A Woman in Berlin

After reading several personal accounts of victims and wading through innumerable real stories, one fact becomes more clear to me that they never forget, and move on to lead a normal life. One such story of broken silence about collectivized systematic heinousness, here, in, A Woman in Berlin. Few quotes from the article to think deeply about:

"I was immediately gang raped by five Russians. The memories come back to you over and over again; you can never forget something like that. Sometimes after I talk about it, I sleep for a few hours and then wake up crying, screaming. You can never ever forget," she says.

As a result, for many women, political fear and shame — mixed with guilt about Nazi atrocities — created a kind of code of silence.

"The raping continues. They are everywhere, in every home. We service the Russians now. And we women will have to keep silent. Or no man will ever want to touch us again. Wretched Germany!" she says in one scene.

"The study has been helpful. But of course it brought back everything. And I've had a lot of sleepless nights because of it," she says.