Sightseeing in Berlin and German-occupied Paris
Creator(s)
- Hans W. Lindemann (Camera Operator)
- Dave Coseo
Biographical History
Hans Wolfgang Lindemann (a German) married Ethel McGloclin (an American) in Philadelphia in 1929. He had come to the US looking for work, but had a strong German family heritage and served in the German army in WWI as a radio operator. After his father died, the couple moved to Germany (Braunschweig), toured Europe, and started a family (Oda b. 1934 and Karin b. 1936). Wolfgang joined the German reserve as he found that the least difficult way to protect himself and his family. He worked in a truck factory which was vital to the German war effort. Later, he became a Wehrmacht captain as an automotive engineer. He was discharged in November 1944 and later became a prisoner of war of the Americans in France. Wolfgang's two brothers also served in the German military in WWII. Ethel raised their two girls in a small farming town in Germany. She exchanged letters with Wolfgang as well as with her brother who was serving in the US Army. She kept a diary in English during the war period. In 1946, Ethel and the girls returned to the United States (Oda was 12 and lives in Philadelphia; Karin died in 1976 at age 40).
Scope and Content
Side street. German officer stands next to a car: “M30 Pf4 4 To.” He kneels beside the car and talks to a mechanic working underneath it. He climbs up to the driver’s seat. River. People ride bikes. The Schlossbrücke bridge in Mitte, Berlin, with the Berliner Dom in the BG. The Pont d'Iéna bridge across the River Seine in Paris, and the Eiffel tower. Large building with a dome. Other Paris buildings. The Luxor Obelisk at the Place de la Concorde, with the L'église de la Madeleine in the BG shot from the Pont de la Concorde. The Arc de Triomphe on the Avenue des Champs-Élysées. Corner of Rue Royal and Place de La Concorde. Trucks drive on the street. “Société laitière Maggi” on the facade of a building next to the Palais Garnier Opera House. The column in Place Vendôme on Rue de la Paix. Banner across the rounded corner of a building reads: “Kommandant von Gross Paris.” Various street views of Paris. “PATHEX”
Subjects
- CIVILIANS
- GERMAN OCCUPATION
- BRIDGES
- RIVERS
- AUTOMOBILES
- EIFFEL TOWER
- STREETS
- GERMANS
- SOLDIERS/MILITARY (GERMAN)
- WEHRMACHT (GERMAN ARMY)
- CITIES
- ARC DE TRIOMPHE
Places
- Paris, France
- Berlin, Germany
Genre
- Amateur.
- Film