How Audrey Hepburn Overcame Starvation During World War II: The Unforgettable Story of Survival

Audrey Hepburn, known worldwide as a symbol of beauty and elegance, had a life that extended far beyond her iconic style.

In a newly released biography titled “Dutch Girl: Audrey Hepburn and World War II,” it is revealed that her experiences during Germany's occupation of Holland greatly influenced her.

Although some details about Hepburn's war experiences have been shared in recent years, Robert Matzen's book uncovers harrowing new information about her struggles with severe malnutrition, particularly during the infamous “Hunger Winter” of 1944-45.

During the lead-up to this brutally cold winter, as Germany tightened its hold on Holland, Hepburn and her family were forced to seek shelter in the cellar for days and weeks at a time due to constant bombings.

The scarcity of food became increasingly dire.

“We had no light, no heat, no water,” Hepburn recalled years later.

“All the shops were closed, so we had no food.

We ate whatever we could find.

We were merely surviving during the day.”

Matzen's book describes how Hepburn, who passed away from abdominal cancer in 1993 at the age of 63, later referred to the conditions during that winter as the closest she had ever come to experiencing starvation.

“In the early months of 1945, I went without food for as long as three days,” she recounted.

“Most of the time, we lived on meager rations.

Breakfast consisted of hot water and a single slice of bread made from brown beans.

Lunch was a broth made from a solitary potato, without any milk, sugar, or cereals of any kind.”

As the war neared its end, Matzen writes, her once-plump face had become gaunt, her eyes lacked their usual sparkle.

Her joints were swollen, causing discomfort whenever she tried to sit, and no matter how many blankets she wrapped herself in, she couldn't keep warm.

“These were all signs of acute anemia and edema,” Matzen explains.

“Many young people in Holland suffered from severe joint swelling due to prolonged malnourishment.”

Hepburn later shared how she and her older brother, Alex, would venture into fields in search of turnips, endives, grass, and even tulips.

“It may sound terrible, but we didn't just eat the bulbs,” she revealed in a 1992 interview.

“Tulip bulbs could be ground into a fine flour that could be used to make cakes and cookies.”

However, as Matzen points out, the lack of other ingredients meant that neither cakes nor cookies could be made.

Her younger son, Luca Dotti, who wrote the introduction to “Dutch Girl,” states, “She was very close to death.

Many people around her perished, and numerous deaths occurred due to starvation.

She always spoke about her luck, acknowledging that she survived while others did not.”

“My mother often said there is no greater evil than war,” Dotti reflects.

“It affects the children most profoundly.”