Figure 1.--No information came with this image of a boy and nurse. The boy does not seem to have been injured in anyway. Perhaps he is atn a sanitorium in the country to get some good food and fresh air. Clearly he is being vared for by some state facility and not his family or relatives. I supose his mother could chave been killed in the bombing. It is a summer photograph, but there are no clues as to the year,

We have archived numerous images of German children during World War II. The Germans tooks huge numbers of photigraphs during the year, including many family snapshots. These images are unidentified. Thus we can only guess as to what uis depicted in the photographs from what we can see. Perhaps our German readers will be able to offer some insights. Many of these images are from the years when the the German economy was still relatively unaffected by the War and consumer items like photographic film still relatively easy to obtain. We begin to see fewer snapshots by 1944 when the strategic bombing campaign and the loss of occupiedcterritory to exploit brought the War home to the German people. Often one can not tell from the images that a war was underway. One often observable factv is that big brothers and farthers are often absent.

Boy and Nurse

No information came with this image of a boy and nurse (figure 1). The boy does not seem to have been injured in anyway. A reader writes, "Its a very loving pose the two seem to have affection for each other." It is a very happy scene. The boy does not seem to be ill but gives a strong impression of a healthy boy full of life. Perhaps he is at a sanitorium in the country to get some good food and fresh air. Clearly he is being vared for by some state facility and not his family or relatives. I supose his mother could chave been killed in the bombing. It is a summer photograph, but there are no clues as to the year, The nurse does not look like she is a member of a nursing order, but is probably a BDM girl with only limited training. I don't think he is an evacuee because he would be more likely to be in a group of childen. It looks as if two people are taking the picture. The nurse and boy both look ahead at something. They seem to be posing for a picture. The photograph we are viewing may have been taken by the other photographer who seems to be recording the scene. The subjects are not paying thiis camera any attention. A reader asks, I wonder if they are brother and sister? They seem to be very happy with each other. Certainly the boy is being loved and he is very happy to be with the nurse and she him. I think the boy's clothes are on the far end of the bench." I supose that is possible, but if she was visying hiome, Idon;t think she would have kept her uniform on. And I dio't think he was visiting her. Traveling in the Reich for civilians became difficult as War progressed and I don't think he would have been dressed so infornally.

Created: 5:23 AM 6/19/2010
Last updated: 9:12 PM 6/19/2010