Ostpreußen
Ostpreußen means "East Prussia". It was separated from the rest of Germany by a Polish corridor. Königsberg was the capital. It was praised for being one of the most beautiful cities in the world.
During World War II Königsberg was heavily damaged by Allied bombing in 1944 and during its siege in 1945. The city was captured and annexed by the Soviet Union, its German population completely expelled, and it was repopulated with Russians and other people from the Soviet Union.
In a yellow circle on the map is Gross Engelau which is a village that was 5 kilometres from Klein Engelau where our parents owned a prosperous farm and where Hans and Klaus were born. The yellow line from Gross Engelau to Heilgenbeil is the approximate route we will follow as we trace our mother's "flight".
Curonian Spit
In Russia we are staying at The Sambia Hotel, located on the shores of the Baltic Sea and at the entrance to the Curonian Spit, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Kaliningrad Oblast
Kaliningrad Oblast is geographically separated from the country of Russia, much like Alaska is separated from the United States. The oblast's largest city and administrative center is Kaliningrad (formerly known as Königsberg). Look for it below between Lithuania and Poland.
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