World War II Letters
A Boy's Memories of Hitler-Germany
By: Harro Lapinski

In the year 1966, while our family prepared to emigrate to Canada, we found a bundle of 110 letters in our attic in Hamburg, Germany. They were written in 1942 and 1943 between my mother in Hamburg and my father in various war-time locations in Poland, Russia and the Southern Ukraine.

These “World War II - Letters” turned out to be a treasure chest of history, and an example of my parents’ eloquence, wisdom, insight and love. They triggered a tidal wave of long suppressed and ignored memories in me that compelled me to write about my experiences as a 6 to 12 year old “Boy in Hitler-Germany” from 1941 to 1945 and the post-war time from 1945 to 1948.

The story line will take the reader from a tranquil pre-war scenario to ABSOLUTE HELL. Eventually “Hell” was overcome. Overcome by the resiliency of the people and how well they adapted to adverse situations with optimism and resourcefulness. I am sure this ability holds true for many war-besieged people in the world.