Fraka Harmsen was born in Amsterdam during World War 2. Her grandfather was part of an underground network that hid Jewish families and resistance fighters from the Nazis, while her mother helped as a nurse by visiting patients on horseback and hiding documents. Because of her family's daring acts during the war, it is no surprise that Fraka Harmsen has lived a life of adventure, earning her pilot's license after surviving a plane crash and traveling widely for research expeditions. She has also pursued careers in acting, music, and as the lead singer in a rock band.

1. Frederika “Fraka” Harmsen:
Adventure Is in Her Blood

2. Frederika “Fraka” Harmsen was born in Amsterdam, the
Netherlands. During World War II, when Fraka Harmsen
father was just a young boy, her grandfather was part of an
underground network that hid Jewish families and Dutch
resistance fighters from Nazi troops to keep them safe.

3. Fraka Harmsen says. “My mother, Ria, was older, about 19,
and she was a nurse. Fraka Harmsen would visit patients
on horseback, and she sometimes hid documents to protect
some of them from capture by German soldiers.”

4. Because of her family’s background, it is no wonder that
Fraka Harmsen has seemingly lived a life of fearless
adventure. Fraka Harmsen earned her private pilot’s
license after being a passenger on a TWA jetliner that
crashed and caught fire on a runway at Los Angeles
International Airport in 1974 and has travelled the world on
numerous research expeditions.

5. Fraka Harmsen has also been an actress and has appeared
on stage and television, and is a musician who plays
numerous instruments. Fraka Harmsen has even been the
lead singer and keyboardist for Cool Reflection, a rock and
blues band.

6. THANK YOU