Anna's Story: The Will to Survive by Steven Kautner

In this powerful series finale of Anna's Story, we follow Anna's courageous transition to a new life in Vienna, her marriage to Georg Kautner, and their eventual emigration to Chicago. This episode delves into the emotional toll of her past, the heart-wrenching dissolution of her first family, and her eventual journey to finding new happiness and purpose. The hosts, Jessica and Wilbert, explore th...

This episode plunges into the extraordinary true story of Anna's family as they make their nail-biting escape from the brick factory, crossing into Hungary with nothing but their wits. Listeners will be on the edge of their seats as they navigate treacherous borders on foot, evade authorities, and face desperate hunger. The journey intensifies in Budapest, where a near-kidnapping of young Annemari...

In this intense episode of Momentum Media Advertising, we follow Anna's harrowing path from the closed Molidorf camp to the notorious Gakowa. Listen as she reunites with her mother, and witness their desperate act of altering young Annemarie's identity to protect her from being taken by the authorities. The true survival instinct shines through when a temporary work release at a brick factory offe...

In this fifth episode of Anna's Story, we follow the brutal transport of 1,200 ethnic German prisoners to the Molidorf concentration camp. Anna and her group of young girls face freezing temperatures and extreme starvation, pushing them to the absolute limits of human endurance. From eating boiled sparrows to navigating a camp overrun by disease and rats, the episode explores the grim realities of...

In this emotional episode of Momentum Media Advertising, hosts Jessica and Wilbert resolve the dramatic cliffhanger of the cattle cars, taking us back to the harrowing months in the Setschan Ghetto. We explore the second, aggressive round-up at the courthouse where the Friedrich family is systematically stripped of their remaining possessions and separated into forced labor groups. At just twelve...

In this emotionally gripping third episode of our series on Anna's Story, hosts Jessica and Wilbert dive into the harrowing events of March 1945. Listeners will follow the Friedrich family as they are abruptly evicted from their home in Setschan by partisan soldiers and forced into a crowded, local ghetto. The episode explores the deep psychological toll of displacement, highlighted by the heartbr...

In this harrowing second episode, we witness the devastating turning point as World War II arrives directly at the doorstep of young Anna Friedrich. The peaceful town of Setschan is invaded by Axis forces, leading to the draft of the town's men to the front lines and the renaming of their home to Petersheim. The situation spirals into complete chaos as the Russian Red Army advances, bringing terri...

In this premier episode of our series, we journey back to the year 1940 to explore the culturally rich and prosperous town of Setschan in the Banat region of Yugoslavia. Hosts Jessica and Wilbert paint a vivid picture of the Danube Swabians, ethnic Germans who transformed wild swamplands into the 'Breadbasket of Europe.' We follow seven-year-old Anna Friedrich through her daily routines, school da...

In this special pre-launch trailer episode, hosts Jessica and Wilbert introduce the harrowing and inspiring story of Anna, a young ethnic German girl caught in the brutal aftermath of World War II in Yugoslavia. While history books celebrate May 1945 as a time of peace, for Anna and millions of other innocent civilians, it marked the beginning of a terrifying struggle for survival. Across eight up...