Heinz Drossel

Heinz Drossel (; 21 September 1916 – 28 April 2008) was a German lieutenant in World War II who was named one of the Righteous Among the Nations, shared with his parents, for helping Jews escape persecution. He was the son of Paul and Elfriede Drossel, both anti-Nazis, and shared their political philosophy. Drafted in November 1939, Drossel served in the Battle of France before serving on the Eastern Front for the rest of the war. He saved a woman, Marriane Hirschfeld, who became his wife after the war. He also freed Soviet soldiers to avoid execution. He and his parents also save a woman Margot, her parents, Lucie and Jack Hass and Ernst Frontheim, who became Margot's husband after the war.

Drossel and his parents Elfriede and Paul Drossel received the title Righteous Among the Nations from Yad Vashem on 12 January 1999 in recognition of the risk they had taken to hide and care for Jews during the war.

Personal life Born in Berlin, Germany on 21 September 1916, Drossel was the son of Elfriede (1892–1975) and Paul Drossel (1880–1954).

Drossel's parents were anti-Nazis and they refused to join the Nazi Party. Because he would not join the extreme German nationalist party, he was unable to practice law and was drafted into the German Army. Drossel was loyal to his troops, but hated Nazism.

Rather than executing several Soviet prisoners as ordered in 1941, Drossel helped them escape. He later released a Russian officer. Ernst Fontheim approached Drossel the evening of 26 March 1945 and asked for his help. Frontheim had been renting the summer home of Drossel's neighbor, Frieda Kunze, and was living there with his future wife Margot and her parents, Lucie and Jack Hass

After the war

Drossel found Marianne Hirschfeld in Berlin and they were married on 4 May 1946. They had a daughter Ruth.

He spoke to groups of people to them about the realities of the war, the nature and prevalence of antisemitism, and how to manage moral dilemmas.