Christiane F.

Christiane Felscherinow, known professionally as Christiane F., is a German autobiographer and former drug addict whose memoir shocked and moved millions of readers worldwide. Born in the 1960s, she grew up in Berlin during the height of the heroin epidemic affecting the city's youth. At age 13, she began using drugs and quickly became addicted to heroin, engaging in prostitution to support her habit. Her graphic firsthand account of addiction, recorded through interviews with journalist Kai Hermann and Horst Rieck, was published in 1978 as 'Christiane F.: My Child Years' (also titled 'We Children from Bahnhof Zoo'). The book became a bestseller that shocked readers with its unflinching portrayal of youth addiction, homelessness, and survival in Berlin's underworld. It was adapted into a critically acclaimed 1981 film starring Natja Brunckhorst. Christiane's memoir served as a crucial document of 1970s-80s European youth culture and the devastating impacts of drug addiction on young people. The book remains widely read in schools as an educational tool about the dangers of drug abuse. Christiane herself eventually overcame her addiction and has since become an advocate for understanding addiction and social rehabilitation.