The Long Road to Freedom: A Survivor's Story

We survived the bombing raids in 1943 and 1944. Some of the bombs fell not far from our house and scared the hell out of everybody. We were all hiding in the basement with concrete walls but we experienced some scary moments. People started screaming when they heard the whistling sound of the bombs. I thought this was the end of our lives. The house trembled when the bombs exploded nearby. We survived but it was a close call. At the end of the scare, I walked out of the basement and took a look around. Houses in the vicinity, hit by the bombs, were fully destroyed and I noticed a lot of bloodstains in the ruins. It was a horrible sight. I thought of the bodies of the dead people lying under the ruins. I will never forget the scene I observed.

In those moments of emotional excitement and despair, I wondered: why do people have to fight wars and kill each other? Why can’t they resolve their conflicts peacefully, by negotiating?