An American child trapped in Germany during WWII tells the story at Morgan-Manning House Nov. 7
Greece resident Marlies Adams diFante was five years old when her family visited Germany in 1939. They became trapped in Germany, with all ports closed just before Hitler declared war on Poland.
Mrs. diFante will tell her story at the Morgan-Manning House in Brockport on Thursday, November 7, at 7:30 p.m. The program is entitled “Queen of the Bremen: The True Story of an American Child Trapped in Germany during World War II,” also the title of her book which will be sold at the event. Sponsored by the Western Monroe Historical Society, the program is free and open to the public at the historic home at 151 Main Street in Brockport. Free refreshments will be served after the presentation.
Mrs. diFante’s parents were German-born and her father was a naturalized American citizen. Her father worked for Widmer Winery in Naples, NY, where she and her brother were born. In 1939, when she was five and her brother was six, her pregnant mother wanted to go to Germany to visit her father who was dying of cancer. The whole family of four went, planning to stay for three months visiting relatives. In just two weeks, all Americans were ordered out of the country. The Bremen ship’s captain forbade her mother to go because the expected baby would not survive the return trip. The whole family remained in the city of Russelsheim. Two weeks later Hitler declared war on Poland, closed all ports, and everyone was under the scrutiny of the Nazi forces.
Her father was forced to work in a Russelsheim factory producing bombs and tanks. He was considered a prisoner because of his American citizenship. The Nazis forced the family to live on limited food rations. Eventually, the city of Russelsheim was bombed out, but the family survived. Mrs. diFante and her brother avoided joining the Hitler youth organization because they were American citizens. School kids harassed them because they did not wear the uniform or go to the youth meetings.
After the war, the family returned to Naples in 1946. Mrs. diFante weighed only 42 pounds at the age of 12 from seven years of Nazi food rationing. The family faced rejection because their neighbors thought they had gone to Germany in sympathy with Hitler.
Mrs. diFante will discuss many other details of her experience, including why “Queen of the Bremen” is part of the book title.
For information about the November 7 event, phone the Morgan-Manning House at (585) 637-3645.
10/27/13
