80 years ago 1945 – End of the War
In times of geopolitical upheavals and growing nationalism, international conflicts and domestic German discussions make clear the fragility of our democracy and of our rights enshrined in the Basic Law. Taking a look at the past may help to drive home their importance. 8 May 1945 – 80 years ago – saw the end of the Second World War in Europe and the Nazi reign of terror imposed by a criminal regime. When the weapons finally fell silent, the death toll stood at over 60 million, including six million murdered Jews. Over 25 million people were homeless and fleeing in devastated landscapes.
With three projects in the summer semester, Heidelberg University wishes to acknowledge this date and take up the events around 1945. The centerpiece is the Ruperto Carola lecture series, conceptualized by Manfred Berg, which deals with the end of the war from a retrospective perspective and by reconstructing the way it was immediately experienced. A photo exhibition entitled “1945: Heidelberg – all and everything lost?”, devised by Frank Engehausen with doctoral candidates from the Department of History for the entrance hall of the New University, sheds light on the people and the complex, contradictory life in Heidelberg. And the images of photo journalist Leonard McCombe, who documented the consequences of the war from 1944 to 1946 on behalf of the Allies, portray the suffering of the population in France, Germany and Poland. This exhibition, organized by Anja Schüler, is on display in the Heidelberg Center for American Studies.
The events concerning the end of World War II aim to promote a vibrant culture of memory, which can make a significant contribution to defending democracy and peace in our country and in the world.
