Mary Louise Cook facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mary Louise Cook
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| Born | 19 June 1901 Sunderland, England
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| Died | 27 March 1991 (aged 89) London, England
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| Relatives | Mary Burchell (sister) |
| Honours | Righteous Among the Nations (1964) British Hero of the Holocaust (2010) |
Louise Cook (born June 19, 1901 – died March 27, 1991) was an English woman who helped many people. She worked with her sister, Ida Cook, to save Jewish people from Nazi Germany in the 1930s. They were true heroes.
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Early Life and Love for Opera
Louise Cook was born in Sunderland, England. Her full name was Mary Louise Cook. She and her sister, Ida, worked as typists for the British government.
The sisters loved opera music very much. They often traveled to Austria and Germany to hear famous singers. Once, they wanted to see an Italian opera singer named Amelita Galli-Curci perform in New York. To save enough money for the trip, Louise and Ida didn't buy lunch and walked to work for two whole years! This shows how dedicated they were.
Helping Others Escape
In the 1930s, a terrible time began in Germany. The Nazi government was persecuting Jewish people. A kind Austrian woman named Ursuleac Kraus and her husband, Clemens Krauss, were helping Jewish people involved in opera escape.
The Cook sisters became friends with Ursuleac Kraus. They soon joined the effort to help. Louise and Ida helped smuggle valuable items like jewelry out of Germany and Austria. This was important because refugees needed money to be allowed into other countries.
The sisters also welcomed refugees into their own home in England. They spoke out and worked hard to get help for Jewish people who were in danger. By 1939, Louise and Ida Cook had helped more than two dozen people escape the terrible events of the Holocaust.
Louise Cook passed away on March 27, 1991, in London.
How She Was Honored
Louise Cook's brave actions were recognized. In 1964, she was named a Righteous Among the Nations. This special honor is given to non-Jewish people who risked their lives to save Jews during the Holocaust.
Later, in 2010, she was also given the British Hero of the Holocaust award. This award is for British citizens who showed great bravery in helping victims of the Holocaust.
Books and Stories
The amazing story of Louise and Ida Cook has been shared in many ways. Ida Cook wrote a book about their experiences called We Followed Our Stars. It was later reissued as Safe Passage. Their story has also been told in essays and other books, like Overture of Hope: Two Sisters' Daring Plan that Saved Opera's Jewish Stars from the Third Reich.
See also
- Jewish refugees from German-occupied Europe in the United Kingdom
