Sára Karig

Karig Sára (13 June 1914 – 2 February 1999) was a Hungarian poet best known for her humanitarian efforts during the Second World War. She was recognized as Righteous Among the Nations in 1985.

Life

Early life Karig Sára was born into a family of teachers in Baja, Hungary as the youngest of three children. Karig went to various schools as a child and learned Latin, English, German, and French. Following disputes with teachers, she was expelled from her local school. From third grade on, she wrote short stories and poems for a local newspaper, and in high school, she was the president of the school's literary study circle. After high school in Szeged, Karig planned to become an English teacher and enrolled as a student at Franz Joseph University. During her two years there, she became friends with Albert Szent-Györgyi's daughter and stayed at the family's home for a time. Karig got married eight times to allow her "husbands" to pass as Christians. She also helped distribute weapons and ammunition to paramilitary groups across Hungary. Karig, along with other friends, would house escaping Allied POWs, and find them safe routes home. She ran a printing shop that produced anti-war propaganda and fake documents for Jews and refugees. After the war, Karig was decorated by General Alexander for her help to British soldiers and was offered citizenship in the UK, which she declined. Karig spent three months in the Soviet occupation zone in Austria, interned at Baden bei Wien and subject to numerous interrogations. She never married and died at her home in February 1999.