Tilli's Story: My Thoughts are Free
Tilli Horn Schulze's memoir tells of growing up during World War II and its aftermath, when Russian soldiers invaded her village in East Germany and were given free rein to rape and pillage.
Eventually, Tilli escaped East Germany and settled in America. After the fall of the Berlin Wall, Tilli felt free to tell about her life in her book, "Tilli's Story: My Thoughts Are Free."
Now Polish publisher Videograf has issued a translation of "Tilli's Story" as "Marionetka Historii." The book is part of Videograf's series, "Time and People."
This book release comes as Hollywood producer Kathryn Lekan of independent film company Barn 38 Productions has commissioned film rights to the book as well as a screenplay adaptation.
Lekan is currently co-producer of the HBO series "Hung."
The release of the acclaimed film "A Woman in Berlin" this summer -- about Russian violence after WWII against German women -- as well as new research into the extent and effects of post-war rape of German women has sparked interest in this subject, says Lekan.
"It's fascinating to watch films about survival and people's resilience and ability to rise above," she says. "Like the photojournalist in 'A Woman in Berlin' who survives the sexual assault by members of the Red Army, Tilli is also a survivor. She escapes against the odds of her young age, education and her modest farming upbringing to flee to America and successfully start her life over."
When the Russians invaded Tilli's east German village of Doelitz in 1945, Tilli and 12 other young women were forced to hide for months in a tiny, windowless crawlspace hidden in the upper rafters of Tilli's home, for fear of being raped. Tilli nonetheless was assaulted at age 11 -- a crime that further fueled her desire for freedom.
Tilli later escaped by herself at age 16 in the bottom of a potato wagon, landing first in West Germany and then, two years later, in the United States, where she settled near Chicago.
"Tilli's Story" was published in the U.S. in 2005. The book has been taken up by book clubs across the U.S. and also is popular with historical societies, teachers' groups, middle and high schools studying World War II and the Holocaust, and a variety of other groups.
Tilli Schulze lives in northern Illinois and speaks about her experiences. YouTube video showing a question and answer session at a recent book appearance demonstrates the engagement audiences feel upon hearing her story of life as an ordinary German child living under two dictatorships.
Tilli chose "My Thoughts are Free" as a subtitle for her book because its message is central to her story, which is a paean to the importance of freedom, and a wish that such freedoms are never lost in the U.S. or elsewhere.
The English language version of "Tilli's Story" is being used by some German schools and English-language programs, but the book is not yet available in German.
READ MORE about Tilli's Story -- and download a free book club guide or a free teacher's guide -- at www.mythoughtsarefree.com.
SEE & HEAR Tilli by searching YouTube for "Tilli's Story" -- you will find video of Tilli speaking to a book club about her life.
ABOUT US: Tilli's Story: My Thoughts Are Free was written by Tilli Schulze with journalist Lorna Collier. More information is available at www.mythoughtsarefree.com.
CONTACT: Lorna Collier, lorna@mythoughtsarefree.com
Photo:
http://www.prlog.org/
