Janina Mehlberg, a Polish Jew, posed as a countess during Nazi occupation to aid prisoners in Majdanek concentration camp.

Mehlberg distributed food, medicine, and messages to the imprisoned, and negotiated the release of thousands of Poles.

Historians Elizabeth B White and Joanna Sliwa have reconstructed Mehlberg's story in 'The Counterfeit Countess', shedding light on Jewish agency during the Holocaust.

Mehlberg's memoir, detailing her life and war-time actions, was never published due to her reputation in communist Poland and a focus on the Jewish experience in Western publishing.

The book serves as a significant addition to Holocaust literature, highlighting Mehlberg's brave efforts amid unthinkable horrors.