Soviet strategic offensive in Eastern Pomerania
Soviet Red Army overruns the West in 1945 East Prussian refugees flee from the advancing Red Army German refugees from East Prussia move west Luftwaffe and army soldiers take prisoners in East Prussia The massive Soviet strategic offensive in Eastern Pomerania…
Deployment in anticipation of war: Wehrmacht soldiers at roll call
In 1939 , the year Europe would once again plunge into the abyss of world war, Wehrmacht soldiers stand at attention during a parade—disciplined, motionless, in line. Their uniforms are freshly ironed, their boots shine, and their faces reflect pride, seriousness—and perhaps also uncertainty….
Summer 1941. The beginning of Operation Barbarossa
I acquired this unknown German archive at an auction in Germany. A plastic bag contained three rolls of black-and-white Agfa Isopan F film. Unfortunately, there were no information or captions, and the seller knew nothing about the films’ origin or…
Wie eine Frau einst im Berliner Zoo ins Eisbären-Gehege sprang
Symbolfoto eines Eisbären – Foto: Shutterstock Ein Zoobesuch sollte eigentlich ein freudiges Erlebnis sein. Doch an einem Frühlingstag im Jahr 2009 wurde der Berliner Zoo zum Schauplatz eines Dramas um Leben und Tod, als panische Schreie am Gehege der Eisbären…
Auschwitz-Birkenau in March 1943 – A historic turning point in the camp complex
On March 22, 1943, Crematorium IV was completed at the German concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz II-Birkenau. This day marks another chapter in the systematic implementation of the Nazi extermination policy. Construction work began in the fall of 1942. With…
Eradicating Hitler: Newly colorized photos show how Allied troops tore down the Nazi war machine in the last year of World War II
The final year of fighting in World War II, in which Allied troops liberated Europe and smashed the Nazi war machine, was documented in newly colorized photographs. The images document the advance of Russian, British and American forces from East…
Im Blick der Geschichte: Deutsche Soldaten im Krieg
Auf dem Foto wird ein deutscher Soldat in Habachtstellung im Zentrum von Berlin (1939) aufmerksam von einem Kind beobachtet. Deutsche Artilleristen im Jahr 1915 oder 1916. Was ist das für eine Kanone? Deutsche Soldaten im Elsass in den Jahren 1917…
Panzerfaust 3: Germany’s modern armor-piercing grenade launcher
The photo shows a young German next to a Panzerfaust (1944). The lightweight and portable Panzerfaust 3 recently made headlines due to its use in the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. A newer version of the World War II…
Junger Deutscher mit seinem MG-42 irgendwo an der Ostfront (Winter 1943)
Der Winter 1943 an der Ostfront war einer der härtesten des Zweiten Weltkriegs – für beide Seiten. Die Temperaturen fielen vielerorts unter minus 30 Grad, und das Land versank in Schnee, Eis und Schlamm. Inmitten dieser eisigen Landschaft steht…
A photo from Vinnytsia: traces of the past
A historic photograph from the personal album of an Einsatzgruppen soldier bears the caption “Last Jew of Vinnytsia” on the back. It depicts a scene from 1941 in the Ukrainian city of Vinnytsia, in which a member of Einsatzgruppe D…