History

Defying The Nazis: The Sharps' War

Join an American couple's courageous mission in 1939 to help refugees escape Nazi-occupied Europe. Over the course of two years, the pair will risk their lives so that hundreds can live in freedom. A film by Ken Burns and Artemis Joukowsky.

Defying the Nazis: The Sharps' War

1h 19m

Join an American couple’s courageous mission in 1939 to help refugees escape Nazi-occupied Europe. Over the course of two years, the pair will risk their lives so that hundreds can live in freedom. A new film by Ken Burns and Artemis Joukowsky. Join the conversation with #SharpsWarPBS.

Episodes

  • Defying the Nazis: The Sharps' War: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Defying the Nazis: The Sharps' War

    S1 E1 - 1h 19m

    Join an American couple’s courageous mission in 1939 to help refugees escape Nazi-occupied Europe. Over the course of two years, the pair will risk their lives so that hundreds can live in freedom. A new film by Ken Burns and Artemis Joukowsky. Join the conversation with #SharpsWarPBS.

Extras + Features

  • Peter's Story: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Peter's Story

    S1 E1 - 36s

    Peter grew up next to the city hall, and remembers seeing Gestapo, people removed from crowds at the embassy, and his parents' fear in World War II era Europe.

  • Gerda's Story: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Gerda's Story

    S1 E1 - 2m 21s

    Gerda Mayer of Vienna recalls saying good bye in 1939 to her parents as she boarded a plane to England as part of the Kindertransport (Children's Transport), a series of rescue missions that saved thousands of Jewish children. The rest of Gerda's family was killed in the Holocaust.

  • Waitstill Explains Money Laundering: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Waitstill Explains Money Laundering

    S1 E1 - 1m 22s

    Hear Waitstill Sharp's account, narrated by Tom Hanks, of money laundering to help refugees fleeing the Holocaust. He weighed the legal ethics of his actions and ruled that it was more important to save imperiled lives.

  • Martha Learns Clandestine Work: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Martha Learns Clandestine Work

    S1 E1 - 43s

    Martha Sharp learns skills and clandestine methods from Quaker leadership to save refugees fleeing the Holocaust.

  • A Willingness to Act: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    A Willingness to Act

    S1 E1 - 10m 40s

    Waitstill and Martha Sharp, along with some of the refugees who they helped rescue, describe their harrowing journey across Nazi-occupied territory on their way to safety in England.

  • Martha's Emigration Project: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Martha's Emigration Project

    S1 E1 - 8m 27s

    Some of the children who were part of Martha Sharp’s emigration project describe their experiences as refugees leaving Europe for America during World War II.

WETA Passport

Stream tens of thousands of hours of your PBS and local favorites with WETA Passport whenever and wherever you want. Catch up on a single episode or binge-watch full seasons before they air on TV.