Wilm Hosenfeld (May 2 1895 in Rhoendorf Mackenzell, Germany–August 13 1952 near Stalingrad) was a German regular-army officer (captain) who saved the Polish pianist and composer Władysław Szpilman from death in the ruins of Warsaw. He and several fellow officers, who had sympathy for the people of German-occupied Poland, the Jews included, and had grown ashamed of what many of their countrymen were doing, offered help to many as well as Szpilman.

Hosenfeld was taken captive by the Soviets on January 17, 1945. He was sentenced to 25 years in labour camp for alleged war crimes because of his unit affilitation. Despite many people pleading his case, the Soviets refused to believe that he was not involved in war crimes. He died in a camp due to the hard conditions.

References

• Wilm Hosenfeld: "Ich versuche jeden zu retten"—Das Leben eines deutschen Offiziers in Briefen und Tagebüchern (Wilm Hosenfeld: "'I try to save everyone [I can]'—The life of a German officer in [his] letters and diaries"), compiled and with commentary by Thomas Vogel, published by the Militärgeschichtlichen Forschungsamt (MGFA: Military History Research Institute)[1], Deutsche Verlags-Anstalt, Munich, 2004. ISBN: 3421057761

External links

• Comment on Hosenfeld in conjunction with Roman Polanski's filmThe Pianist
• Page on Wilm Hosenfeld and The Pianist on the website of Hosenfeld's grandson