In autumn 1944, Allied troops reached the Siegfried Line (Westwall), the German fortification system along the western border of the Reich, and advanced toward Aachen. Jack Lieb captured everyday scenes of the civilian population during this phase of the advance, including children near the Siegfried Line installations. Aachen was the first major German city to be taken by Allied forces in October 1944. The photograph appears in the film section covering the advance into Germany and depicts the war from the perspective of the remaining civilian population.