Blue Heron International Pictures LLC

Peace provides us with the opportunity to find a solution for every existing problem.                                     (Armin D. Lehmann)

Armin Lehmann spent his entire adult life  working in the cause of peace, non-violence, and tolerance among all people. 

Armin was also the subject of the award-winning documentary film, Eyewitness To History, from Blue Heron International Pictures.  The Internet Movie Data Base (IMDb) is offering the 25 minute film to audiences around the world. To view it, click here.

Armin attributed his care and concern for others to a trait he inherited from his mother. They both were known to have "soft hearts."

Growing up in The Third Reich was not easy. When he was ten years old, a law was passed that made it mandatory for Armin to join the Hitler Youth.

By 16, during the final hours of the Third Reich, Armin found himself assigned to a Berlin bunker as Hitler's last courier.       

By 17, Armin had learned of the Holocaust, and his nightmares would haunt him throughout his life.

As he contemplated the Holocaust, Armin began to realize that Hitler had also betrayed an entire generation of German youth.

At that crucial point in his life, Armin Lehmann made a decision to dedicate the rest of his days to world peace and tolerance.

In his free e-book, Tomorrow's World, Armin offers you his hope for the world -- a hope expressed in poetry, along with  illustrations by children who will inherit "tomorrow's world." 

You may view a five minute video, Armin Lehmann's Ode To Peace, by clicking here.

On October 10, 2008 at 6:55 PDT, Armin transitioned from life at his home in Coos Bay, Oregon. His wife Kim and daughter Angie were with him.

He died at home as he wanted -- with dignity, the way he lived his life.

      We will miss him deeply.

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                 Armin's Story      

After WW II, I viewed documentaries, which showed the results of hate, of warfare, of systematic killings and the mass-murder of innocent people.

Traumatized, I choked when I talked to my American interrogator. He was a Jew. He did not hate me. He asked me questions and he did not question my answers.

He gave me advice:  "Comprehend the evil and strive for a better world!"

I removed all racial prejudice, realizing the earth does not belong to us, but we belong to the earth.

The planet outlives us. Life is a natural unfolding. If we permit life to develop free from artificial and criminal interferences, then life reveals its own meaning.

Most important is not what we make out of life, but what we find in it.                      

        Journey of Peace Ends 

                                   (Armin with his wife Kim)

                                 (October 11, 2008)

International peace activist and author Armin Dieter Lehmann made the transition from life on Friday, October 10, 2008 at 6:55 PM PDT.

Armin passed away as he wished –with dignity in his home in Coos Bay, Oregon. His wife Kim and daughter Angie were at his bedside.

Armin was 80 years old. He was born May 23, 1928 in Waldtrudering, a borough of Munich, Germany. At ten years old, a law made it mandatory that Armin join the Hitler Youth.

By 16, during the final hours of the Third Reich, he found himself assigned as Hitler's last courier, a story he recounted in his book In Hitler’s Bunker.

By 17, Armin had learned of the Holocaust, and he made a conscientious decision to dedicate the rest of his life to world peace and tolerance.

In the cause of peace, Armin  traveled to more than 150 countries, speaking out for non-violence, tolerance, and understanding to all who would listen.

In his free e-book, Tomorrow's World, Armin offers his hope for the world -- a hope expressed in his original poetry, along with  illustrations by children who will inherit "tomorrow's world." 

   Gates to Heaven

 [in Armin Lehmann's memory]

                                                      By Alex Ringer, Israel

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            Armin Lehmann Honored

         With Blue Heron's Humanitarian Award

      Armin Lehmann: writer, poet, humanitarian, and international advocate for peace

On Monday, October 24, 2011, Blue Heron International Pictures honored peace advocate Armin Lehmann by bestowing on him post-humously the prestigious Dot Carlson Humanitarian Award.

On hand to accept the plaque and trophy was Armin’s daughter Angela Zaitz, who flew in to Daytona Beach from California for the occasion.

                                      Armin and wife Kim, 1980

“Armin was the guiding force behind Blue Heron’s documentaries, all of which promote tolerance, understanding, and peace throughout the world,” said executive producer Richard Lester.

“As he taught us so eloquently in his poetry,  the best protection for people, animals, and the environment is peace. He knew first-hand how destructive war could be to families, beloved pets, and homes.”

                                                Lehmann family reunion, 1978

“Armin definitely made the world a better place,” said Gary Lester, who directed Lehmann’s award-winning documentary, Eyewitness To History. “He was a man for all time.”

                       Armin with his childhood school friends

Presenting the awards were movie star John Martino from The Godfather, and Holocaust survivor Claire Soria. 

                                 Angie Zaitz and Claire Soria (Photo by Robbie Soria)

In an emotional moment on stage at the end of her acceptance speech,  Armin’s daughter presented Claire with a copy of her father’s book.

The awards ceremony took place in front of an invited VIP audience at Cinematique Theatre in Daytona Beach.

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          Eyewitness To History Honored

                                              February 8, 2008

Armin Lehmann's production of Eyewitness To History was a hit with the audience at the 2008 Treasure Coast International Film Festival.

Director Gary Lester led a Q&A after the screening, where viewers praised Lehmanns story-telling style, as well as the overall look and feel of the production.

"Riveting," said producer/director Jerald Fine, whose film Twilight of Youth also screened at the festival.

EyewitnessTo History opened alongside Hannah Montana for a noon matinee on Sunday, February 3 at the Rave Motion Picture Theater in Port St Lucie, Florida.

It gave me goose-bumps listening to the musical score on the theater's Dolby Surround Sound speakers, " said Executive Producer Richard Lester. "Watching Armin along with Gary's visual images on the huge movie screen was an awesome experience.

"I am both thrilled and honored," said Gary Lester upon receiving notification from festival officials that the film would be screened. "Armin Lehmann's story is a major voice for tolerance in a world that seems increasingly intolerant."

Eyewitness To History has been recognized with a "Best Documentary" award at the Daytona Beach Film Festival.

It also had its Southeast Asian premiere in Busan, South Korea, where it screened with Korean subtitles at the Budi International Film Festival.

The Canadian premiere occurred at The Non-Violence International Film Festival in 2008.

Eyewitness To History now screens free on IMDb, the Internet Movie Data Base, where approximately 58 million film fans view their favorite films each month.

To view Eyewitness To History in its entirety, or see the trailer, click here.