also describing the plight of the Jews. Erik Perwe, who had replaced Forell in Berlin, continued his work. Vide Andrea Ohmann, who served as deaconesses in the Swedish church, testified in 1987: “we saw many people, mostly Jews, who would come to talk to Perwe […]. He instructed us not to ask them questions and not to tell anyone on the outside what we heard or saw”. Among those helped by Perwe were: Eva, a five-year-old Jewish orphan, for whom Perwe arranged travel documents so that she could be taken by a Swedish couple to Sweden; Ismar Heilborn and Margot & Martin Weissenberg who, at one time or another, lived in the attic or cellar of the church building. Aside from hideouts and getaways the help consisted of rations cards, food and false passports. Perwe also tried to save Max Askanas whose son, Ralf, had been sent to Sweden and was in a children’s home there. Perwe tried to obtain a permit from the Swedish authorities for the father, so that he could join his son. He also turned to the Chief Rabbi of Sweden, asking him to use his influence: “Another matter has been troubling me for over a year. For over a year I have been hiding a person of your religion, the conductor Max Askanas. I helped him in many ways, despite the danger involved. I did everything so that he could move to Sweden, unfortunately without success. The case is known to the Swedish Jewish community. Please give it your close attention”. Askanas never got to Sweden. He was deported to Auschwitz on 12 July 1944, and perished in Buchenwald in 1945. On 29 November 1944 Erik Perwe was flying from Berlin to Sweden. The airplane crashed and he was killed with all of the other passengers. When Erik Myrgren* replaced him, he found a number of Jews hiding in the church. Myrgren took up Pastor Perwe’s work and continued helping Jews; he was recognized as Righteous Among the Nations in in 1986. On 23 June 2006 Yad Vashem recognized Erik Perwe as Righteous Among the Nations.