GERMAINE SCHNEIDER.
Germaine Scheider, nee Clais, alias PAULA, SCHMETTERLING, PAPILLION & ODETTE.
Was recruited in Belgium with her husband, Franz Schneider, in 1936 by Henri Robinson.
Was between 1936 and 1939 employed as a courier for Robinson's service to the UK, between Belgium and France and also to Holland, Switzerland, Germany and possibly Bulgaria.
Acted between 1937 and 1939 as link between Robinson and his agents in the UK, accompanied at least once on a visit to London by her husband.
Probably worked in 1939 under the immediate direction of Wenzel in Jeffremov's group until Wenzel's arrest in June 1942. Trained by Wenzel as reserve WT operator.
Out of touch with Robinson in June 1940 at least until the Spring of 1941.
Was present in January 1942 at a meeting of Trepper and Jeffremov in her house in Brussels, at which Jeffremov was placed in charge of the surviving elements of Trepper's and Gurevich's network in the Low Countries; Germaine became courier between Jeffremov's set-up and Trepper in Paris.
After Wenzel's arrest, worked for Trepper in Paris until the summer of 1942, when she joined Springer's group in Lyons.
Arrested in November 1942.
Addresses.
From November 1937 until June 1942: Rue de Comtesse de Flandre 49, Brussels.
In the autumn of 1942: Rue des Anges 16, Lyons.
Personal particulars.
Nationality: Belgian origin, Swiss by marriage.
Date of birth: 17-03-1903 in Anderlecht, near Brussels.
Relatives: Married to Franz Schneider in 1925: allegedly became Wenzel's mistress some time in or after 1939, but may
have remained loyal to her husband.
History.
With Franz Schneider, undertook work for the Comintern in 1925, after recruitment by "LEON" (probably Leon Nicole of the Swiss Communist Party).
In Belgium, active for the Belgium Communist Party between 1925 - 1929 and Comintern, providing a "safe house" for travellers.
Inactive politically between 1925 and 1936, or active only underground.
Visited the UK between 1937 and 1939 on courier work for Robinson, the last recorded occasion being in April 1939.
Visited Klara Schabbel during one or more missions to Germany.
Johann Wenzel went to live with the Schneiders in Brussel in 1939. Germaine may have become his mistress and received technical training from him.
Arrested with Wenzel in June 1942; temporarily persuaded Germans of innocence, was released and fled to Paris, Leaving a letter for Franz's mistress and probably intended to establish Franz as innocent in the eyes of the Germans. Joined Trepper and subsequently sent to join Springer in Lyons.
Arrested circa November 1942 in Lyons and interned.
Was liberated by the Russians in May 1945.
Deported to Switzerland in October 1945, where she died on 12-11-1945 in Zürich.
Source KC3/351.
Germaine Schneider (17 March 1903 - 12 November 1945) was a Belgian communist and Communist International (Comintern) agent. During the latter half of the 1920s, Schneider worked predominantly for the Communist Party of Belgium. During World War II, Schneider was a core member of a Soviet espionage group, working as a principal courier for the groups that were associated with the Comintern agent, Henry Robinson in the late 1930s in France and later the Soviet GRU officer, Konstantin Jeffremov in Belgium and the Low Countries, in the early 1940s. These groups were later identified by the Abwehr under the moniker the Red Orchestra. Schneider used the aliases Clais, Pauline, Odette, Papillon and Butterfly (Schmetterling) to disguise her identity.
The organisational diagram of the Jeffremov espionage group in Brussels. Schneider was the principal courier for the group in Brussels, although she had no direct involvement with the group, working directly for Wenzel
Schneider had been living and working in Brussels since 1920. On January 1925, Germaine Schneider (née Clais) married Swiss national Franz Schneider. The couple had a long honeymoon in Switzerland before returning in Brussels[6] two months later. That same year, Schneider was recruited into the Communist International (Comintern) organisation. Between 1925 and 1929, Schneider provided safehouse accommodation for travellers who were members of the Comintern. At the same time she worked for the Communist Party of Belgium. Schneider's apartment saw many communists come and go including Maurice Thorez and Jacques Duclos. In 1929, she was deported from Belgium as a communist agitator but made a clandestine return to the country after a short period. From 1929 to 1936, the Schneiders were politically inactive and lived a relatively quiet life in Brussels. In 1936, while the couple were living in Brussels, they were recruited as Soviet agents of the Red Army Intelligence to work as couriers. The couple had an apartment at 47 Rue de la comtesse de Flandre in Brussels.
In the autumn of 1935, Harry II, an unidentified Soviet agent of the Red Army Intelligence took over control of Ernest Weiss, a Soviet agent resident in London, who was recruited in 1932 to run an espionage network in the United Kingdom. The German- born Weiss resided in London and had become a naturalised British citizen to disguise his activities.
In November 1936, Harry II introduced Schneider to Ernest Weiss in South Kensington, London. During that period from 1936 to 1939, Schneider visited Weiss at his home in South Kensington several more times as well as working as a courier in France, Netherlands, Switzerland, Germany.
From 1939 to 1942, Germaine Schneider and her husband worked as a couriers for a Soviet espionage network that operated in the Low Countries that became known as the Red Orchestra.
In early 1938, Johann Wenzel returned illegally to Belgium and it is likely that he resided with the couple. At the time, Wenzel trained Schneider as a wireless telegraphy radio operator.
The organisational diagram of the second Jeffremov espionage group in Brussels. Schneider had direct involvement in the group
It is unknown who recruited Schneider into the Jeffremov network, but by September 1939, Schneider and her husband were working for the Konstantin Jeffremovs network in Belgium as couriers. As well as working as an assistant to Léon Grossvogel, Schneider was the principal courier between the Belgium and French networks.
Schneider recruited her significant number of people into the Jeffremov network and managed those people as a sub-group with the Jeffremov network. These included her sisters Renee Blumsack, who was a courier between Paris and Brussels and Josephine Verhimst as well as Renee's husband, Joseph Blumsack who was also a courier between Brussels and Paris, was Josephine's lover, Jean Janssens, also a courier on the same route and Yvonne Poelmans, a gymnast and masseuse who was recruited for a minor role.
In May 1942, Leopold Trepper, who was the technical director of a Soviet Red Army Intelligence unit in western Europe, and the Soviet agent Konstantin Jeffremov met in the house of the Schneider's in Brussels. At the meeting, Trepper placed Jeffremov in charge of running an espionage network in Belgium and the Low Countries. Schneider then became a courier between Jeffremov in Brussels and Trepper in Paris.
In November 1942, Schneider was arrested while she was working for the Springer group in Lyon. She was betrayed by Jeffremov. Schneider was sent to a concentration camp and was liberated by the Red Army advance in May 1945. She was gravely ill when she left Ravensbrück concentration camp and was sent to a Swiss sanitarium in Zurich in October 1945.
She died on 12 November 1945 of cancer. Her funeral was attended by Maurice Aenis-Hanslin, a Swiss communist and commercial director who was an agent of the network run by Henry Robinson.
Source: Wikipedia.
Was recruited in Belgium with her husband, Franz Schneider, in 1936 by Henri Robinson.
Was between 1936 and 1939 employed as a courier for Robinson's service to the UK, between Belgium and France and also to Holland, Switzerland, Germany and possibly Bulgaria.
Acted between 1937 and 1939 as link between Robinson and his agents in the UK, accompanied at least once on a visit to London by her husband.
Probably worked in 1939 under the immediate direction of Wenzel in Jeffremov's group until Wenzel's arrest in June 1942. Trained by Wenzel as reserve WT operator.
Out of touch with Robinson in June 1940 at least until the Spring of 1941.
Was present in January 1942 at a meeting of Trepper and Jeffremov in her house in Brussels, at which Jeffremov was placed in charge of the surviving elements of Trepper's and Gurevich's network in the Low Countries; Germaine became courier between Jeffremov's set-up and Trepper in Paris.
After Wenzel's arrest, worked for Trepper in Paris until the summer of 1942, when she joined Springer's group in Lyons.
Arrested in November 1942.
Addresses.
From November 1937 until June 1942: Rue de Comtesse de Flandre 49, Brussels.
In the autumn of 1942: Rue des Anges 16, Lyons.
Personal particulars.
Nationality: Belgian origin, Swiss by marriage.
Date of birth: 17-03-1903 in Anderlecht, near Brussels.
Relatives: Married to Franz Schneider in 1925: allegedly became Wenzel's mistress some time in or after 1939, but may
have remained loyal to her husband.
History.
With Franz Schneider, undertook work for the Comintern in 1925, after recruitment by "LEON" (probably Leon Nicole of the Swiss Communist Party).
In Belgium, active for the Belgium Communist Party between 1925 - 1929 and Comintern, providing a "safe house" for travellers.
Inactive politically between 1925 and 1936, or active only underground.
Visited the UK between 1937 and 1939 on courier work for Robinson, the last recorded occasion being in April 1939.
Visited Klara Schabbel during one or more missions to Germany.
Johann Wenzel went to live with the Schneiders in Brussel in 1939. Germaine may have become his mistress and received technical training from him.
Arrested with Wenzel in June 1942; temporarily persuaded Germans of innocence, was released and fled to Paris, Leaving a letter for Franz's mistress and probably intended to establish Franz as innocent in the eyes of the Germans. Joined Trepper and subsequently sent to join Springer in Lyons.
Arrested circa November 1942 in Lyons and interned.
Was liberated by the Russians in May 1945.
Deported to Switzerland in October 1945, where she died on 12-11-1945 in Zürich.
Source KC3/351.
Germaine Schneider (17 March 1903 - 12 November 1945) was a Belgian communist and Communist International (Comintern) agent. During the latter half of the 1920s, Schneider worked predominantly for the Communist Party of Belgium. During World War II, Schneider was a core member of a Soviet espionage group, working as a principal courier for the groups that were associated with the Comintern agent, Henry Robinson in the late 1930s in France and later the Soviet GRU officer, Konstantin Jeffremov in Belgium and the Low Countries, in the early 1940s. These groups were later identified by the Abwehr under the moniker the Red Orchestra. Schneider used the aliases Clais, Pauline, Odette, Papillon and Butterfly (Schmetterling) to disguise her identity.
The organisational diagram of the Jeffremov espionage group in Brussels. Schneider was the principal courier for the group in Brussels, although she had no direct involvement with the group, working directly for Wenzel
Schneider had been living and working in Brussels since 1920. On January 1925, Germaine Schneider (née Clais) married Swiss national Franz Schneider. The couple had a long honeymoon in Switzerland before returning in Brussels[6] two months later. That same year, Schneider was recruited into the Communist International (Comintern) organisation. Between 1925 and 1929, Schneider provided safehouse accommodation for travellers who were members of the Comintern. At the same time she worked for the Communist Party of Belgium. Schneider's apartment saw many communists come and go including Maurice Thorez and Jacques Duclos. In 1929, she was deported from Belgium as a communist agitator but made a clandestine return to the country after a short period. From 1929 to 1936, the Schneiders were politically inactive and lived a relatively quiet life in Brussels. In 1936, while the couple were living in Brussels, they were recruited as Soviet agents of the Red Army Intelligence to work as couriers. The couple had an apartment at 47 Rue de la comtesse de Flandre in Brussels.
In the autumn of 1935, Harry II, an unidentified Soviet agent of the Red Army Intelligence took over control of Ernest Weiss, a Soviet agent resident in London, who was recruited in 1932 to run an espionage network in the United Kingdom. The German- born Weiss resided in London and had become a naturalised British citizen to disguise his activities.
In November 1936, Harry II introduced Schneider to Ernest Weiss in South Kensington, London. During that period from 1936 to 1939, Schneider visited Weiss at his home in South Kensington several more times as well as working as a courier in France, Netherlands, Switzerland, Germany.
From 1939 to 1942, Germaine Schneider and her husband worked as a couriers for a Soviet espionage network that operated in the Low Countries that became known as the Red Orchestra.
In early 1938, Johann Wenzel returned illegally to Belgium and it is likely that he resided with the couple. At the time, Wenzel trained Schneider as a wireless telegraphy radio operator.
The organisational diagram of the second Jeffremov espionage group in Brussels. Schneider had direct involvement in the group
It is unknown who recruited Schneider into the Jeffremov network, but by September 1939, Schneider and her husband were working for the Konstantin Jeffremovs network in Belgium as couriers. As well as working as an assistant to Léon Grossvogel, Schneider was the principal courier between the Belgium and French networks.
Schneider recruited her significant number of people into the Jeffremov network and managed those people as a sub-group with the Jeffremov network. These included her sisters Renee Blumsack, who was a courier between Paris and Brussels and Josephine Verhimst as well as Renee's husband, Joseph Blumsack who was also a courier between Brussels and Paris, was Josephine's lover, Jean Janssens, also a courier on the same route and Yvonne Poelmans, a gymnast and masseuse who was recruited for a minor role.
In May 1942, Leopold Trepper, who was the technical director of a Soviet Red Army Intelligence unit in western Europe, and the Soviet agent Konstantin Jeffremov met in the house of the Schneider's in Brussels. At the meeting, Trepper placed Jeffremov in charge of running an espionage network in Belgium and the Low Countries. Schneider then became a courier between Jeffremov in Brussels and Trepper in Paris.
In November 1942, Schneider was arrested while she was working for the Springer group in Lyon. She was betrayed by Jeffremov. Schneider was sent to a concentration camp and was liberated by the Red Army advance in May 1945. She was gravely ill when she left Ravensbrück concentration camp and was sent to a Swiss sanitarium in Zurich in October 1945.
She died on 12 November 1945 of cancer. Her funeral was attended by Maurice Aenis-Hanslin, a Swiss communist and commercial director who was an agent of the network run by Henry Robinson.
Source: Wikipedia.