Walter Wächter & Peggy Parnass
In the following, we would like to introduce you to the namesakes of our center and give you an insight into their lives and why it is so important to preserve and pass on this heritage.
Walter Wächter (1913 - 1983)
Photo Torkel S Wächter
Hamburg-born Worker, Athlete, and Anti-Nazi Resister
Walter Wächter was born on May 26, 1913, in Hamburg-Eimsbüttel, Germany. He grew up in a Jewish family and showed early talent in sports – first playing for Hamburger SV, later for the workers’ sports club FTSV Fichte Eimsbüttel. Beyond sports, he became active in the Socialist Workers’ Youth and later in the Communist resistance against National Socialism.
In 1936, Wächter was arrested by the Gestapo and sentenced to three years in prison for “preparation for high treason.” After his release in 1938, he fled through Southern Europe to Sweden, where he survived the war.
In Sweden, he began studying psychology, later working as a lecturer, journalist, and author under the name Michaël Wächter. His parents, Gustav and Minna Wächter, were deported from Hamburg to Riga in 1941 and murdered there.
Walter Wächter died on November 15, 1983, in Örebro, Sweden.
Today, the Walter-Wächter-Platz in Hamburg commemorates him as a symbol of courage, integrity, and humanity in the face of dictatorship.
Peggy Parnass (1927 - 2025)
Photo Armin Levy
Hamburg-born author, actress, and court reporter
Peggy Parnass was born on October 11, 1927, in Hamburg. As the daughter of Jewish parents, she was rescued in 1939 along with her brother Gady through the Kindertransport to Sweden. Her parents were murdered in Treblinka extermination camp in 1942. After the war, she returned to Germany and became a prominent voice in Hamburg’s left-wing scene.
For 17 years, she worked as a court reporter for the magazine Konkret, covering, among other things, trials of former Nazis. She was also active as an actress, columnist, and author. Throughout her life, Parnass advocated for the rights of minorities and fought against discrimination.
Peggy Parnass passed away on March 12, 2025, in Hamburg.
A public square, the Parnass-Platz in the Eimsbüttel district commemorating Peggy Parnass. Inaugurated on October 28, 2023, it is named after her parents, Hertha and Simon Parnass, who were murdered in Treblinka. The square is located near their former apartment at Methfesselstraße 13. Although named for her parents, it stands as an important symbol for Peggy Parnass and her lifelong commitment to remembrance and fighting discrimination.