Postwar Germany 1945-1955: Captured in Photographs

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Survival: Postwar Germany in Photographs

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Learning Objectives

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Emergency Shelters

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Emergency shelters for the homeless were set up after the war.

Photographer : Agentur Puck
Photo: Deutsches Historisches Museum (German History Museum)
c. 1945
Puck 29833
© 2009, CHIN-Canadian Heritage Information Network. All Rights Reserved.

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Distributing Resources

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Any logistics still functioning during the war collapsed after April 1945. The four victorious powers took charge of the distribution in their respective sectors of the city of Berlin.

Photographer: Thiele
Photo: Deutsches Historisches Museum (German History Museum)
c. June 1945
Berlin, GERMANY
F66/3067
© 2009, CHIN-Canadian Heritage Information Network. All Rights Reserved.

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Lack of Fuel

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The first postwar winter was extremely cold. Lack of fuel led to trees being cut down in the parks and streets of Berlin, and thefts were rampant.

Photographer: Unknown
Photo: Deutsches Historisches Museum (German History Museum)
c. October 1945
BA: F 68/222
© 2009, CHIN-Canadian Heritage Information Network. All Rights Reserved.

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Hope in the Face of a Child

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The future of a country lies in its children. The young girl seems to carry hope in her face, despite a bleak environment.

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A Break in a Hammock

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The postwar period demanded a high degree of adjustment, patience and creativity. In the face of destruction, sorrow and shortages, everyday life often produced strange images. Even in the apocalyptic urban landscape there was time to take a break in a hammock and read the new magazines.

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Learning Objectives

The learner will:

Describe some ways the Second World War affected the people of Europe, with particular reference to Germany
Describe some ways the people responded to the devastation around them
Gain an appreciation of the hardship war causes on civilians
Empathize with civilian victims of war
Appreciate the resilience of the human spirit
Appreciate the power of photography to capture historic events and communicate aspects of human existence

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