Germany at the end of the 19th century / before WWII (historical photos)

[Matthieu]

Stop destroying this thread and do your business by PM.

[Kampflamm]

It's funny that people despise Prussia when one of its most admired leaders (Frederick the Great) would be a great role model for today's politicians. W/o Prussia Germany would still be disunited, but then again benmabillon would probably be happy about that.

BTW, I hope you remember who actually fired the first shot during the Franco-Prussian war of 1870/71.

[Ringil]

Rofl; Give back Alsace to Germany and Corsica to Italy then. Othwise that's not fair.

We should get Wallonia, Aoste, Quebec and the French speaking Switzerland. We could also get Brussels while we're at it.

and give us Normandie back and a piece of Provence would also be nice and let us bye back st.baths. We miss it dearly

[Matthieu]

Originally Posted by Ringil

and give us Normandie back and a piece of Provence would also be nice

Not even in dream .

[Matthieu]

Don't you want Corsica rather?

[Ringil]

that's fine by me

[benmabillon]

Originally Posted by Kampflamm

BTW, I hope you remember who actually fired the first shot during the Franco-Prussian war of 1870/71.

Since tou mention "the first shot": we also fired the first shot in 1939. France was the first to declare war to Hitler, sacrificing itself for the sake of democracy, while Russia waited until Hitler attacked it in juin 1941, and the US waiting until Hitler declared war in decembre 1941.

Finally you praise German unity under Prussia, but what as been the result? A disunited and peacefull Germany meant Germans spread all around Europe, from the Rhine to Russia. The "German spirit" was at the heart of Europe, from Jewish communities speaking a German dialect, to many rich courts (the Habsburgs, Bayern, Saxen, the cities on the Rhine) all fueling civilisation, with strong cultural dialogue with France. What has brought Prussian unity? German freedoms disappeared, formerly free German spirits became hatefull "beamte" of the Prussian Staat. Germans all around Europe (minorities throughout Mittleeuropa) became suspicious to the local Slav nations, while Pangermans bufoons fantasized world domination and ethnic cleansing to free those minorities from the slavs. Bottom line now Germany is much smaller than a natural and peaceful developpemtn would have brought.
As a German patriot you should hate Prussia for what it has brought you. The French were very pro German civilisation before Bismark (see Madame de Stael's De l'Allemagne). The nation changed enormously because of the Prussian project, which failed awfully. Why are you defending this?

[Kampflamm]

Nationalism was a wide spread problem in the 19th century. German nationalism certainly has little to nothing to do with the emergence of Prussia as a European superpower.

BTW, it's not Prussia's fault that Germany is a shadow of it former self. A small man from Austria started WW2.

[Ozcan]

Originally Posted by Kampflamm

Nationalism was a wide spread problem in the 19th century. German nationalism certainly has little to nothing to do with the emergence of Prussia as a European superpower.

BTW, it's not Prussia's fault that Germany is a shadow of it former self. A small man from Austria started WW2.

Are you for real, many Germans supported Hitler....

[Van der Rohe]

Originally Posted by benmabillon

Since tou mention "the first shot": we also fired the first shot in 1939. France was the first to declare war to Hitler, sacrificing itself for the sake of democracy, while Russia waited until Hitler attacked it in juin 1941, and the US waiting until Hitler declared war in decembre 1941.

Finally you praise German unity under Prussia, but what as been the result? A disunited and peacefull Germany meant Germans spread all around Europe, from the Rhine to Russia. The "German spirit" was at the heart of Europe, from Jewish communities speaking a German dialect, to many rich courts (the Habsburgs, Bayern, Saxen, the cities on the Rhine) all fueling civilisation, with strong cultural dialogue with France. What has brought Prussian unity? German freedoms disappeared, formerly free German spirits became hatefull "beamte" of the Prussian Staat. Germans all around Europe (minorities throughout Mittleeuropa) became suspicious to the local Slav nations, while Pangermans bufoons fantasized world domination and ethnic cleansing to free those minorities from the slavs. Bottom line now Germany is much smaller than a natural and peaceful developpemtn would have brought.
As a German patriot you should hate Prussia for what it has brought you. The French were very pro German civilisation before Bismark (see Madame de Stael's De l'Allemagne). The nation changed enormously because of the Prussian project, which failed awfully. Why are you defending this?

You are absolutely right! Prussia was a tragedy for Germans, for Poles and for half of Europe... Before Prussia, Poland-Lithuania (the official name was Rzeczpospolita Obojga Narodów - The Republic Of Both Nations) had an alliance with Saxony and lived well with Austria. It was Prussia who invented a plan to divide Rzeczpospolita together with Russia

[intervention]

Thanks for the wonderful images


I'm surprised how non-descript Koenigsburg/Kaliningrad looked, actually.

[Kampflamm]

Originally Posted by Ozcan

Are you for real, many Germans supported Hitler....

And what does this have to do with what I wrote?

[Ozcan]

Originally Posted by Kampflamm

And what does this have to do with what I wrote?

Maybe nothing, I haven't read it all
You said: "A small man of Austria started WW2" and I found that very simplistic..

[LoveCPH]

Aren't there some more old pictures from Berlin? Please

[michal1982]

YEAH more pictures old berlin please!!!!

[michal1982]

''The images you will find here show mostly places that no longer exist except in photos and memories. The Old City was nearly totally destroyed by incendiary bombs during World War II.''
http://www.altfrankfurt.com/Default.htm
enjoy!

[ASIMOV]

Germany at the end of the 19th century

[ASIMOV]

Correction: Europe at the end of the 19th century

[Maksym]

Originally Posted by Kampflamm

Nationalism was a wide spread problem in the 19th century. German nationalism certainly has little to nothing to do with the emergence of Prussia as a European superpower.

BTW, it's not Prussia's fault that Germany is a shadow of it former self. A small man from Austria started WW2.

The German army, navy and industrialists started war production in 1926. A second European conflict would have happened without Hitler and the Nazis.

[Ubo]

Superb pictures.