I was born in eastern Germany under Hitler’s rule, living through WWII and experiencing the final collapse of what Hitler called the Thousand Year Old Empire in 1945 Going through years of starvation and into an ever-growing dictatorship Under the Stalin directed and Soviet occupied East Germany  to finally having to flee my country or risk arrest. Fleeing through the only opening of West Berlin, now being very poor and contemplating the loss of all my friends, relatives and home. After two years in West Germany, I came to the New York. Knowing only Russian and Latin ,the beginning was difficult. It was a totally different world, but a world of opportunities, a life without fear, the opportunity to make new friends. Three and a half years later I began College, having passed my SAT, the required English and American History and I now began a normal life. Today I have a BA and MA, have taught , married the love of my life ( think of writing the Hansel and Gretel love story) and am still teaching occasionally at a University connected Senior College and am grateful to have been able to turn my life around.