In her final letter to her husband, Luis Carlos Prestes, and her daughter Anita two months before her death in 1942, Olga Benario Prestes wrote, "I fought for the just and the good, to make the world better. If I must now say goodbye, I promise I won't give you any cause to be ashamed of me, not to my last breath."
Killed in a Nazi euthanasia centre shortly after turning 34, the German communist’s words alluded to her lifelong fight against fascism.
Hers is a story of bravery and resistance that speaks to the various times in which it's been told, and which has left a legacy in Germany, Brazil and beyond.
For her daughter, Anita Leocadia Prestes, today a retired professor and historian living in Rio de Janeiro, it’s a legacy that needs to be remembered.
The daughter of the German communist killed by the Nazis discusses her legacy in the modern fight against the far right.
The 82-year-old tells Al Jazeera: "It's important to publicise fighters like [Olga] Benario so people understand it's necessary to stop the rise of fascism and to prevent similar tragedies. Her example is inspiring to young people who want to fight against fascism, and for social justice and freedom."
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