We had the good fortune of connecting with Stacey Fitzgerald and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Stacey, as a parent, what do you feel is the most meaningful thing you’ve done for your children?
As a parent, certainly I try my best to create and maintain a warm, safe environment full of unconditional love – with appropriate boundaries – for my two daughters. Beyond that, however, I think that the stories we choose to share with our children have a profound effect on who they believe they can become. One of the reasons I believe so passionately in sharing the incredible true story of the Rabbits of Ravensbrück and the other women of the resistance during WWII is that I want to give my own daughters an example of the strength that we have as women. My documentary, Saving the Rabbits of Ravensbrück, tells the incredible true story of the “Rabbits,” the young women in the Polish resistance who were maimed by Nazi experimental surgeries at Ravensbrück, the largest women’s only concentration camp in the Third Reich. These 63 women, mostly high school and college students – and former Girl Scouts – survived not only because of their bold and courageous acts of resistance in the camp, but because the Catholic, Protestant, and Jewish women prisoners from over 20 different nations united and risked their own lives to pull off a daring rescue, saving them from execution. Despite the determined efforts of the German leaders to eliminate all evidence of their war crimes, the women of Ravensbrück ensured that the Rabbits lived to testify at the Nuremberg trials against their Nazi doctors. I want my daughters – and the generations to follow – to hear from these survivors themselves how they managed to accomplish the impossible, overcoming the brutality of Ravensbrück, as well as their own cultural, religious, and political differences, to resist the Nazis – armed only with their courage, intellect, and compassion.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
For me, this project really started nearly 30 years ago, when my great-uncle John told me about one of the worst things he had witnessed as a soldier during WWII – about when he helped to liberate a women’s concentration camp. Fearing that some might try and deny the existence or the conditions of these “women in the barracks,” he asked that I speak up and tell others what he had seen with his own two eyes. You can imagine my interest when many years later I happened to meet Martha Hall Kelly, who was working on a novel that would eventually become the instant New York Times best seller, Lilac Girls. She had unearthed the incredible and inspiring story of the Rabbits and their American “Godmother” Caroline Ferriday, who helped the women after the war. With Martha’s help, I began my own journey of trying to track down and interview the “Rabbits” of Ravensbrück, with the hope of allowing the survivors to tell the true story that had inspired her novel. We eventually found and interviewed four of the “Rabbits,” as well as other women of the French and Polish resistance who helped save them in the camp. The obstacles seemed overwhelming at the start. Not only did we have to find these survivors in Poland and France and convince them to tell their story to an American filmmaker, but also had to raise the tens of thousands of dollars needed to finance the trip and the filming. And we had to do it quickly; the women were in their nineties. We succeeded, not only because of our own passion and belief in the importance of documenting this story, but because others believed in it too. Through fundraising events, crowdfunding campaigns, and foundation support, we have raised over $250,000 and nearly completed a rough edit of the film. Meeting the “Rabbits” and the other women of the resistance during WWII was an invaluable learning experience. Before this project, I thought that a hero was just that special someone who happened to be there – and act – when someone needed them most. But I’ve learned that we can all be that hero; it is who we are as human beings. Most of us will instinctively help and at times risk our lives for another, even a stranger. I’ve now realized that compassion is our greatest strength. Not even the Nazis could fight against it; some of their own guards and nurses found a way to help the Rabbits of Ravensbrück. The women in the camp were able to pull off their rescue of the Rabbits in large part because the Nazis never considered the possibility of women from 20+ nations, various religions, and opposing political ideologies uniting to save crippled and maimed young Polish girls. And as it turns out, many of the women my great-uncle John helped to liberate very likely started their journey at Ravensbrück. It was finally as an independent filmmaker that I could honor the promise I made to him so long ago.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If my best friend was visiting Atlanta for a week, I would certainly take her to the National Center of Civil and Human Rights, one of the most moving and relevant museums I’ve ever visited. The museum, with its impactful experiential exhibits, not only covers Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the history of the civil rights movement, but the heroic contributions of countless others who supported and many times also suffered for the cause. It’s enlightening, inspirational and well worth your time. I’d also take her on an amazing 3-hour bus tour given by Tom Houck, who was a former aide to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Not only does the trip cover the “famous moments, places and people” of the civil rights movement in the 1960s, but you get the invaluable experience of getting to learn from someone who was actually there and who worked with many of the men and women we have come to so admire. Downtown Atlanta holds other treasures as well, so we’d visit the Georgia Aquarium and – because my friend is a sports fan – we wouldn’t miss the College Football Hall of Fame. Lastly, I’d take her to my old neighborhood in the Virginia Highland area and take in a movie at the iconic Plaza Theatre and then walk over to the Majestic Diner for a late-night snack.

Speaking of food, Atlanta is also home to some great spots, so we’d dine out quite a bit, probably starting with long-time Brookhaven neighborhood favorites Haven (upscale American – and great neighborhood bar) or its sister restaurant, Valenza (Italian). You can find owner Michael Arnette checking in with his devoted local patrons, asking about the kids or work or someone’s Mom. He has a way of making everyone feel like a close friend. For lunch, I’d take her to Anis for some French bistro fare and alfresco dining, where the attentive Arnaud Michel shares the food and ambience of his childhood in the south of France. If you happen to be gluten-free, get ready to feel included – and safe. Lastly, after an afternoon shopping trip to Ponce City Market, we’d head to dinner at AIX, a lovely – but oh so comfy – French Provencal-inspired restaurant in historic West midtown. Not only is Chef Nick Leahy always spot-on, but the expert staff treat you as family.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would like to dedicate my Shoutout to Martha Hall Kelly, my friend and favorite author, who unearthed the amazing story of Caroline Ferriday and the Ravensbrück Rabbits and shared it with all of us through her beautifully written and diligently-researched work of historical fiction, Lilac Girls. Without her guidance and unfailing support, I would not have been able to find and interview these incredible women, which has enabled us to preserve their story and history for generations to come. I am so grateful for her generosity, advice, and friendship. I’d also like to recognize my family, dear friends, and our network of supporters all over the nation, who have all been there to support my work on this documentary from the start, including hosting and attending fundraisers for the film, helping with research, contributing their time and talents, and donating their own hard-earned money for our fundraising campaigns for production and now, post-production. It is their passion and belief in these women and their story that have made this film possible.

Website: www.rememberravensbruck.com
Instagram: @rememberravensbruck
Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/stacey-childers-fitzgerald-7013a216
Twitter: @savingrabbits
Facebook: @RabbitsofRavensbruck

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