Reading: Someone Wanted Me to Survive

Reading: “Someone Wanted Me to Survive”The moving life story of Katharina Wiebe, “Aunt Tientje.” Author Annette Nier will read from her book, published in May 2026, “Someone Wanted Me to Survive—Aunt Tientje, a Life Between Stalin and Hitler.”

The book tells the extraordinary life story of Katharina Wiebe, who was born in Russia as a German and experienced the persecution of the German minority under Stalin’s rule and in the shadow of World War II. Even as a child, her life was marked by fear, deprivation, and uncertainty. How much can a person endure without breaking? And what gives one the strength to carry on despite it all?

The book is based on the original writings of Katharina Wiebe, who came to Germany in 1988 and lived for many years with her family in Bad Wildbad/Calmbach. Here, after the turbulent years of her life, she found a home and was happy. Katharina Wiebe passed away in 2014. Many members of the Wiebe family still live in Bad Wildbad and the surrounding area today.

Following the reading, Annette Nier will offer insights into the book’s creation and share more about Katharina Wiebe and the historical context. A Q&A session will provide an opportunity for personal discussion.

Author: Annette Nier

Book: “Someone Wanted Me to Survive – Aunt Tientje, a Life Between Stalin and Hitler”

Publisher: Barton-Verlag, published May 2026