THE HITLER I KNEW
A Young Girl’s Memoirs of WW II in Germany
by
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I was awakened from a deep sleep by the terrifying sound of the town’s air raid alarm and the thunder of the approaching bombers. We could sense by the roaring of the approaching machines that this time they came in a much bigger number. As my parents, sister and I ran towards the safety of the cellar, all I had time to do was get a coat to wear over my pajamas. The house was shaking and parts of the ceiling began to fall. Bombs were falling all around our house. As we all huddled together in a corner of the cellar, we feared that each falling bomb would hit our house, when with a terrifying bang the lights went out. We sat in the dark under appalling bursts of explosions and awaited our end. I was truly frightened. The next moment there was someone kicking at the cellar door shouting, “Everybody out, the house is on fire!”
We ran to the street only to be caught in a blazing inferno. All around us burning wood and bricks were tumbling from our apartment house, while the bombs continued to fall. Ashes were falling down on me, my eyes were burning and I was unable to see where I was. There was nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. The whole city was burning. This bombardment seemed to go on forever. The night sky was red from fires and the air filled with smoke; it was a nightmare! How could anyone survive a bombing like that? I know that God saved me from certain death. I thought of the many lives that had been snuffed out. This bomb attack of
After the bombardment we went to our church, which had a large basement with enough beds for each family that had lost their home. We stayed there until morning and went back to the house to see if we could salvage anything at all, but everything was completely destroyed. We had nothing left, just the clothes we wore that night. To be bombed out came so sudden and unexpected! We could have taken some of our belongings to the cellar, but we did not think that a bomb would hit our house.
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Book Details
About the Book
An English and German Version
In Englischer und Deutscher Sprache
This is the story of a young girl's experience during WWII in Germany. It tells about the devotion to Hitler. It describes the life as a member of the Hitler Youth; what happened when WWII started, with the never-ending bombardments by the US and British bombers and the destruction of her home, school and town. It tells of the many killings, the horror, fear and despair. The constant struggle after the war to survive without food, when the French forces occupied the city.
The big disappointment in Hitler who promised a great future for Germany, but took the loyalty of the German people and led them into endless, hopeless wars. He would not let anyone or anything stop him from invading other countries and killing millions of innocent people.
The story is accompanied with photos of Hitler and photos to show the destruction and death of a city.
Diese Geschichte erzählt von den Erfahrungen eines jungen deutschen Mädchens im 2. Weltkrieg. Sie erzählt von der Verehrung Hitlers, ihre Begeisterung in der Hitlerjugend und vom Beginn des 2. Weltkrieges. Die nie enden wollenden Luftangriffe von amerikanischen und britischen Bombern und der Zerstörung ihres Hauses, der Schule und der Stadt - von Tod, Horror, Furcht und Hoffnungslosigkeit. Nach Kriegsende dem Kampf um Nahrung während der französischen Besatzungszeit.
Die große Enttäuschung über Hitler, der Deutschland eine große Zukunft versprach, aber der Bevölkerung die Loyalität nahm und sie dafür in einen end- und hoffnungslosen Krieg schickte. Man konnte ihn nicht aufhalten andere Länder anzugreifen und dabei Millionen unschuldige Menschen töten.
About the Author
Ms. Johnson was born and raised in
Currently she resides in rural
She wanted to write this story to show how blindly they followed a leader that promised a great future for Germany. He would not let anyone or anything stop him from invading other countries and kill millions of innocent people.
Everyone talked about him. Everyone learned about him. Everyone was excited about him, celebrated when he came near, cried out to him with joy. His name was Adolf Hitler, and Thea loved him. She grew up in 1930s and 1940s Germany. There she was swept up in the world of Nazism, like a tiny daisy in a river. To her it was wonderful. For a while, then came war and it came to her town. Terrible bombs fell, destroyed her home, school and town. All she was interested in was trying to survive ....trying to stay alive. She had started doubting Hitler at the end of the war when rumors spread of Americans coming. Then Hitler killed himself.
The greatest achievement was to have survived and she thanked God that he stood by her and saved her.