This week marks the 80th anniversary of VE Day, a time of remembrance and reflection on one of the most significant turning points in history. Like so many others, I have long held a deep passion for learning about the Holocaust and the Jewish people who endured the unimaginable. Over the years, I’ve read countless survivor stories—each one courageous, heartbreaking, and unforgettable.
But A Child in Berlin by Rhonda Lauritzen touched my heart in a unique and deeply personal way.
This beautifully written biography tells the true story of Heidi Posnien, a little girl who was just nine years old when the Russians overtook Berlin in the final days of World War II. She had already lived through the terror of the Nazi regime, and in early 1945, her entire world was torn apart when her beloved mother was arrested by the Gestapo—for the crime of hiding a Jewish man in their back bedroom. That brave, selfless act left young Heidi alone in a bombed-out apartment, forced to survive in a crumbling city on her own.
Heidi’s mother, Käthe, had been a rising opera star who once dined at a table hosted by Hitler himself. But as her conscience grew heavier and her eyes were opened to the suffering of her Jewish friends, Käthe chose to walk away from Nazi society—and her career—to help those in need. Her story is one of tremendous courage, and her sacrifices are at the heart of this book.
What makes A Child in Berlin so impactful is that it shares the war through a rarely heard point of view: the eyes of a child and her mother, surviving in Berlin—the cosmopolitan capital that remained the least Nazified part of Germany. It’s a story of love, moral bravery, grief, and survival.
Heidi and her beloved mother
Heidi’s voice, as told through years of interviews with author Rhonda Lauritzen, is full of life. Despite the hardship she endured—hunger, isolation, fear—she recalls moments of innocence and childhood mischief among the ruins. Her story is living proof of how resilient children truly are, even when the world around them is falling apart.
Now 89 and living in Utah, Heidi is still vibrant, sharp, and full of light. She is one of the few remaining eyewitnesses to the fall of Berlin. Through this book, her story will live on.
Heidi Posnien today.
If you are moved by stories of Holocaust bravery, if you believe in honoring those who lived through history’s darkest hours, or if you want to hear a powerful perspective from a woman and child who never gave up, A Child in Berlin is must-read. It’s more than a historical account—it’s a testament to the human spirit.