How Audrey Hepburn’s Role in World War II Resistance Shaped Her Life

Audrey Hepburn's iconic image as Holly Golightly in “Breakfast at Tiffany's” is often associated with a cigarette held elegantly in a long black holder.

However, the significance of that first cigarette for the actress goes beyond her on-screen persona.

It marked the day her village in the Netherlands was liberated from Nazi occupation by Canadian forces.

While Hepburn rarely spoke about her experiences during World War II, biographer Robert Matzen delved into her wartime activities and their impact on her life and career.

His book, “Dutch Girl: Audrey Hepburn and World War II,” sheds light on this chapter of her life.

On April 16, 1945, the constant explosions that had plagued the Dutch village of Velp near Arnhem finally ceased.

When Audrey realized what was happening, she immediately noticed the smell of cigarette smoke.

Emerging from their hiding place in a cellar, Audrey and three other members of the van Heemstra family encountered friendly soldiers for the first time since Operation Market Garden, which had taken place 211 days earlier.

Overjoyed by the sight of the Allied forces, Audrey asked them for a cigarette, her first ever.

Although it made her cough and choke, she forever associated smoking with the jubilation she felt upon being liberated from Nazi Germany.

This story became a part of her narrative for the rest of her life.

What she didn't reveal was her own efforts to hasten this day.

Prior to the Nazi invasion of the Netherlands in May 1940, Audrey's parents, Baroness Ella van Heemstra and Joseph Ruston, were pro-Nazi and pro-Germany.

However, Audrey, who had spent her early years in Belgium and Britain, did not share their sentiments.

The fall of the Dutch government to the Nazis when Audrey was just 11 and living in Arnhem marked a turning point for her family.

The Dutch resistance began slowly but gained momentum with workers' strikes in 1941.

Audrey's family also underwent a transformation, particularly after her uncle Otto, an aristocrat and judicial official, was arrested, imprisoned, and executed as an act of reprisal by the Nazis.

His remains were unceremoniously dumped in a mass grave.

Audrey's half-brother Ian was deported to a forced labor camp in Berlin, while her other half-brother went into hiding.

Her mother's Nazi sympathies vanished with Otto's death, prompting the family to move from Arnhem to the nearby village of Velp.

It was there that Audrey witnessed the deportation of Dutch Jews in train cars.

Author Robert Matzen, while researching Audrey's involvement with the Dutch Resistance, reconstructed the local resistance network in Arnhem.

Although Audrey aspired to be a dancer and often performed in public, even in the presence of Nazis, she was secretly working as an assistant to Dr. Hendrik Visser ‘t Hooft, the local resistance leader.

As a doctor, Visser ‘t Hooft knew he would receive preferential treatment from the occupiers.

He utilized children as messengers and delivery agents, as they were usually overlooked by the Nazis.

Audrey, with her fluency in English, proved to be the perfect messenger for aiding downed Allied pilots.

When the opportunity arose, she also provided shelter for British paratroopers.

Arnhem, known as the site of the “Bridge Too Far,” as depicted in the eponymous book and movie, was where the British 1st Airborne Division attempted to secure a bridge across the Nederrijn River during Operation Market Garden.

Only a small contingent managed to reach the bridge, while the rest became trapped.

Some escaped, while others fought until the end.

During the Battle of Arnhem, Audrey brought a paratrooper into her family home to protect him.

Like the rest of the Netherlands, Audrey's family faced worsening conditions before experiencing relief.

After the D-Day landings in 1944, food and fuel shortages resulted in a severe famine known as the “Hunger Winter.”

The Dutch resorted to using tulip bulbs for sustenance.

The family's properties were damaged or destroyed, and Audrey herself suffered from malnutrition, which caused edema and anemia.

When Canadian forces finally arrived in Velp in April 1945, Audrey and her family were once again hiding in their cellar, the same one that had sheltered the British paratrooper.

With much of Central Arnhem destroyed, the family relocated to Amsterdam in search of better opportunities and continued Audrey's pursuit of a career.

Despite facing setbacks due to her stature and weakened immune system resulting from wartime malnutrition, Audrey pursued her passion for dance.

She made her screen debut in a 1948 educational film and eventually moved to London, where she became a model and joined the Ballet Rambert company.

However, the director informed her that her physical condition would prevent her from becoming a prima ballerina, leading her to focus on acting instead.

Audrey Hepburn's extraordinary life and resilience during World War II laid the foundation for her future success.

Her experiences in the Dutch Resistance shaped her as a person and influenced her career choices.

From her humble beginnings in war-torn Europe, she went on to become a renowned actress and a symbol of elegance and grace.