HILDE Life of a century 1914 - 2012

by Merita Laurél

Biography - History / English Edition

The life story of a remarkable woman born in 1914, Merita Laurél's grandmother

Hildegard Laubinger was born into a merchant family in Itzehoe, Germany, during the First World War. She spent an initially carefree and privileged childhood in Hamburg during the "Golden Twenties." However, with the Nazi seizure of power, the family found themselves in danger, and Hilde moved to Itzehoe to live with her aunt. Her talent for sports led her to become a passionate handball player, and before long, she and her team were winning championships.

Despite the relentless political upheaval, Hilde enjoyed a happy youth, marked by athletic success, friendships in Hamburg, Lübeck and Holstein, and annual ski trips to the Dolomites.

In 1938, she returned to Hamburg to assist her mother in the family business.

The war years (WWII) were a time of alternating hope and fear—winters spent in freezing cold, the mortal terror experienced during the devastating air raids on Hamburg in July 1943, and the grueling evacuation that took her across Germany. In 1944, she married the love of her life.

Yet, the war showed no mercy. Step by step, she fought her way back toward the brighter side of life...

Countless letters and diary entries written by Hilde form the foundation of this biography, supplemented by eyewitness accounts, contemporary newspaper articles, and further research. It offers a rare, intimate glimpse into the century-long life of a remarkable woman, illustrated with numerous photographs.

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