The 1931 European Aquatics Championships in Paris saw a bronze medal awarded to Gitta Mallasz for her performance in the 4x100m freestyle relay. This athletic achievement preceded a life defined by graphic art, clandestine humanitarian efforts during the Second World War, and the later dissemination of spiritual transcripts that reached a global audience.
Early Life and Athletic Career
Born in 1907 in Ljubljana to an Austro-Hungarian family, Mallasz grew up with a father serving in the Hungarian army and an Austrian mother. During her adolescence in Hungary, she studied at the Academy of Graphic Arts, where she befriended Hanna Dallos. Mallasz developed a high level of proficiency in swimming, eventually rising to become a national champion in both backstroke and freestyle events before her success in Paris.
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Take the IQ test →Wartime Atelier and Rescue Efforts
Mallasz joined an atelier in Budapest operated by Hanna Dallos and Joseph Kreutzer. As antisemitic policies intensified in Hungary, Mallasz took over the commercial management of the workshop, which also employed Lili Strausz. When the war created an increasingly dangerous environment, Mallasz managed a factory producing military uniforms as a front. This clandestine operation successfully protected approximately one hundred Jewish individuals, an action that led to her recognition as Righteous Among the Nations in 2011.
Talking with Angels
Between June 25, 1943, and November 23, 1944, Mallasz transcribed a series of 88 spiritual instructions delivered by Hanna Dallos. These events occurred while Mallasz, Dallos, Kreutzer, and Strausz sought spiritual meaning amidst the conflict. After her friends were deported to Ravensbrück, Mallasz preserved the notebooks. Following her move to France in 1960, these transcripts were eventually published as Talking with Angels, appearing in 21 languages.
Later Years in France
After settling in France, Mallasz resumed her career as a graphic artist and stage designer. Following a significant 1976 radio interview that propelled her work to bestseller status, she spent her final decades lecturing and clarifying the teachings found in her books. She eventually retired to Tartaras, near Ampuis, where she lived until her death on May 25, 1992. Her ashes were dispersed over the Rhône.
Fast facts
- Born: 1907, Ljubljana
- Died: 1992, Ampuis
- Citizenship: Hungary, France
- Occupations: writer, painter, graphic artist, swimmer
- Award: Righteous Among the Nations (2011)
- Primary Work: Talking with Angels
- Religion: Catholic Church
- Languages: German, Hungarian
Questions readers ask
What was the significance of the wartime atelier?
The atelier provided a cover for Gitta Mallasz to manage a uniform factory, which she utilized to save one hundred Jewish people from persecution.
What is Talking with Angels?
It is a collection of spiritual instructions transcribed by Mallasz from 88 sessions with Hanna Dallos between 1943 and 1944.
Achievements
- Righteous Among the Nations — 2011
- Worked as writer, swimmer and graphic artist
