DOLLY was born in Berlin, Germany, as Dolly Rothziegel. Her father, Harry Rothziegel, a political activist and a commercial artist, was a successful illustrator, working for publishing companies throughout his life. He met his future wife, Anni Muller, at one of the political rallies. Their shared interest in civic and political work resulted in their union, and on August 5, 1930, Dolly was born.

It should have been an ordinary childhood filled with joy, friends, and family gatherings. But in 1933 with Hitler in power, it soon became clear that Dolly and her Protestant mother and Jewish father, were bound to run for their lives. In accordance with a new law established in 1935 by Nazi government, “marriages between Jews and Germans or relatives were forbidden, and existing marriages of this kind were void.”

In England, the rules dictated that a man was British if he was born in the United Kingdom. In Germany, however, the law asserted that a man was a German national if he inherited his parents’ citizenship—born to German parents. Harry’s parents were British citizens residing in Berlin, and where their son was born in 1903. That is, Harry was born a stateless man. His wife and daughter by association with him, also became stateless—staatenlos. This very status of having no citizenship saved their lives in 1939.

In 1934, being politically active and wishing to put a distance between himself and his wife and daughter, Harry went into hiding, and while spreading rumors that he left for England, he remained in Berlin meeting secretly with Anni. Soon after, he left for Czechoslovak Republic, arranging for his wife and daughter’s escape to Prague.

Led by a Nazi resistance man through the outskirts of Berlin, Anni and Dolly hid behind a small structure, waiting for the man’s signal to cross a guarded embankment with the top and bottom overpass—one of the checkpoints. But the Nazi soldier wouldn’t leave his post. If they didn’t make the checkpoints on time, they’d miss the train to Prague. The waiting became agonizing. And, their guide, being always within a view, disappeared with nowhere to be seen. Anni with Dolly at her side were about to turn around when they finally were signaled to go ahead. Somewhere in the middle of their crossing the overpass, Anni broke down in tears. On her knees, she refused to go any further.

Dolly, who was about five at the time, later recalled countless such episodes of her mother not being able to cope with reality, losing control and crying. Each time, it would take a tremendous effort for Dolly to convince her mother to get up and keep going.

The family stayed in Prague for over four years. Harry maintained an art studio where he spent most of his time so not to draw too much attention to Anni and Dolly, who lived on another end of the city. He continued working as a freelance illustrator for the local book publishers, thus providing for his family. Anni worked as a seamstress, and often until nightfall.

Dolly, after returning from school, was alone. Often, overhearing adults talk about Germany invading the rest of Europe, she grew apprehensive that the Nazis might storm into the apartment building any moment, looking for her and her mother. To cope with anxiety, Dolly would hide in a closet until her mother was back from work.

Growing up with both parents fully immersed in politics, Dolly was introduced to a variety of ideologies from an early age. She quickly learned to differentiate between communism, socialism, and capitalism, and grasped that any political allegiance required a great sacrifice. Her parents were a testament to that belief. However, while in Prague, attending political camps for children of the activists brought the most joy to Dolly’s unpredictable and unstable way of life. Being among children who viewed the world just the way she did, felt very much at home.

It was also in Prague that she met Willy Brandt, a prominent political figure, for the first time. Brandt was in the hiding, and Dolly’s father offered him to stay in their Prague apartment overnight. Dolly reluctantly gave up her bed to the future Chancellor of West Germany, spending the night in a bathtub instead.

In February, 1939, Nazis were only days away from moving into Prague which was filled to the brim with refugees. Everyone was trying to get out. Once again, Harry Rothziegel was a wanted political dissident. Because of his communist party association, he couldn’t obtain any legal papers for himself, but before escaping to France, he arranged for Nansen Passports, a type of identification card given only to stateless refugees, to be issued to his wife and daughter. Anni Muller and nine-year old Dolly Muller, and a little over fifty other refugees from all over Europe, were now on the transport to Norway.

In June of 1940, after two months of futile resistance to Germany, Norway ended its fight. Three hundred thousand Nazis garrisoned in Norway, appropriating livestock and essential food from the farmers and looting empty apartments in the cities. Dolly would often see an impeccable formation of Nazi soldiers, marching through main streets of Oslo, singing propaganda songs.

That year, Dolly was accepted to Norwegian school system, but classes were held sporadically. Many young teachers left Oslo, and only the retired personnel agreed to teach. She’d occasionally skip the whole day of school, running various errands—children were quick and less likely to get caught. Walking to the post office to collect mail was a feat. She’d have to be very careful not to run into a Nazi.

Life was just starting to feel familiar and almost ordinary. But Dolly’s mother started to disappear for short periods of time in the middle of a day. Dolly thought she was being held for questioning. Then one night somebody from Norwegian resistance urged Dolly to hide—her mother was seen walking home with a Nazi soldier. Shortly after, resistance moved Dolly and Anni to a different apartment. But Anni continued seeing the Nazis and bringing them home. Dolly managed by hiding in the apartment, or, when given enough warning, leaving until it was safe to return.

The other threat was hunger. Besides an economic isolation, a great deal of food was appropriated by the Nazis, and most people who lived in the city had hardly anything to eat. Every food item was rationed. At one point Dolly became so malnourished that she was sent to a farm to receive basic and rich nutrients—eggs, milk, cheese, bread, and butter. She lived with the farmers for two months. Those were the most wonderful impressions of her stay in Norway. Dolly’s art—ceramics, art jewelry, and wall pieces—will be greatly influenced by Viking motifs and Nordic culture.

In May, 1945, Nazi Germany capitulated, and Norway was free again.

Harry, was able to escape from France to America in 1942, and through the Red Cross located his wife and daughter. In February, 1947, Dolly reunited with her father in New York City. Anni did not want to leave and start her life anew in yet another foreign country; she remained in Norway until her passing.

In New York, after graduating from high-school, Dolly studied arts at the New York Phoenix School of Design (currently Pratt Institute). In 1949, she married a physicist Arthur Komar, following his career first to Princeton, then Denmark, where her son was born in 1957. Shortly after the family moved back to the U.S., to Syracuse, New York, Dolly went back to school to earn her Fine Arts degree in painting at Syracuse University, studying at night. Her daughter was born in 1962, a few months before Dolly’s graduation cum laude.

That year, Dolly and her two children moved back to New York, as her husband, yet again, changed career and was now employed by Yeshiva University.

In New York, Dolly taught art at the elementary school grades K-6, studied at night at Teachers College, Columbia University, earning her master’s degree, and produced art for the America House (known today as the American Craft Council).

In 1974, Dolly divorced Arthur Komar, and moved back to Syracuse, New York. In 1975, she married Arnold Honig, a physicist and an old friend from Syracuse University. From now on, Dolly focused on her art career, family, volunteering, and activist work.