Street scenery in Berlin, July 1945, showing people on the streets of Berlin. Shot in July 1945, film length 3:45. A licence fee of 8 x 30 seconds is charged to acquire a licence for the complete film.
Street scenery Berlin July 1945
Description
Street scenery Berlin July 1945
Historical background
In July 1945, the streets of Berlin were a ghostly mixture of destruction, resilience and chaos. The city bore the scars of intense bombing raids and the final, brutal battle of the Second World War.
A stroll through the once grand boulevards and narrow streets reveals the jagged remains of buildings, like skeletons reminiscent of a once vibrant cityscape. Piles of rubble line the streets, interspersed with twisted metal and broken glass, the remains of houses and shops reduced to rubble by relentless bombing raids.
Amidst the devastation, however, there are also signs of life. Berliners, their faces drawn and tired, move through the rubble-strewn streets, searching for usable materials and supplies. Displaced persons and refugees from the German eastern territories move through the streets to the west with their carts. Makeshift shelters, cobbled together from salvaged wood and scraps of tarpaulin, offer meagre refuge to those who have lost everything.
The once bustling streets seem eerily quiet. The sounds of city traffic are replaced by the occasional rumble of military vehicles or the distant echo of demolition crews clearing rubble. The absence of civilian activity lies like a heavy shroud over the city.
Amidst the desolation, however, there are also places of resistance. Women clear away rubble, small groups of people search for relatives. Children play amidst the ruins.
V-190203-01
