Elza Brandeisz
Elza Brandeisz | |
|---|---|
 Brandeisz holding a letter from George Soros for her 100th birthday. | |
| Born | Erzsébet Brandeisz 18 September 1907 |
| Died | 6 January 2018 (aged 110) |
| Nationality | Hungarian |
| Occupation(s) | Teacher, dancer |
Erzsébet "Elza" Brandeisz (18 September 1907[1] – 6 January 2018)[2] was a Hungarian supercentenarian, dancer, teacher and Righteous Among the Nations.
Biography
She was from a German family which belonged to the Lutheran church. As a child, she witnessed the coronation of Charles I of Austria. Between 1913 and 1918, she was trained as dancer in Lili Kállai's school and later participated in prestigious courses by Mary Wigman. Brandeisz worked as a dancer and a teacher in a private dance school run by a Jewish woman, Béla Lajtai.[3]
During World War II, the school was registered under Brandeisz's name to avoid confiscation by German Nazis. She hid Jewish people, including Lajtai, George Soros and his mother, during the war in her family's summer house in Balatonalmádi[3]. After World War II, dance was viewed negatively by the new communist government and she was banned from performing in 1948. Brandeisz became a gymnastics and sports teacher in Balatonalmádi.
In 1963, she retired and became a museum guide in Sopron where she worked until 1978. She refused to be supported by George Soros, but she was supported by nurses on his initiative. In 1995 she was honored as Righteous Among the Nations[3] At the time of her death in 2018, she was the oldest resident of Sopron aged 110.[2]
References
- ^ "Elza néni 109 éves". kisalfold.hu (in Hungarian). Retrieved 2018-03-15.
- ^ a b Molnár, Zoltán (6 January 2018). "Meghalt Soros Györgyék megmentője". 24.hu. Retrieved 9 January 2018.
- ^ a b c "George Soros's savior Elza Brandeisz, member of the Evangelical-Lutheran Church". Hungarianfreepress.com. 11 July 2017. Retrieved 9 January 2018.