Lena Kolberg was just one of the two million German civilians who fled from East Prussia at the end of the Second World War. She and her family left Memelland, the farthest province of East Prussia, in the bitterly cold winter of 1945. Letters from Lena is an eye-witness account of the hardships and horrors experienced by Lena’s family in their desperate flight from the advancing Soviet army. Lena’s words recall in vivid detail one family’s escape in the closing months of World War II—known today as “Der Treck.” Rendered in a personal and intimate tone, this enthralling book will give voice to those who have been forever silenced, as well as deepen our understanding of this dark chapter in modern history.

Translated with commentary by: Elmer Ruhnke