Maria Agnes Belokosztolszky, later known as Marianne Golz-Goldlust, was an Austrian opera singer and stage performer who transitioned from the artistic circles of Vienna and Berlin to active involvement in the Prague resistance.
Artistic Career
Born on 30 January 1895 in Vienna to a Polish father and Czech mother, she initially pursued studies in opera and ballet. Under the stage name Marianne Tolska, she performed across Linz, Stuttgart, and Salzburg. Her professional associations included the composer Nico Dostal and the tenor Richard Tauber. Following two marriages, she relocated to Berlin in 1924, where she met the journalist Hans Goldlust. They married in 1929, and she adopted the name Golz-Goldlust after he assumed the surname Golz to mitigate social stigma.
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The couple moved to Prague in 1934, where she worked as a theatre critic. In 1939, following the arrest of her husband by Nazis, she successfully negotiated his release and facilitated his escape to England, along with his mother and sister. Instead of joining them, she remained in Prague to coordinate resistance efforts. She hosted meetings at her residence, recruited members from Austria and Czechoslovakia, provided shelter for refugees, and moved financial resources and information across borders to aid the exiled Czech government.
Imprisonment and Execution
Authorities arrested her and several associates in November 1942. Upon capture, she confessed to her activities and claimed sole responsibility, successfully securing the release of her colleagues. While detained at Pankrác Prison, she maintained communication with the outside world through letters smuggled out on scraps of paper. Despite legal efforts by lawyer Marie Schrámek to petition the Special German High Court and the Reich Minister of Justice, she was sentenced to death in May 1943. She was executed by guillotine on 8 October 1943.
Legacy
Her prison correspondence was published post-conflict as 'Zaluji' (I Accuse) and 'Der Große Tag' (The Great Day). Her actions were documented in radio broadcasts, articles, and a stage play. In 1988, Yad Vashem recognized her as Righteous Among the Nations, an honor commemorated by an olive tree at the memorial centre in Israel. The German Resistance Memorial Centre hosted an exhibition detailing her life in 2011.
Fast facts
- Born: 30 January 1895, Vienna
- Died: 8 October 1943, Prague
- Occupations: Opera singer, stage actor, theatre critic
- Citizenship: Austria, Nazi Germany
- Spouse: Hans Goldlust
- Award: Righteous Among the Nations (1988)
- Execution method: Guillotine
Questions readers ask
Why was she honoured as Righteous Among the Nations?
She was recognized by Yad Vashem for her work hiding Jewish refugees and smuggling them out of Prague during the occupation.
What happened to the people she worked with in the resistance?
After her arrest in 1942, she confessed and claimed sole responsibility, which allowed her associates to be released.
Achievements
- Righteous Among the Nations — 1988
- Worked as opera singer, stage actor and actor
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