US Military Parade Munich 1945 8

Description

US Military Parade Munich 1945; Photo; Licensed article; Original: 5740×4315; Photographer: Unknown;0 Licensed; Rights: 2 Bleek/zb Media. The photo shows a US military parade at Königsplatz in Munich in June 1945, shortly after the end of World War II.
US soldiers march in orderly rows across Königsplatz, accompanied by military vehicles such as jeeps and tanks.
The classical buildings of Königsplatz, like the Glyptothek and the Propylaea, are visible, with war damage.
The parade symbolizes the takeover of power by the Allies in Munich, which previously played a central role in the Nazi regime as a “Hauptstadt der Bewegung” (Capital of the Movement).
A mix of victory celebration and demonstration of power – the US troops show their presence in the occupied city on the square where the Nazis previously held their big rallies.
The photo documents the transformation of Munich from a Nazi stronghold to an American-controlled city and stands for the beginning of the occupation period and the reconstruction.