Wednesday, November 11, 2009

The Brandenburg Gate was commissioned by Friedrich Wilhelm II to represent peace.It was made in 1791. When the Nazi rule collapsed in 1945, the Russians entered Berlin. The gate was in a mess. Once a symbol of German pride, in May 1945 it lay battered, just as Germany was then.

The Russians have entered and conquered Berlin. Soviets soldiers click around. The monument watches meekly, tattered and numb. Utter humiliation of Germany.

A not-so-pretty Russian woman takes up traffic duty


Once the pride of Nazi Germany, the place crawls with Russians

To show who won the war

A Russian tank trundles past the Brandenburg Gate.

Brandenburg Gate reflects best the different stages in German history. Glory, defeat and glory again.


The Gate in the glory days of Nazi Germany. Hitler rides.

A Soviet officer gives his men a pep talk. The Brandenburg gate watches mutely and helplessly.

The allies walk together. Zhukov. Montgomery. Americans.

A proud monument in 1933 when Nazism was taking root in Germany.

Broken and battered. May, 1945.

RELATED ARTICLES----

1945. People of Berlin suffer.WW2: After Germany lost the war

Brandenburg Gate, Berlin. 1945

Berlin, after it fell to the Russians in 1945: WW2


Last days of Nazis in Berlin

When Berlin fell in 1945: Second World War

Berlin in 1945: First hand account: Notes from the diary of Charles Deutmann

The making of the Berlin Wall in 1961

A broken Berlin. 1945. After Germany lost WW2

0 Comments:

Post a Comment