Description
A Dream of Democracy
A DREAM OF DEMOCRACY is a ten-year-old boy’s escape from the Russian invasion of East Prussia at the end of WWII in January 1945. With his mother and sister aboard his aunt’s horse-drawn wagon, they fled with thousands of refugees from the barbaric Red Army. Since Hitler and the German Army failed to evacuate or protect German civilians on the Eastern-Front, they ran for their lives on the wagon train west with Russians soldiers on their heals who were determined to seek revenge from Hitler’s previous invasion of Russia––pillaging as they went, raping women of all ages and killing the men and boys.
Helmut Bio Helmut Siewert, born in East Prussia in 1934 survived the Russian invasion at the end of WWII at the age of 10 by escaping on the wagon train to the east with his family. Forced to flee in the middle of the night, in sub-zero temperatures, his mother, aunt, younger sister and his 14 year-old cousin drove their horse-drawn wagon for 8 weeks and then found himself buried alive in a Berlin subway. This is the telling of his brave and dangerous journey.
Christopher S. –
There are many stories of the struggle of the Jews being targeted by the Germans in WWII. Here’s a story of a German family that survived the Russian Invasion of Prussia despite the lies from the government that the soldiers would be able to defend the land. Instead, this family took it upon themselves to survive, by reading the writing on the wall that the Russians would overtake their land and despite the harsh winter conditions, they had no choice but to flee with the aid of a horse drawn wagon.
It wasn’t just the intensity of that initial experience that keeps this story going, but each hurdle they had to surmount in getting to safety with many surprises till finally Helmut could immigrate to build a new life in America. All this is set in the background of family secrets that had anyone known, would have sent them to the Concentration Camps.
The beauty of taking the chance and opportunities that were given to Helmut to not just survive, but thrive in his new chosen country is very inspiring and reminds the reader of how close we are to the events of recent history as Helmut is a living survivor to an era that seems long gone, but as recent events in Ukraine and Russia attest, are repeating before our eyes.
Debbie Pawlak –
In 1939 when Helmut Siewert was five years old, Germany invaded Poland. Life changed dramatically for a young boy growing up in the shadow Adolf Hitler and the Third Reich. For the next five years, he and his family lived with a constant threat of war, devastating food shortages, and fearful uncertainties even though Helmut’s area of Prussia was spared the worst of it–until the Russian invasion during the winter of 1945. It was one of the coldest seasons on record for Europe when Helmut’s mother was forced to run. His father had been drafted by the German Army leaving his family to fend for themselves. Like many Prussians, Helmut, his mother and younger sister, waited to be rescued by the German government. They were to be evacuated before the Russian soldiers arrived–at least that’s what they were told. When no one came for them Helmut’s mother made a momentous decision to take her children, leave her home, and flee. Their journey was arduous and complex as they joined others who were also trying to stay one step ahead of the Russians who were out for the deadliest of vengeance. Stay and be killed or run and take your chances. This was their choice. The group combined to form a ‘wagon train’ of sorts where death claimed many as they traveled over icy grounds and frozen rivers. Helmut’s story is unique as we follow him from war torn Germany to the wrong side of the Iron Curtain and finally on to America where he lives now. It is a story of bravery, determination, and hard work. If you want to be inspired by one man’s journey, I highly recommend you read this book. Even though it falls under ‘historical fiction’, the vast majority is based on real people and real events. It is hard not to be touched by Helmut’s story. He is not to be admired just for his courage during wartime, but for the many accomplishments he made afterward. A remarkable man with a remarkable story!
Robert Chitty –
I read this book in one day. Helmut in dashing from the Soviet onslaught makes it into East Germany, a communist hellhole, and ultimately to the USA. I loved this book. Thank you Cheryl Du Bois