Resistance is often viewed as simply physical, but that’s not always the case. These are the stories of four women involved in the Holocaust who resisted the Nazis without using force.

In Germany during WWII, the role of women was to care for the children and maintain the home. Women were seen as less capable than men. Some women used these misconceptions to their advantage. Lucie Aubrac ini­tially supported her husband, who was deeply involved in the resistance movement. She helped him by taking their child for a walk in the park to draw attention away from her husband during his secret meetings.

Unfortunately, her husband was eventually arrested, so Aubrac took a front seat in the resistance. She disguised herself as an unwed pregnant woman and went to the jail, pleading with the Gestapo to let her see the man who was really her husband, claiming she needed him to marry her since she was pregnant with his child. The Gestapo did not believe that a woman was capable of creating such a scheme, and so she was ­allowed to help her ­husband.

Aubrac did not use force or violence to resist the Nazis. Instead she used her wits and common misconceptions about women to outsmart them.

Another woman involved in the ­resistance was Diet Eman. She also used stereotypes about women to save lives, and she too started resisting with her husband. Her job was to deliver falsified identification documents. Eman hid Jews and other ­victims of the Holocaust. She acted dumb and said she did not know how she could have fake documents in her possession, which enabled her to ­escape arrest. She resisted by taking ­advantage of men who believed she was incapable.

Emilie Schindler, wife of Oskar Schindler (of “Schindler’s List” fame), was active in the Holocaust resistance. Although her husband was given much of the credit, Emilie was just as involved. She grew up with a Jewish friend and never believed in prejudice against Jews. Even when Emilie was told to drop her Jewish friend, their bond remained strong until her friend was murdered.

Together, Oskar and Emilie saved the lives of 1,300 Jews. They made sure that the Jews who worked for Oskar were fed and given a safe haven. Emilie and Oskar risked their lives to help these people.

Lastly, Maria Von Maltzan grew up wealthy and joined resistance groups early in the Nazi regime. She opened her home to more than 60 Jews during the Holocaust and helped them escape by making false identification documents. She even drove them out of Berlin in her truck.

All of these women resisted the Nazis without using force. They did everything they could to help those in need, knowing that if they were caught, they would be killed. Yet these women had the courage and the strength to do what they knew was right. They had the courage to stand up to the government and the army. They had the courage to resist.