Our understanding of the Second World War has been influenced most often by the political and military leaders who made major decisions that changed the lives of millions. While this emphasis is critically important, we must also remember those innumerable people who were forever affected by the momentous events of that tumultuous period. Beginning at the turn of the 20th century, this book traces the era and life of a young man who was born in Oldenburg, Germany in 1925 and who came of age in the early 1940s during the largest global conflict in history. His personal photographs, documents and wartime diary illustrate the many joys and hardships of this one individual and his family. They speak to us through time; they tell his compelling story.