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Defying the Nazis: The Sharps' War

Season 1 Episode 1 | 1hr 19m 22s

Join an American couple’s courageous mission in 1939 to help refugees escape Nazi-occupied Europe. Over the course of two years, the pair will risk their lives so that hundreds can live in freedom. A new film by Ken Burns and Artemis Joukowsky. Join the conversation with #SharpsWarPBS.

Aired: 09/19/16 | Expires: 05/11/25
Funding is provided by members of the Better Angels Society including Jan and Rick Cohen and Jonathan and Jeannie Lavine; The Starr Foundation; The Threshold Foundation; The SeaStone Foundation; and donations from individuals.
Extras
Martha Sharp learns clandestine methods to save refugees fleeing the Holocaust.
Peter recalls the fear present in World War II era Europe.
Gerda Mayer of Vienna recalls saying good bye in 1939 to her parents, killed in Auschwitz.
Hear Waitstill Sharp's account, narrated by Tom Hanks, of legal versus moral ethics.
Waitstill and Martha Sharp describe their journey across Nazi-occupied territory.
Hear the incredible story of Waitstill and Martha Sharp from co-director Ken Burns.
Ken Burns talks about Defying the Nazis: The Sharps' War.
Uncover the journey of an American couple who saved lives at the onset of World War II.
Children from Martha Sharp’s emigration project during WWII describe their experiences.