Beyer was born in Breslau.[1] She had a sister Ursula who survived the Second World War and later had family in America.[2] Her Jewish father ran a small, thriving lamp factory in Breslau. At the age of 13, Helga Beyer was already a member of the Communist Party of Germany (KPO). She was also active in the Comrades, German-Jewish Hiking Association [de] (Comrades-in-Charge). She worked as a courier in the German-Czech border region, delivering valuable information about the SPD's exiled executive committee to Breslau. She also supported families in hiding and arrested friends by collecting donations.[3] She also wrote poems against National Socialism.[4] On 28 January 1938, she was arrested and sentenced to three and a half years in prison in a high treason trial. She was subsequently imprisoned in the Ravensbrück concentration camp and later died there at the age of 21. She left behind a series of letters that have been historically evaluated.[5]
