Incredible Photographs!!!

[Johnny C. Kitchens]

Some truly impressive color photos from the past. Appear to be from before World War II in Nazi Germany. Even see the earliest VW Beetle...

http://snurl.com/c0l9i

[Vlim]

Yes, marketing the beetle after the war was quite a challenge. VW tried to hide the fact that the concept of the car was actually a Nazi one and 'pretended' that it was invented in 1948 instead

The intention before the war was that people could save for their cars through an organization called 'KdF' (Kraft durch Freude). Needless to say, when the war broke out those savings were used to build the beetle, but then in a military version, the Kubelwagen and German citizens could wave their little KdF-car goodbye.

If I remember correctly, VW did offer discounts to German beetle buyers after the war if they could prove they had saved for a KdF-car before it.

[drbuster]

Incrredible photos of all the bad guys! It looks like they may have been taken by a Life Magazine photographer?

[policeluger]

Very interesting look back at history....thanks

[pitsword]

Interesting Pics. Thanks for posting the link.

Questions:

What is the significance or reason for the different display of the swastika? On some flags/armbands it is vertical and on others running/tipped to the left.

How did they get those size 10 feet down the narrow barrel of those boots? I have trouble getting my wellingtons on.

Some of those boy's must have gotten a terrible headache trying to figure out what color uniform to wear each day.

[Ingvarg]

Great pics, and thanks for sharing.

[alterfritz]

Originally Posted by pitsword

Some of those boy's must have gotten a terrible headache trying to figure out what color uniform to wear each day.

If you read a bit about the 3rd Reich organization, you will find out that there was a terrible quarrel between individuals for power as well as between agencies, party or gouvernment. It was far from the "strictly organized central power" we often associate with it. Over the 12 years agencies were reorganized, taken over by others or disappeared. Terribly inefficient, and it continued throughout the war, wasting resources sometimes on a grand scale, for example the struggle about the use of the ME 262 fighter or the, in the end, inefficient development of the V2 which was a big prize for either the Wehrmacht or the SS which both wanted control over the project.

I think that people in brown uniform can safely be assumed to be party members, not necessarily with a gouvernment position. Joseph Goebels for example was frequently seen in a brown uniform, although I am reasonably sure that the gouvernment position of "propaganda minister" didn't come with a uniform. Same with Hitler, he was mostly seen in a brown party uniform, probably because there was no Wehrmacht Uniform for the rank of "groesster Feldherr aller Zeiten" , not to mention the million of SA men in the early years.

Black of course is Allgmeine SS, whereas gray with black collar is usually Waffen SS. An interesting detail here is that the black SS uniform was made by Hugo Boss, which is a German company, most people think it's French or Italian. Dark blue is navy, if there's big white patches, on the side of the pants, kinda like the old US cavalry or big white lapels < I think it's Luftwaffe, see Herman Goering, although he is mostly seen in fancy made up uniforms. Gray uniforms with red accents are OKW staff and high ranking soldiers, Fieldmarshall, Generaloberst and the like would have their actual ranking symbols over some sort of red patch. White uniforms, I dont know, probably the chief waiter or so j/k.

There are a bunch of newly recolourized movies from WWII (even WWI, I recently acquired a documentary in 7 parts or so) you should search on the internet, it is really VERY interesting to see those pictures in colour for the first time. It sort of makes those people human as opposed to the black and white specters as which they usually appears. At least to me this is the impressioin that colour makes. Check it out if you have the opportunity, it is really interesting to see it in colour.

[Weasel505]

The link no longer works, at least not for me. Worked yesterday. Some interesting color pics.

Weasel

[tudorbug]

I also now find that the link does not work. I wish it did.

David

[alterfritz]

Probably they deleted it for copyright reasons because they had a Time Life stamp. Luckily I downloaded the whole website the other day
I pack the pics for you and upload it to rapidshare here: http://rapidshare.com/files/200149349/991878_files.zip

Rapidshare has a free download option, just select that when you go to the link and you can download it without having a rapidshare account.

[tudorbug]

I thank you! Your very kind.

David

[Ingvarg]

I downloaded the pics and added few more.
If sombody want them i can email them.
Just about 14 mb. rar. file