Greta Zimmer Friedman

Greta Zimmer Friedman was an Austrian-born American dental assistant who became an iconic, if initially anonymous, figure in 20th-century American history. She is widely identified as the dental assistant in the white uniform kissed by a United States Navy sailor in Alfred Eisenstaedt's famed photograph V-J Day in Times Square, captured during the Victory over Japan Day celebrations in Times Square on August 14, 1945. Her identity was not publicly confirmed for decades, and her personal account of the event provided a crucial, often overlooked perspective on the spontaneous act that came to symbolize the jubilation at the end of World War II. Friedman lived a private life until later years when she participated in interviews and was honored at institutions like the National World War II Museum.

Early life and background

Greta Zimmer was born on June 5, 1924, in Wiener Neustadt, Austria, to a Jewish family. With the rise of the Nazi Party and the Anschluss in 1938, her parents sent her and her two sisters to the United States for safety, an act that likely saved their lives as many relatives perished in the Holocaust. She arrived in New York City at age 15, speaking little English, and was initially reunited with an aunt. Friedman later studied at a school for dental assistants and found work in Manhattan as a dental assistant for a practice on Lexington Avenue, a job that placed her in the heart of the city. During the war, she followed news of the Allied campaigns closely, worried for friends and the fate of Europe.

The V-J Day Kiss

On August 14, 1945, upon hearing news reports that Japan had surrendered, effectively ending World War II, Friedman left her office near Grand Central Terminal and walked into the celebrating crowds in Times Square. Wearing her white dental assistant uniform, she was suddenly and forcefully kissed by a celebrating sailor, George Mendonsa, in a moment captured by *LIFE* magazine photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt. In later interviews, including with the Veterans History Project of the Library of Congress, she described the kiss not as romantic but as a surprise act by a stranger who was "overwhelmed by the war ending." The photograph, published in *LIFE* and later titled V-J Day in Times Square, became one of the most famous images of the 20th century, though Friedman's identity remained uncertain for years amid claims from other women.

Later life and recognition

For decades, Friedman led a private life, unaware that researchers and historians were seeking to identify the individuals in Eisenstaedt's photograph. Her identity was gradually corroborated through photographic analysis and interviews, a process covered by media like The Washington Post. In her later years, she embraced her role in history, giving interviews and participating in events at the National World War II Museum in New Orleans. She reflected on the photograph's complex legacy, noting it represented the joy of the Allies' victory but was not a consensual act from her perspective. In 2012, a bronze sculpture titled Unconditional Surrender, based on the photograph, was unveiled in Times Square, further cementing the image in public memory.

Personal life and death

After the war, Greta Zimmer married physician Mischa B. Friedman in 1956, and the couple had two sons. They lived for many years in Baltimore, where her husband worked at Johns Hopkins Hospital, before retiring to Richmond, Virginia. Friedman was a grandmother and maintained interests in the arts and history. She died of complications from old age at a hospital in Richmond, Virginia, on September 8, 2016, at the age of 92. Her death was reported by major news outlets including The New York Times, which noted her nuanced understanding of her unintended iconic status. Friedman is buried in Maryland.

Category:1924 births Category:2016 deaths Category:American people of Austrian-Jewish descent Category:People from New York City Category:Subjects of famous photographs