Júlia, a Roman Catholic, was born in Paraty, Brazil, the daughter of a German farmer Johann Ludwig Herman Bruhns and Brazilian Maria Luísa da Silva, the daughter of a Portuguese immigrant and a lady who also had South American Indigenous blood.

Júlia's father owned several sugar cane plantations between Santos and Rio de Janeiro.

She wrote an autobiographical work called Aus Dodos Kindheit, in which she described her idyllic childhood in Brazil.

Her sons Heinrich and Thomas created characters inspired by her in several of their books, referring to her South American blood and passionate artistic temperament.

They had five children: Heinrich (Luís), Thomas (Paulo), Julia (Elisabeth Therese/Lula), Carla (Augusta Olga Maria), and Viktor (Carl).