Hans Shippe was born in Krakov in the former Austro-Hungarian Empire (now Poland), and later moved to Germany. He took a great interest in China's 5000-year-old civilization from an early age, and closely watched the situation that developed in China. He went to Shanghai for the first time in 1925. As a journalist, he was active and sharp, and stopped at nothing to gather information that told the true story of China.
The 7.7 Incident (July 7, 1937) marked the beginning of the War of Resistance against Japan. Seeing the Chinese fighting with such heroism filled Hilbert with awe. He was determined to visit Yan'an, the command center of the war, to report on the Communist Party's war efforts against the Japanese.
In November 1941, Shippe died on the battlefield in the Yimeng Mountain while he was fighting alongside the Chinese against the Japanese army.
A monument was erected in 1942 by the Chinese army and civilians in Shandong Province in memory of Shippe. On it is inscribed the words of General Luo Ronghuan: "Advocating International Humanitarianism between Europe and Asia – Sacrificing his Life in Yimeng for the War of Resistance against Japan."
(China.org.cn November 18, 2005)
