Lesson plan

Erna Eifler

Erna Frida Eifler (born 31 August 1908, Berlin - died 8 April or 7 June 1944, Ravensbrück concentration camp) was a German steno typist secretary who became a communist, resistance fighter, Soviet GRU agent (known as a Scout in Soviet parlance) and courier. In 1942, Eifler, along with GRU agent (and husband) Wilhelm Fellendorf, was trained by Soviet intelligence in sabotage, wireless telegraphy and parachuting. In May 1942, they were both parachuted into East Prussia by a Russian bomber, with separate missions to contact members of a Berlin-based resistance organisation that was later known as the Red Orchestra ("Rote Kapelle") and conduct spying operations. Eifler's task in Berlin was to re-establish contact with Ilse Stöbe and through her, contact Rudolf von Scheliha, Unable to complete their separate missions, they travelled to Hamburg where they were hidden by Fellendorf's mother. There they made contact with Bernhard Bästlein and hid at the safehouse of Viktor Priess. The couple were eventually arrested by the Gestapo. After completing a Funkspiel operation, Eifler was sent to Ravensbrück concentration camp where she was executed in 1944, aged 35.

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Article summary

Erna Frida Eifler (born 31 August 1908, Berlin - died 8 April or 7 June 1944, Ravensbrück concentration camp) was a German steno typist secretary who became a communist, resistance fighter, Soviet GRU agent (known as a Scout in Soviet parlance) and courier. In 1942, Eifler, along with GRU agent (and husband) Wilhelm Fellendorf, was trained by Soviet intelligence in sabotage, wireless telegraphy and parachuting. In May 1942, they were both parachuted into East Prussia by a Russian bomber, with separate missions to contact members of a Berlin-based resistance organisation that was later known as the Red Orchestra ("Rote Kapelle") and conduct spying operations. Eifler's task in Berlin was to re-establish contact with Ilse Stöbe and through her, contact Rudolf von Scheliha, Unable to complete their separate missions, they travelled to Hamburg where they were hidden by Fellendorf's mother. There they made contact with Bernhard Bästlein and hid at the safehouse of Viktor Priess. The couple were eventually arrested by the Gestapo. After completing a Funkspiel operation, Eifler was sent to Ravensbrück concentration camp where she was executed in 1944, aged 35.

Key claims

  1. date of birth: 1908-08-31 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
  2. date of death: 1919 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95

Discussion questions

  1. Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
  2. The record states that the date of birth is "1908-08-31". What evidence would count against this claim?
  3. The record states that the date of death is "1919". What evidence would count against this claim?
  4. Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
  5. If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?

Bibliography

  1. Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1340906154

Key claims and bibliography are generated from the same tracked claims and sources as the article page.