Toto Koopman: Socialite, Vogue Model and WWII Spy

Toto Koopman: Socialite, Vogue Model and WWII Spy

Toto Koopman was remarkable; she was a high society socialite who risked her life wining and dining with Italian blackshirts in order to gather information for the Dutch intelligence service in WWII. When she refused to work as a spy for the Italians, she was thrown in a detention camp. She escaped and hid in the mountains. When she was captured again she was taken to Ravensbrück concentration camp. There, got a role at the hospital by pretending she was a nurse; she risked her own life forging documents to save the lives of women destined for the gas chamber. She was truly unapologetic about who she was, individualistic and brave. Before the war, she'd defied society's expectations as a Vogue cover model working with Coco Chanel by having high-profile relationships with both men and women - including Hollywood star Talulah Bankhead and newspaper baron Lord Beaverbrook. So why have most of us never heard of her?


In this episode, author and historical novelist Maryka Biaggio gives a roaring account of the incredible life, achievements and character of Toto Koopman, a story we should all know.


Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsely, Matt Lewis, Tristan Hughes and more.


Get 50% off your first 3 months with code DANSNOW. Download the app or sign up here.


If you want to get in touch with the podcast, you can email us at ds.hh@historyhit.com, we'd love to hear from you!

You can take part in our listener survey here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Avsnitt(1508)

The Shadow King: Henry VI

The Shadow King: Henry VI

Henry VI came to the throne in exceptionally difficult circumstances. The untimely death of his warlike father, Henry V, placed the crown upon his head aged just 9 months. While England was in the asc...

21 Maj 202034min

Celebrity

Celebrity

Greg Jenner has given my children so many hours of happiness as the historical brains behind the Horrible History tv shows and movie, not to mention the Homeschool History podcast that it would have b...

20 Maj 202035min

History and Human Nature

History and Human Nature

It's a belief which has dictated the writings of Machiavelli and Hobbes, Freud and Dawkins - that humans are fundamentally selfish and governed by self-interest. But Rutger Bregman has made a convinci...

19 Maj 202026min

The Brontës and War

The Brontës and War

In this podcast I was joined by Emma Butcher, a Leverhulme Early Career Fellow in English Literature at the University of Leicester. Emma took me on a fascinating journey through the Brontë siblings' ...

19 Maj 202021min

The Habsburgs

The Habsburgs

It was an honour to be joined by Martyn Rady to discuss one of history's most thrilling families, the Habsburgs. Ruling for almost a millennium, their imperial vision was perhaps best realised in Empe...

17 Maj 202025min

Winston Churchill

Winston Churchill

80 years ago this week, Winston Churchill became Prime Minister of the United Kingdom following the resignation of Neville Chamberlain and his calamitous handling of the Norway campaign. On the same d...

14 Maj 202020min

Pandemics: Science and History

Pandemics: Science and History

I was thrilled to be joined by the legendary Peter Frankopan, Professor of Global History at Oxford University and bestselling author of 'The Silk Roads: A New History of the World'. In this podcast w...

12 Maj 202027min

Migration in Medieval Europe

Migration in Medieval Europe

I was delighted to be joined by Miri Rubin of Queen Mary University, London. In a terrific new book, Miri has scooped up a seemingly modern topic - migration - and settled it into the bustling town ce...

11 Maj 202031min

Populärt inom Historia

kod-katastrof
massmordarpodden
historiska-brott
olosta-mord
p3-historia
motiv
rss-historien-om
historiepodden-se
historianu-med-urban-lindstedt
rss-seriemordarpodden
rss-historiska-brottslingar
rss-massmordarpodden
obskyr-historia
harrisons-dramatiska-historia
bedragare
militarhistoriepodden
mannen-utan-spar
nu-blir-det-historia
krigshistoriepodden
rss-folkets-historia