Kestenberg Archive

RK was born in Eichwalde near East Berlin in 1940. Her father became wealthy as a result of the Nazi regime and the family lived comfortably in Berlin. Both of her parents were committed Nazis and RK opposed this from a very early age. She was born with a deformity on her face and this horrified her parents and resulted in many problems in their relationship with her. RK was taken for treatments throughout the early years of her childhood, culminating in an operation in February 1945. She was hospitalized for a month, with almost no visitors, along with children from Berlin who had suffered phosphorous burns during the bombardments. Following this she was sent to live with her maternal grandparents in Wilhelmshaven, although her grandfather died soon after. She remained with her grandmother until August 1946, during which time she had no news of her family. The two were evacuated to a school as a result of the bombings. For many years RK was afraid of thunder and fireworks. Her family lost their home in Berlin after the end of the war and RK was reunited with them in Malente-Gremsmühlen in Schleswig-Holstein. There the family lived in a shack behind a hospital for war invalids as a result of her father's job running a workshop for the invalids. In 1948 the firm went bankrupt. ; The post-war period was very difficult for the family - they were refugees and lived in extreme poverty. She continued to have a very difficult relationship with her parents, who considered her rebellious and contrary. RK completed her education in Hamburg and later enrolled in university to study mathematics. She married one of her professors, later transferring to study theatre and Romance languages. She had two children. At the age of 32 she was diagnosed with breast cancer and following her treatment, and against her family's wishes, spent six weeks in a monastery in India. She later divorced her husband and became a photo-journalist, travelling all over the world, seeking to raise awareness of social issues. She has now made peace with her parents. RK often denies that she is German and feels a lot of guilt about what Germany did.