Let the Madness Continue: Latest Photo Acquisitions of Bombed Out German Cities During WWII

Hamburg, June 18, 1944 after British air attack. Real Photo Postcard (RPPC), Stuart Archive.

GI photo of a bombed out city in Germany, c. 1945. Stuart Archive.

Knocked out Panzers at a battle in a city, c. 1940s. Stuart Archive.

Germans moving through after a battle in a city, c. 1940s. Stuart Archive.

Hamburg, Winter 1943/44. RPPC. Stuart Archive.

GI photo.The back of this photo indicates that this is “the remains of SS Headquarter in Germany,” but the headquarters were in Berlin and to me this looks to be more of a rural setting (e.g.stacked logs). Stuart Archive.

GI photo. Aachen, c. 1940s, Stuart Archive.

Bombed out German city, taken by GI in 1945. Stuart Archive.

The next four photos are official US Army Photos taken in Germany. The text below each photo provides details. Stuart Archive.

Stuart Archive.

Stuart Archive.

Stuart Archive.

Official Nazi propaganda photo of Brückenkoff, Germany, taken by Heinrich Hoffmann. Details of the back of the photo below. Stuart Archive.

The German caption that accompanied this photo states: Heavy fires in the city are a consequence of senseless occupation by the Bolsheviks. Sept. 1942.

Some of the photos have such an artistic quality, often straddling between the beautiful and the horrifying.

After being haunted by the Brandstätten images in December, I decided to purchase original photographs of WWII bombed out German cities. So far, I have acquired thirteen photographs from vendors in Europe and the US. One of the photos that I acquired was photographed by the official Nazi Photographer, Heinrich Hoffmann (see images above).

Some of the photos have such an artistic quality, often straddling between the beautiful and the horrifying. The GI photos with their slight motion blur add to the snapshot feel of each image. The RPPCs are simply gorgeous in composition, contrast, and tones. The seller that I purchased these from has more photos of bombed out German cities that I’m eager to buy, but they are pricey. The US Army Photos too, have a simulacrum quality that are riveting and surreal.

Keeping a collection like this makes me feel unsettled at times, especially if the photos arrive psychically charged.

I’ve written about my photo collection before, and display additional photos in my collection on my website. Recently, I’ve been reflecting on my collection as a whole and which areas I want to continue collecting.

Since D-Day 2015, my World War 2 German photo collection has grown to include several subtopics: military portraits, bombed-out German cities, Messerschmitts, Panzers, and Dorniers (in flight and destroyed), battle scenes, flak guns and military formation. All photos are authentic.

Keeping a collection like this makes me feel unsettled at times, especially if the photos arrive psychically charged---all the more reason to continue to ground myself and spiritually cleanse my house so the intensity of the objects/photos don't get the best of me.