Charlotta Burian in 1961
Real Name: Charlotta Sylvia Burian
Case: Lost Daughter
Location: Kaiserslautern, Germany
Date: 1961
Case[]
Details: Holocaust survivor Gerda Burian is searching for her long-lost daughter, Charlotta, whom she gave up for adoption decades earlier. Gerda gave birth to Charlotta in Kaiserslautern, Germany in 1960. Charlotta's father was a U.S. serviceman who wanted nothing to do with her. Gerda hoped to raise her herself. However, one year later, she fell seriously ill; she entrusted her with the people she worked for, a U.S. Army family from Texas. They adopted her and brought her with them to the United States.
Gerda recovered from her illness and later emigrated to the United States as well. She now lives in Hayward, California and is hoping to reunited with Charlotta.
Extra Notes:
- This case first aired as a Special Bulletin in the November 3, 1995 episode; the update aired on February 2, 1996.
- It was excluded from the FilmRise release of the series.
Charlotta and Gerda reunited
Results: Solved. On the night of the broadcast, Charlotta's adoptive sister was watching. She told Charlotta about the search; by the following Monday, she contacted the telecenter. Incredibly, she lives in Foster City, California, just ten minutes away from Gerda. She and Gerda were reunited just five days after this case aired. Gerda was overjoyed to learn that Charlotta had also been looking for her, and that she also has four grandchildren.
Just one week after their reunion, Charlotta was by Gerda's side for another very important moment in her life: the swearing in ceremony for her U.S. citizenship.
In 2017, Charlotta was interviewed about changes in the transit system in the city of Turlock. The new system removed a bus stop that was in front of her apartment. She did not feel that she would be able to walk over two blocks to get to a bus stop. One month later, the city agreed to reopen the bus stop.
Links:
- Turlock senior citizen wants her bus stop back - January 6, 2017
- Turlock woman wins bus stop back - February 27, 2017