Ruins and rubble in the historic centre of Munich, May 1945

Ruins and rubble in the historic city centre, Munich – May 1945
A sea of rubble stretches through the streets of Munich’s historic city centre. Where once there were narrow alleyways, historic buildings and bustling life, only ruins remain. Some of the facades are still standing, but behind them there is nothing but emptiness – burnt-out walls, collapsed roofs, windows that look out into nothingness.
Narrow paths wind between the mountains of rubble, cleared by the initial clean-up work. Civilians move cautiously through the destroyed streets, some laden with carts or bundles, others searching for recyclables. The air smells of dust, burnt wood and stone – the aftermath of the nights of bombing that hit Munich so hard.
Many of the city’s landmarks are barely recognisable. The Old Town Hall is damaged, the Frauenkirche has retained its striking towers, but its roof has been destroyed. The narrow streets around Marienplatz are little more than fields of rubble, the buildings, which harboured centuries of history, lie in ruins.
But despite the destruction, there are signs of a new beginning. People begin to clear away the first stones, small groups talk quietly to each other – about losses, about what is to come. Munich is on the ground, but it will rise again.