Herta Balonga, nee Heinrich, was born in 1927 in Vienna. Together with her brother Kurt, she spent the summer holidays in Großpetersdorf with her relatives. Her mother's family was catholic. Her father came from a Jewish family. After the Nazis seized power in April 1938, the Heinrich family began to realise what danger they were in. Her parents decided to flee abroad. In the same year the Heinrich family was able to leave Austria in the direction of Buenos Aires. The family was left with nothing. Initially they got support from the Jesuits. As her parents income was insufficient, Herta Balonga had to work at the early age of 13, in a laboratory where operation-threads were manufactured. Child labour was forbidden at this time in Argentina. As the owner of the laboratory was a friend of her parents, she was able to work and help support the family. After her marriage Herta Balonga took on the Argentinian citizenship. She now lives as a pensioner in Buenos Aires.