GIs with sign ‘Capital of the Movement’ in Munich

GIs with sign ‘Capital of Movement’ in Munich; Photo; Licensed article; Original: 5740×4315; Photographer: Unknown; Licensable; Rights: © Bleek/zb Media.

Munich, 26 April 1945 – GIs with sign “Capital of the Movement”
American soldiers march in loose formation on a dusty road on the outskirts of Munich, near the railway line in Obermenzing. A large sign reading “Capital of the Movement” looms in front of them – a remnant of National Socialist propaganda that loses its original meaning at this moment.
The scenery is unspectacular, almost peaceful: no rubble, no destroyed buildings, just a country road, a few trees and the railway tracks nearby. But the picture tells of a historic turning point. The soldiers stride resolutely forward, their uniforms dusty from the long march, their faces serious but unhurried. They have taken the city that was once considered the cradle of National Socialism. Now Munich is no longer the “capital of the movement”, but an occupied city at the beginning of a new chapter.