I was born Frieda Ella van Hessen on April 24, 1915, in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. We lived at 121 Nieuwe Herengracht, in Amsterdam. It was big home built in the seventeeth century, in the so-called "Golden Age" of Holland. In those days, that home consisted of some forty rooms, which were later converted into three large apartments. We lived on the top floor, which included a very large attic that we converted into guest rooms. We also occupied the full basement for business purposes.

The atmosphere in our home was that of music, and art and family. My mother, Sarlina Diamant, had a lovely soprano voice, which she apparently inherited from her father, Eliezar Diamant, who was a member of the then-famous Apollo Choir. I adored my dad, and, being the only girl--with an older and a younger brother--I was "Daddy's little girl." My father was businessman and captain of the Corps of Engineers with the Dutch Army Reserve. During the Dutch mobilization, he was asked to become a full-time officer.

During the war, our home was ransacked for wood to be used for heating purposes. People knew that all of the three-story building inhabitants were taken away or had left. The house was turned into ruins; the stones were taken from the structure and thrown on a "flat boat" in the canal. When I went back some time after the war to see where I had lived my splendid, carefree, and blessed life, there was a big gaping hole where the building once stood. The wallpaper from my bedroom was somehow on the retaining wall of the next building. I nearly collapsed at the sight.

There are many stories to tell you of family and friends, of laughter and joy. But those will have to wait until another day. For now I must relate to you those tales that are most important, pertaining to my eight incredible escapes from the Nazis.