Escape through the Pyrenees by Hyde Park author Lisa Fittko (Zoom Video)

The Hyde Park Book Club hosted this event on Monday, July 19, 2021, 7:30pm

Escape through the Pyrenees Lisa Fittko,

1910-2005

In 1948 Lisa Fittko and her husband Hans emigrated to Hyde Park. During the war, they were members of the anti-Fascist German resistance who felt impelled to risk their lives to lead refugees over the Pyrenees from German-held France into Spain. It was while in Hyde Park in 1985 that Lisa wrote and published Escape through the Pyrenees originally in German and later (1991) in English. Throughout her final years, Lisa was very active in Hyde Park organizations such as the Hyde Park Pe ace Council and Independent Voters of Illinois.

It was about the time of her first book, the E nglish edition of Escape through the Pyrenees, that Lisa met Vreni Naess (1933-2020) (above right) and they became close friends. Vreni was also deeply involved in Hyde Park organ izations, notably the Chicago Children’s Choir.When Lisa died in 2005 Vreni Naess, Jacqueline Kirly and Jaquelyn Zevin together memorialized Lisa through a video biography narrated by Vreni as well as founding the Lisa Fittko Internship program at the Crossroads Fund.Escape through the Pyrenees is out of print but is available from Amazon as an eBook Vreni’s video of Lisa’s life can be viewed here.

All Are Welcome!