The author, Anna Stamm, lived in Frankfurt am Main. She was a friend of the parents of Hilde Mayer (d. 2015), a former volunteer at the Wiener Library. She was widowed with an only son, Ernst, who was a doctor. In 1934-1935 he worked as a physician at the Jewish hospital, Gagerstrasse, Frankfurt am Main.

They were both deported to Terezin and at some point the son was deported further, presumably to his death. Anna never heard from him again.

At the end of the war Anna, together with some othr inmates from Terezin, was sent to Switzerland and eventually went to the USA via London to join some family members.