BIOGRAPHY

Stahl was born in Sofia, Bulgaria, on 10 November 1913, to parents of German descent. At some point, she got married and had two daughters.

In 1944, as the Red Army approached, the ethnic Germans were forced to flee. The then 31-year-old embarked on a long and uncertain journey with her two daughters, relatives, and acquaintances. During their escape, she suffered a nervous breakdown, becoming unconscious and unresponsive. The only opportunity for medical care was admission to a Czech hospital. Unfortunately, the train continued without her—and with it, her daughters. When she eventually woke up after days in the hospital, she discovered that not only had the German doctors and nurses been replaced by Russian staff, but she was also completely alone. Upon her discharge, she had no idea where to go or where she could find shelter. Fortunately, there were people willing to help her. A Czech hotel owner took her in, providing her with work and a roof over her head.

When she planned to return to her homeland, she met an acquaintance outside the consulate in Prague, who warned her that going back would be risky. In 1946, after finally departing from the Czech Republic for Germany, she reunited with her children in Mühlhausen (Stuttgart) after two years of searching, thanks to the assistance of the Munich police headquarters. In Stuttgart, she worked as a school caretaker, among other jobs.

In 2013, she moved into a senior citizens’ home.

RECOGNITION

Her age has not been validated.

ATTRIBUTION

* “„Deine Kinder warten auf dich!“” – Diakonie Korntal, 2016

* “Frau Katharina Stahl feierte am 10.11.2022 ihren 109. Geburtstag.” – Altenzentrum Korntal, 29 November 2022

GALLERY