Surviving WWII Inside Nazi Germany as a 5-Year-Old American Girl

Heroes Behind Headlines

In June of 1939, a five-year-old American girl traveled with her family to Germany to visit her grandfather. The visit was supposed to last three months. However, before they could board a ship back to the USA, the Nazi’s seized control of Germany and closed all borders. That little girl would overcome unfathomable odds to survive 7 more years in Nazi Germany, before returning to her native soil. Today, nearly 90 years later, we are honored to be joined by the incredible and inspiring Marlies DiFante.
When Marlies’ family left for Germany no one knew Adolph Hitler would soon launch a massive invasion of Poland and plunge the world into World War II. For Marlies, the result was a haunting and extraordinary journey through a land controlled by the most notorious dictator in modern history.
Marlies DiFante is currently a grandmother living in upstate New York and the author of her amazing autobiography ‘Queen of the Bremen: The True Story of an American Child’.