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(1490)

The Titanic Wreck

The Titanic Wreck

In 1912 Titanic departed on her first and last voyage from Southampton, sinking over 2 miles to the bottom of the dark North Atlantic Ocean, around 400 miles off the coast of Newfoundland. It has capt...

20 Juni 202317min

George VI and Elizabeth, Queen Mother

George VI and Elizabeth, Queen Mother

This episode brings the marriage of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother to life, from the uproar of King Edward VIIIs abdication to the challenges of the Second World War. How did the...

19 Juni 202319min

The Stonewall Uprising

The Stonewall Uprising

Pride month happens in June in commemoration of the Stonewall Uprising that took place in the summer of 1969 after police undertook a routine raid on an LGBTQ+ bar in New York City and instead of subm...

18 Juni 202326min

Origins of Scottish Independence

Origins of Scottish Independence

For the first time in 18 years, the Declaration of Arbroath - an iconic document in the story of the struggle for Scottish independence in the 14th century - will go on public display. Dated 6 April 1...

14 Juni 202344min

Wreck, Scandal & Mutiny on HMS Wager

Wreck, Scandal & Mutiny on HMS Wager

In 1740, the Royal Navy ship The Wager set sail for the Pacific to take part in the War of Jenkins' Ear. The unfortunate ship was separated from the fleet and, after pulverising storms and outbreaks o...

13 Juni 202327min

Ukraine's Dam Destroyed: Water as a Weapon

Ukraine's Dam Destroyed: Water as a Weapon

On the 6th of June, 2023, an explosion tore through the Kakhovka Dam in Ukraine. A torrent of water cascaded downriver, flooding towns and villages, displacing thousands, and causing a catastrophic ec...

12 Juni 202333min

Chevalier: France's Revolutionary Maestro

Chevalier: France's Revolutionary Maestro

Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges is perhaps the most accomplished classical musician that you've never heard of. A composer, soldier and champion fencer, this episode traces his life from th...

11 Juni 202320min

The British Empire

The British Empire

The British Empire was one of the most influential and far-reaching empires in history. Dan and his guest journalist and author Sathnam Sanghera remember school lessons on the small island that rose t...

7 Juni 202325min

Populärt inom Historia

motiv
massmordarpodden
historiska-brott
p3-historia
historiepodden-se
olosta-mord
rss-massmordarpodden
rss-seriemordarpodden
historianu-med-urban-lindstedt
rss-brottsligt
rss-historien-om
konspirationsteorier
nu-blir-det-historia
krigshistoriepodden
harrisons-dramatiska-historia
militarhistoriepodden
palmemordet
rss-arkiv-stieg
vetenskapsradion-historia
podme-bio-4