Hillel Katz

Hillel Katz (born 24 September 1905 in Cieszyn, Austro-Hungarian Empire) was a Jewish Communist, who was an important member of a Soviet espionage network in occupied France, that the German Abwehr intelligence service later called the "Red Orchestra" ("Rote Kapelle"). In the role of an underground executive and recruiter, he acted as both secretary and assistant to Leopold Trepper and liaised between Léon Grossvogel and Henry Robinson in matters relating to the running of the French covert black market trading company Simex. His father was a teacher.

Red Orchestra When he moved to Paris, Katz concealed his Jewish origins and legalised himself as a Frenchman under the name Andre Dubois. In Paris, Katz was one of the two main assistants to Trepper, along with Leon Grossvogel. Katz was totally dedicated, both to Trepper and the Communist cause. Trepper described him in a quote as: A mason, he knows how to handle the trowel and build a house. During that period, Katz worked in a Racine bookshop where he managed the Youth fund. Katz, who knew many of Trepper's contacts and acquaintances, carried out many of Trepper operations personally.

Arrest On 25 November 1942, Trepper was arrested by Gestapo officer Karl Giering and immediately offered to collaborate with the Abwehr. On 2 December 1942, Hillel Katz was arrested.

According to the report that was written by Gestapo officer Heinz Pannwitz (sources vary), it was Trepper himself who betrayed Katz by phoning Katz up and arranging a meeting at the Madeleine metro station in Paris, in what was a trap by the Gestapo. Trepper allegedly gave up the names and addresses of most of the members of his own network, the first people he betrayed were Katz and Grossvogel. However, according to Gestapo officer Hans Reiser, it was Abraham Rajchmann, a member of the group, and an Abwehr informer, who told Reiser where Katz would likely be staying.

Katz was moved to a house belonging to Karl Bömelburg at 40 boulevard Victor Hugo, Neuilly-sur-Seine at Trepper's insistence. Trepper informed Katz of his plan to escape from Neuilly, but Katz refused to follow as his wife and children were being held as hostages.

On 13 September 1943, Trepper escaped Gestapo custody under watch while visiting a pharmacy. After Trepper escaped, Katz was taken to the Rue des Sausasaies in Paris and tortured to determine if he knew anything of the escape plan, but he never betrayed Trepper. After Trepper's escape, Katz disappeared. It is not known what happened to him but he was likely tried at a Luftwaffe court martial, presided over by Judge Advocate Manfred Roeder and then either likely shot or deported to a concentration camp, as happened to many other people associated with the Red Orchestra in France.