German ringmaster Adolf Althoff and his circus continued to perform throughout Europe during World War II.

German ringmaster Adolf Althoff and his circus continued to perform throughout Europe during World War II.

In the summer of 1941, the company stopped near [sic] Hesse, Germany. It was there that Althoff and his circus crew were faced with a risky choice.

Irene Danner, a young Jewish woman and descendant of a circus family herself, approached Adolf for help.

“Mr. Althoff, the director, knew of my Jewish origin, but agreed nevertheless that I would perform in his circus,” Irene recalled.

Throughout the war, Adolf and other members of the circus, including his wife, Maria, kept the secret. In addition to caring for Irene, the Althoffs welcomed Irene’s sister, mother, and father into the circus.

“Adolf Althoff let us all work without papers. He knew well what the danger was by accepting a Jewish family, as well as feeding and protecting them … [Adolf] enabled us to live in the circus basically undisturbed.”

Despite the risks, Adolf, his wife, and other members of the circus knew what they had to do.

“There was no question in our minds that we would let them stay …” Adolf explained after the war. "I couldn't simply permit them to fall into the hands of the murderers. This would have made me a murderer.

Irene, who is pictured here third from left, survived the war performing in the circus as an acrobat. She fell in love with another artist performing with the Althoff Circus at the time, and had two children with him in hiding.

The Althoffs were recognized by Yad Vashem as Righteous Among the Nations in 1995.