INTRODUCTION
How does a child live through the horrors of war and emerge happy and whole? Heidi Posnien, now 88, grew up in Berlin under Nazi rule during WWII and overcame circumstances that defy imagination. A remarkable storyteller with a resplendent memory, Heidi opened up to biographer Rhonda Lauritzen, sharing stories she’d never told another soul. The result is the unforgettable new book A Child in Berlin.
Please refer to the press release below for additional information, and let me know if you would like to receive a copy of this book for interview and/or review purposes. A recent interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXzAuhCd08E.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Survivor of Berlin’s WWII Atrocities Embodies Childhood Resilience, Thrives at Age 88
OGDEN, Utah, Jan. 13, 2025 — Heidi Posnien, now 88, enjoys a peaceful life in a farmhouse overlooking a lake — worlds apart from her childhood in Nazi-occupied Germany, where she and her mother survived unimaginable circumstances. Despite the immense hardships she has endured in her lifetime, including outliving her husband and children, Posnien chooses gratitude for simple abundance, freedom and safety.
“I don’t believe in wallowing in self-pity,” Posnien said. “You just go ahead with life
and live life the best you can. And the more you do for other people, the less you worry about yourself.”
Posnien shared her strikingly clear memories with professional biographer Rhonda Lauritzen, recalling in vivid detail the fear and uncertainty that permeated Nazi-infested Berlin during World War II; memories of her mother, Käthe, a rising star in Germany’s opera scene; and her remarkable survival in a bombed-out apartment during the final weeks of the war. She lived alone at just 9 years old.
“When we read a story like Heidi’s, it becomes part of us,” Lauritzen said. “We can feel it vicariously. I promise the readers will not forget this story. It changes us. It changes our perspective. And it will change you in ways you don’t see coming.”
A Child in Berlin is the remarkable true story of Heidi Posnien, her mother and their courage in the face of Nazi terror as told to Lauritzen. Käthe is a mother who must choose between her conscience and her dreams of becoming an opera star. She discovers the truth about what is happening to her Jewish friends around the time she attends a dinner party presided by Adolf Hitler himself. She realizes she cannot remain among Nazi society and makes the gut-wrenching choice to leave the opera. To support herself and young Heidi, she joins Berlin’s black-market network and ends up dealing in more than just food. As others evacuate the capital, Käthe harbors a secret that anchors them in the epicenter of danger.
While Käthe becomes ever more preoccupied with survival, Heidi and a roving pack of friends make mischief in Berlin’s rubble. The war devolves, and she braves hunger, cold and feelings of abandonment as she shuttles between Berlin and the Polish countryside. Heidi’s ultimate test comes when she must survive alone in a bombed-out apartment during the final weeks of World War II. Her moxie shows how children are capable of far more than adults realize.
Heidi Posnien married an American soldier after the war. She now lives in Huntsville, Utah. Her story serves as a reminder of the resilience and strength of the human spirit, even in the darkest of times. Her firsthand account of life in Nazi-occupied Berlin offers a unique perspective on a pivotal moment in world history. As she nears her 90th birthday, Posnien continues to share her story in the hopes of educating future generations about the terrible consequences of war and the importance of standing up against tyranny.
“I’ve been down in the deepest sorrows, but I’ve also been on the best of highs too,” Posnien said. “I’ve eaten this big, beautiful life; I never let it eat me.”
A Child in Berlin: The Poignant Story of Heidi Posnien and Her Mother During the Fall of Germany
Publisher: Post Hill Press
ISBN-13: 979-8888459089
Available from Amazon.com
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TIP SHEET
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Reviews, photos, links to previous interviews and Q&As are available upon request.
About the Author
Rhonda Lauritzen is a professional biographer with multiple published books and is a regular speaker at international conferences. She has an MBA from the University of Utah, served as CEO of her family’s business and as a state college VP. Since she founded Evalogue.Life in 2016, Lauritzen has been hired to tell the stories of families, buildings and cities. Her upcoming books include Creative Insecurity: Lean Into the Unknown and Unleash Your Inner Misfit, co-authored with James M. Sweeney. She believes that when you tell your story, it changes the ending. For more information, please visit https://evalogue.life/a-child-in-berlin/.
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