The Shadows of Königsberg: Inge Lojewski's Search for the Truth

The Shadows of Königsberg: Inge Lojewski's Search for the Truth

An eerily beautiful insight into the past: On June 20, 2025, the ZDF series “Soko Wismar” broadcast a gripping episode on the topic of escape and expulsion in the context of the tragic events around Königsberg. The protagonist Inge Lojewski is the focus and shows how deep the roots of her story lie in her brother's escape from the war-torn city.

Inge Lojewski has a close relationship with her brother, who saved her in 1945 during one of the darkest hours of her life. At that time the situation in Königsberg, which is now Kaliningrad, was extremely tense. With the advance of the Red Army, massive refugee movements from East Prussia began, forced by the danger to their lives that drove many of their fellow citizens to flee. According to reports from Planet Wissen, millions of German civilians experienced the horrors of war under extreme conditions, and many were forced to leave their homes involuntarily.

Escape from Königsberg

The memories of the escape are often marked by emotions. Helmut Liedtke, a contemporary witness, reported on his terrible experiences while fleeing Königsberg. In January 1945, he told of desperate attempts to escape, which were made even more difficult by a cold winter. “Overrun by a bomb attack,” is how he describes his escape on foot towards Pillau, where he and his family desperately looked for a ship to reach safety. The railway connections were interrupted, and the hardship led many refugees to use handcarts or horse-drawn carts to get somewhere, as is also discussed in the report by DHM.

During this chaotic time, many, like Helmut and his family, stayed in fishermen's houses or sought refuge in forests, where they lived amazingly fateful moments, such as the chance encounter with a German navy boat that picked them up. Nevertheless, the memories of the escape are unpleasant, and many experienced violence and the constant threat of the front.

The consequences of the expulsion

The flight and expulsion of the Germans from East Prussia, which took place during and after the war, was accompanied by unimaginable suffering. It is estimated that millions of refugees were overrun by the Soviet army and many suffered violence. The group that managed to escape safely to the West often found their homeland destroyed and major supply shortages. After the war, over twelve million people looked for a new place in devastated Germany and often found themselves in makeshift accommodation, as Planet Wissen describes.

The bold return to the roots of the escape in the current episode not only shows us the dramatic events of that time, but also encourages us to examine the life stories of those affected. In her story, Inge Lojewski remains deeply connected to the history of Königsberg and wonders whether the shadows of the past could also be the cause of the tragedy in her brother's current life. It is these questions that bind the audience to the captivating narrative, which is brought to life by actors such as Udo Kroschwald and Claudia Fehller.

In the end, the hope remains that such stories will never be forgotten. They are part of what reminds us of what it means to lose your home and have to make a new start.