1949 - One year, two Germanies | DW Documentary

1949 was a special year in German history as two separate states were founded almost in parallel. The division into East and West Germany reflected the division of the world into two during the Cold War. The East-West conflict was to last over 40 years.
From today's point of view, what happened back then seems logical. Today we also know that the German-German divide lasted a long time, but it was not irreversible. And it seems almost inevitable that the democratic values of the West German constitution 1949 would prevail as the basis of society - including in the reunified Germany. But the Germans in 1949 couldn't even have guessed at all this. They were experiencing an unprecedented historical experiment in both East and West. It was a radically new situation: What if they made fundamental mistakes in the founding of their states? What if they were unable to overcome the curse of fascism? The documentary not only reconstructs the major events surrounding the founding of the two states in 1949, but also attitudes to life at the time. We meet contemporary witnesses from both countries who talk about embarking on a political and social journey, the course and destination of which were still quite open at that time.
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[@mercedesmartin1269]

As a visually impaired person I can’t thank you enough for interpreting the German speakers and footage rather than just subtitling it. You’ve made this more accessible to and enjoyable for many many people.

[@ems7623]

Those of us who know German would rather hear the original language. In an ideal world, one could turn translations on/off.

[@mcs106]

WHAT DID THE NATIONS LEARN FROM THE EAST WEST CONFLICT ALMOST CONTINUED UP TILL EARLY 1990 WITH A HEAVY COST PAID.

[@alexanderlee5669]

@@ems7623 DW do have a German language channel.

[@officialshinko8800]

Germany people are good People and It clear when people talk all you see Is love but politic Is very bad thing

[@lolalola2592]

@@ems7623 no thsnks

[@markmiller9579]

If I was a Jew who had managed to escape the clutches of the Nazis, there's no way I would return to Munich like that family did. In fact, I wouldn't be able to live anywhere in Germany, not after what they did to my people.

[@TheKing60210]

Yeah what them fuck were they thinking lmao

[@fugelkusch3722]

See you don't understand what was going on. Those Jews saw themselves primary as Germans and then as Jews, especially those that fought for their fatherland in World War I. There were exceptions to the Nuremberg Laws that gave those Jews the full status. That those exceptions were worthless became clear pretty quickly, nevertheless after WWII those Jews were still Germans and Germany was still their fatherland and home. So they came back. Just because a few crazy idiots in politics try to oppress and kill you, doesn't mean you change your heart on where your home is.

[@nev7711]

@@fugelkusch3722 Very well said. It speaks volumes of the strength of those Jewish people.

[@ZH-Rocks]

@@fugelkusch3722 so basically there home is no more israel??is that what you are claiming??cause as far as i know jews may live any where in the world but they claim israel to be their homeland.😊

[@djholliday4413]

@@fugelkusch3722 The last paragraph of your comment minimizes the Shoah. Far more Jews fled Germany & Eastern Europe, following WWII after surviving the Holocaust at the hands of Nazi's & collaborators. However, many survivors remained in German DP Camps, established by the US, as they were destitute & merely awaiting visas to come through. Most countries had immigration quotas. Many more survivors were in German sanitoriums for YEARS recovering from starvation, abuse, & numerous diseases such as TB & the effects of typhus. German Jews considered themselves German above all else, especially veterans of WWI...until their country decimated them. Jews did not merrily skip back to Germany...aside from maybe checking to see if any family members survived. 🇺🇲❤🇮🇱🙏🏻🇬🇧✌🏻

[@angelobugini6771]

1949 - One year, two Germanies is an outstanding documentary! I truly did appreciate it so much. Thanks a lot for sharing! Keep it up!

[@ergker2243]

We all German east and west Namreg west and east The Berlin Wall was a guarded concrete barrier that physically and ideologically divided Berlin from 1961 to 1989. Construction of the wall was commenced by the German Democratic Republic on 13 August 1961. The Wall cut off West Berlin from surrounding East Germany, including East Berlin. Wikipedia Destruction began: 9 November 1989 Construction started: 13 August 1961 }

[@arnoldgarber7751]

@@ergker2243 9

[@mcs106]

WHAT DID THE NATIONS LEARN FROM THE EAST WEST CONFLICT ALMOST CONTINUED UP TILL EARLY 1990 WITH A HEAVY COST PAID.

[@maroman38]

Keep up what? Germany today is an unified country. Can we please just move on...

[@gumegoz2012]

As always. Amaizing content DW

[@Sameoldfitup]

“Nothing can be loved or hated unless it first understood.” ― Leonardo da Vinci.

[@keithjefferson9863]

Wow... Powerful Give me more.

[@DrJones20]

Wrong

[@michaeladrian2210]

@@DrJones20 if you think leonardo was wrong, I suggest wring your eyes out so you see the truth

[@DrJones20]

@@michaeladrian2210 ZE TROOOOOTH

[@DrJones20]

@Sheerluck Holmes Slam dunk!

[@mpersad]

One of the best documentaries on Germany immediately after WW2 that I have seen. Informative and balanced.

[@mkhanman12345]

Im about to watch. Only the best.

[@silkychan6099]

I always found the history of germany n japan post war years fascinating.

[@queenfubi]

@LOL19410 US joined the war only after Japan bombed them and Germany declared war on them. How do you ignore all the other countries that were at war before the US got involved? You mistake the old US with the one that was born from the ashes of WW2.

[@artman7780]

@LOL19410 The difference is America is not helping rebuild Afghanistan, Syria and Libya among others.

[@silkychan6099]

Let me explain whats fascinate me about post war japan n germany. Its how its people devastated by war, pulled together n worked hard to create the germany n japan we now know. Granted both country were already heavily industrialized prior to the war. Another good example of this is south korea.

[@queenfubi]

@@silkychan6099 i agree. I think it was the ethos of the people. They had enduring and admirable qualities that are inspiring to me

[@queenfubi]

@@artman7780 they have outspent the Marshall plan rebuilding in today's equivalent, but it just doesn't work.

[@davidpandolfo5395]

I'm English guy living in Australia I have studied the wars with fascination. I know that people are not like that. We get tangled up with politics and go with the flow. But we can all agree on so many things. It was a terrible conflict, this video shows the human side. How we move on and become great again. And be a beacon of peace.

[@BG-wm2tw]

Ah a colonist talking about human side. I bet you celebrate stealing other peoples land as well. You thieves have no shame.

[@daktarioskarvannederhosen2568]

'people are not like that' ...like what???

[@life107familyfitnessboxing8]

My grand mother died age 107 and she lived through both world wars 1 & 2. She use to tell me how lucky we are in the modern era to have our liberty and freedom. She use to stress how much many people don't realize how lucky we are. We are damn lucky to have not crossed Hitler's path. Especially me a British born Caribbean man

[@jamesbedukodjograham5508]

Her long life is a credit to her resistance to Nazism and Segregation in the year 2022.

[@life107familyfitnessboxing8]

@@jamesbedukodjograham5508 Thank you. She had seen stuff and events during her time, especially during the 1st and 2nd world wars that we in the modern world, would find unbelievably shocking! how evil human beings really are. Now we have advance Nukes and AI approaching. What the future holds? No body knows.

[@jamesbedukodjograham5508]

@@life107familyfitnessboxing8 The future is clearly biological and what is scary is that potentially new dangerous Virusss might emerge at any time to threaten Human Civilization in 2022.

[@farhadjvad5618]

‏‪5:01‬‏

[@ssg9offical]

We ain’t lucky we got a pandemic climate change and micro plastics.

[@robzonefire]

This is a High Quality Content stuff, so appreciate the hardwork they put to this :D

[@DrummingMan1]

Something different here! I want to thank you for making this video so accessible by not using subtitles and using interpretation and almost what we blind folks call descriptive video! Well done well played! Very enjoyable!

[@beccaminkin8399]

You are a bot. go away

[@WeepingTree]

Another stellar documentary. Thanks a million, DW.

[@thedevilriders101]

Young people all over the world should watch this. We must learn from history.

[@vasili1207]

yep dont be a commy

[@letter1014]

Definitely 👍✅

[@mkavigil]

Amen! My father was born smack dab in the middle of the WW2. He saw people suffer in Vietnam and here in America. How can you respond with all the many deaths of the Kennedy brothers, MLK, Kent State. And not the mention the Cold War! I want to say we are progressing as a nation but I don’t know I was born in the 70s.

[@mirzafidan1248]

@@vasili1207 jhho⁹nino

[@Alvin-pi4bm]

I'm 15

[@wahidgalangdewantoro4]

I give more love for documentaries film than any movies in cinema, thanks DW

[@DWDocumentary]

Hi @Wahid Galang Dewantoro You're welcome, thanks for watching and taking the time to comment! The DW Documentary Team

[@buninparadise9476]

you are a wise person...All the best

[@nathaliek798]

I absolutely looooove DW documentaries. Excellent narration and true to facts. I speak fluent German and it keeps me in tact with my language and every time I learn something else! Danke viel mals fuer hervorragend dokumentazionsfilme. ❤❤❤

[@DWDocumentary]

Thanks for watching and for your constructive feedback! :-)

[@MrSwj2009]

DW makes quality documentaries on current topics all over the world. But they really excel on the history of their native country. It's fascinating to me that after WW2, Germany lived as two seperate nations for 40 years. DW's The Stasi and the Berlin Wall documentary is the perfect follow up companion to this one.

[@DWDocumentary]

Thanks for watching and for the positive feedback!

[@andreasschwarz1532]

Quality Lies

[@semsemeini7905]

Propaganda. They are owned by the German Government. They have always been good at propaganda. Learnt it from Goebels.

[@davidstrohl]

Excellent program, DW! I lived in Berlin (stationed at Tempelhof) before, during, and after Die Wende. It was an amazing change that was long overdue. I took classes at The Freie Universität and learned a great deal about German history from both the professors and equally from my fellow students, especially the history of both post-WW2 Germanys, which sadly wasn’t available to college students in the East, who were restricted to rightthink by the SED and the UdSSR. By the end of the 80s, it was obvious to everyone that the East Germans, in large numbers, had become disillusioned with their ruling elite, who lived lives of extreme privilege in segregated communities (first in the Majakowskiring, then in Waldsiedlung) where they wanted for nothing, while the citizenry led lives of deprivation. This was not unlike the apparatchiks in the Soviet Union and their luxury lifestyles, while the proletariat and intelligentsia struggled to survive on what was on offer after standing in lines for hours. I have to give DW credit for presenting history in a non-political way, letting each “side” speak their own stories and relying on the intelligence of the viewer to get it sorted. Thank you.

[@jacorozycki3976]

4 years earlier. You killed 60 million people in five years. Condemning half of Europe to total communism, after your murders. You still haven't even paid a cent for Europe that became communist ... because of you. You have never had and you will never have honor.

[@BasedProletarianJacob420]

@@jacorozycki3976lol conditions under capitalism has killed more people than communism the cold war is over bro

[@kobban63]

@@jacorozycki3976 ⛪️🔥

[@erniefrijole2618]

@@jacorozycki3976 I have to wonder what Stalin would have been up to with the CCCP had Germany remained a peaceful nation in 1939? Do you think he would have sat there idle after the war with Finland, annexation of the Baltics and war with Japan? You have German-Americans like Boeing, Kaiser and Studebaker to thank for your freedom.

[@manjelos]

@@jacorozycki3976 LoL, you forgot to ad some zeros behin and make 600 millions 😂 🤣

[@Dr.VonBraun]

Excellent documentary. Thank you for sharing. Great job!

[@frogstamper]

Excellent documentary, my late grandfather served in the British quarter in the army until 47, I remember him telling me in his later years how tough the German people had it after the war but how industrious they were as a people.

[@papaschlumpf332]

@frogstamper how tough they had it, after Churchill bombed 80% of Germany into pieces…

[@ericbush3399]

@@papaschlumpf332 The Americans had something to do with it as well Herr Schlumpf.

[@Scotto6977]

Another insightful docu.,thank you DW👏🏻

[@ArnarJin]

It's so amazing that Germany was able to continue as a nation after ww2

[@mikeeckhoff20]

Germany won this war and Control the world unfortunately alotof germans died gaining power

[@Albert-Arthur-Wison225]

There’s nothing ‘ amazing ‘ about it. Not at all. Read. Familiarize yourself with precisely h o w both Japan and Germany were ‘ permitted ‘ by the victorious Allies to reincorporate war criminals into political, business, educational, and judicial positions of responsibility. Not to mention the resuscitation of the shattered militaries of both fascist states by fanatically anti-communist Western ‘ conservatives ‘.

[@joshwaffen88]

Why wouldn't it?

[@dustyrustymusty3577]

Because it had been bombed into rubble.@@joshwaffen88

[@vercot7000]

*unfortunate

[@nitishsawant5893]

The documentary is amazing. The background music is so soothing to ears! Fabulous work!!

[@someguyinphoenix1876]

I was born in West Germany in 1966. My how things could have been so different. I was very fortunate.

[@speakup18]

DW always come with a fantastic Documentary.. ✌🏾

[@uncledan2u]

Congratulations DW. All the best, semoga maju jaya - from Malaysia 🇲🇾!

[@ednammansfield8553]

A really excellent documentary as are all the other ones I have watched of post war Germany. Well done DW keep up the good work.

[@arostwocents]

Brilliant documentary. Thank you DW. Really excellent watch.

[@briandhanakrishnatirtakusa5340]

Thank you so much for making this and adding Indonesian subtitle even though it is not synced well

[@OverTheSevenSeas]

Danke, das war super interessant !

[@cleric768]

Great documentary @DW Documentary - it gives a fantastic insight into what happened in 1949 in Germany. Excellent work!

[@beccaminkin8399]

like so many comments here that specifically include "1949" or words like "fantastic, excellent", YOU ARE A BOT

[@cleric768]

​Such a fantastically excellent comment@@beccaminkin8399 Keep up the spirit, and the fantastic job you do! ​Excellent work! Ti -- ta -- ta...

[@sealy3]

While Serving as a Military Police Sergeant in The U.S. Army I lived in Heidelberg For three years in the 1980s I left on October 31 , 1989 Some 10 days before the wall came down. I can say I did not see that one coming! I was back in the U.S. at that time and I was Very happy for the News. Deutschland Ist Wunderbar!

[@sheilaboston7051]

What a shame you weren't there to witness history in the making.

[@alexandanu]

Excellent documentary with good selection of interviewees

[@ERSwanger]

Thank you so much for english dubbing this so i can listen while doing housework (: i greatly appreciate it! Great doc

[@marywood8794]

I'm from the USA and have recently discovered DW. I've been listening to your side of the Covid-19 pandemic. It's very interesting to hear the German perspective. I wish our federal government was more proactive instead of leaving it to the individual states. It has been a disaster. This documentary is something that I was never taught about in school. It's of particular interest to me because as a young child my best friend's mother was from West Germany and my children are part German on their father's side. I will definitely look for more of your documentaries. What our educational system fails to teach us, we must seek out on our own. Thank you for educating on the two countries of Germany.

[@Barbara-ld4ug]

I’m American our country could care less about us. It’s all about the vote not us.

[@AKAHEIZER]

Change is in the peoples hand, vote for changes and you will get them, democracy is the definitive way of the American society, you can choose how things turn out in the future, always think positive and vote for your values and change will happen.

[@marywood8794]

@@AKAHEIZER I hope it stays that way. There are still many here who believe that our election results were "rigged" as Trump put it. It's not true, but they believe him because they don't seek out multiple news sources and didn't listen to his own attorney general. I hope that the Republican party can move away from Trumpism. It's very reminiscent of the Nazis...brainwashing propaganda, hate for Jews, hate for anyone that looks different from them, unwilling to take responsibility for your mistakes...saying that it is the successful people's fault, and trying to overthrow the government from within. They even threaten the lives of those who speak up against them. Currently, many our Congress are wearing bulletproof vests and have hired security because their lives have been threatened. The doctor that is a key figure in our fight against Covid-19 has had his life and that of his family's threatened because he spoke up when Trump lied. Now we're having an impeachment trial. Many of us seriously doubt that Trump will be convicted. January 6th was just the beginning of the sad days ahead...I fear. Stay safe and Covid free!

[@chrisw8627]

@@marywood8794 u think Trump is is the cause of bad days ahead!? Ur a fool stop worrying about what trump supporters beleive and why they believe that and get truth in ur own head!!! This documentary is about Germany post ww2 only a stupid Biden supporting American can bring trump into this!! History sn’t all about spoiled Americans ?!

[@clinthowe7629]

@@Barbara-ld4ug you mean couldn’t care less about us

[@marcusrakyat8891]

Is always fun to learn history in this way. Relaxing and nice. Love it

[@PurrsMom]

Yes 💙💜🧡💛

[@floripilsl2671]

Since these dokus have so much historical footage, it would be great to have either online somewhere a timestamped reference to who, what, we are seeing. Would be great to know "who' we are seeing. thanks for the great work

[@floripilsl2671]

For instance at 36:08, is that Kurt Ernst Carl Schumacher ? thanks

[@jailtonnascimento5217]

Another outstanding DW documentary.

[@JJMHigner]

Really good production.

[@dakelei]

Extremely well done. And quite objective and balanced as well.

[@ladypreddymadders]

I really enjoyed this video, history was and still is a favourite subject of mine

[@vikakremer1688]

These interview subjects are all 90+, fascinating insight.

[@bluecollarguy67]

Such an excellent documentary! Deutsche Welle produces such good, informative, in-depth programming.

[@bernhardk7720]

Amazing stuff. Thank you.

[@razor2k911]

Thank you for this DW!

[@augustinedennis4865]

Very interesting. Thank you very much

[@reiner840]

Super video hat mein Leben verändert🎉😮❤👍

[@SuperAustraliana1]

Outstanding documentary very informative

[@ashleyupshall7641]

Superb doc. Thank you.

[@DeathByRoaches]

great documentary as always

[@The3358151l]

Woow this was extremely informative, there was so much I had no clue about post WW1 and WW2 about Germany. This was a thoroughly enjoyable video

[@ftecconn]

They used to teach it in High School in the US. Not anymore,

[@ByzantineCalvinist]

Ausgezeichnet! Vielen Dank.

[@life107familyfitnessboxing8]

Thanks for sharing this documentary.

[@DWDocumentary]

Thanks for watching! We're happy to hear you like our content :)

[@life107familyfitnessboxing8]

@@DWDocumentary You're welcome

[@stephenmoerlein8470]

Thanks for presenting this history of a troubled time for all to remember.

[@HyundaiBatam]

Incredible documentary!

[@lesliesepssy9222]

I am not German, I am the last of the 1956-Hungarian Revolution' left-over! And I am proud of it!

[@wasiftajwar149]

I love the way you talk about young ppl at that time, instantly you have a dubbed alive old version commenting simultaneously

[@831sancho]

Nice documentary. I really enjoyed it.

[@monikapastor1958]

In 2020, just got my history education on east and west Germany what happened after ww2. Having lived in Czechoslovakia i learned in school only how great Soviets were because they won ww2. Books forget to mention their citizens hardship while immunity was available only to Soviet elite. Communism was so great that they had to put up a wall in east Germany. This documentary is very informative, it should be available in all schools. Thank you.

[@joedellinger9437]

And Prague was liberated by Vlasov units!

[@monikapastor1958]

Vlasov fell into the hands of U.S. soldiers. The Red Army units entered Prague a day later only once the war had ended. The Russian think they liberated the Czech from the Nazis in 1945 and 1968. There's simply no other way to justify any of this than with a lie.

[@rogermccollough8787]

great video

[@kellystravelworld]

Excellent documentary

[@21143blackmamba]

Outstanding!

[@BillHellewell]

DW docs are world class. IT why I subscribe :-)

[@simonhattrell5321]

Having lived in Berlin for a year in 1968 and seeing the division of this great nation first hand I never thought she would be reunified. But the miracle happened. I found the 'background' testimonies in this excellent documentary of those who were involved in the creation of the Bundesrepublik very informative. Konrad Adenauer was the right man for the job. Thank you once again DW - very informative and educational - great research.

[@valirheat9970]

Excellent documentary. One must visit Germany to have a deep understanding of all this. Remarkable country.

[@philiptownsend4026]

We have Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan to thank for providing the right conditions for eventual German reunification by demonstrating to Gorbachev that his system of government could never succeed. They did so much good for Europe but unfortunately Russia allowed a tyrant to rise up and the new democracy there followed the wrong road. But remember - everything changes.

[@fujohnson8667]

@@philiptownsend4026 by that you mean Yeltsin? You know the man who we backed then he shelled his own parliament.

[@philiptownsend4026]

@@fujohnson8667 I did mean Gorbachev but do you think I was wrong? Surely it wasn't Yeltsin who visited UK and stayed at Chequers etc? I can't imagine Margaret would have him as a guest...

[@juicyfruit4378]

@@philiptownsend4026 no - Margaret Thatcher was against German reunification

[@grantbeerling4396]

Great work apart from; the adverts every 6 minutes!!!!

[@parcans]

Thank you DW. Your documentary series has been a godsend during my lockdown. The footage of the GDR denouncing "Fascism and Militarism" while surrounded by men wearing Soviet military uniforms is interesting...

[@v.dargain1678]

A fabian socialist police state was thought to be better than a fascist police state . I hope now German people see the flaws in both methods of management .

[@achintyanaithani889]

Well, they're technically right. Communism is the opposite extreme of fascism.

[@pauladams9893]

5

[@resireg]

@@achintyanaithani889 opposite? Those ideologies are twins

[@nerwikmascot]

that's still too easy for them after what they've done to people with their "fascism" well deserved

[@slypear]

So fascinating about Thomas Mann's dual win!

[@daydays12]

very good. thank you.

[@jayj3782]

Fantastic historic narration.

[@Andrew-jh5kj]

American here. I was only a kid when I saw the Berlin Wall come down on TV. Still I remember my mother and grandmother crying. Truly joyous moment.

[@AQuietNight]

You missed the Democrats freaking out when President Reagan said "Mr. Gorbachev - tear down this wall."

[@artman7780]

Now, it’s time to tear down the US-Mexico border wall.

[@AQuietNight]

@@artman7780 When Central America gets it's act together and they stop chasing their people out.

[@allisonschempf2230]

@@AQuietNight Actually, Republicans and Democrats agreed on some things back then.

[@personalacc8806]

where is the background music during the intro from? amazing documentary btw

[@tomgreen3101]

This channel is amazing, better than anything I learnt in school in the UK and I'm a proud half Slovenian!

[@paolaamatosabatelli3025]

Beautiful and inspiring. Love how Germans overcame the defeat and fought to become a true democracy! Kudos to DW for making such a beautiful documentary

[@DWDocumentary]

Thanks for watching!

[@loganmpe7559]

I've seen possibly every docu and film on Germany before during and after WWII. I can't imagine what it must've truly been like to live it!

[@jimtalbott9535]

I have to say, it would be interesting to see an equivalent documentary on this transition in Austria. Very different, but quite fascinating.

[@grahamrobson9292]

So interesting thankyou

[@S_F_S]

Deutsche Welle congratulation. Your content is extremely high quality, thank you for giving us such gems for free. I love U DW

[@DWDocumentary]

Hi @Quasi Sazio, thanks a lot for watching and for your positive feedback! 🙂 We appreciate having you on board.

I was a 5 year old kid when my father was stationed at Bad Kreznach, West Germany. This was 1971 and I remember West Germany has if it was yesterday. The Red Faction Terrorist group was well known, kidnapping many West German officials and military officials. Frankfurt was a high security area. I even remember several German demonstrations. Picket signs, the chanting, but I had no idea what they were saying. I remember the old fashioned radiator heaters in the American Apartments, but between the buildings was the playground. To be honest it seemed like life was so much simpler back then. My grandfather was in the war there, my father was there when the Berlin Wall was built and I was there serving when it finally came down. A very emotional day seeing families seeing each other in the first time in years. Hearing about the stories from behind the wall, how awful life was for East Germany and the other Soviet Bloc areas.

[@listohan]

@Archelaos Archon But it was the CURRENT generation of Germans who took in 1,000,000 Middle Eastern refugees and displaced people only to find other eastern European countries slam their borders against more and refuse to share the settlement load while still claiming the benefits of being in the EU.

[@aloisdargel2292]

@Pustekuchen millions of displaced ethnic Germans (that survived, )I.e. like from sudetenland and Prussia lost all

[@evanstj5]

@Pustekuchen Hate is destructive of the hater. It's futile. Just don't forget that the Germans launched a war of annihilation on Russia. They murdered millions. Consequently, very little goodwill was expected from Stalin and the USSR post-1945 and that proved to be the case - long after he was dead, and embalmed, condemned and partially rehabilitated. Better to build bridges, understanding and co-operation now. We, alive now, had nothing to do with that war. It's terrible history has many important lessons for us. Above all, don't hate, don't resent. Don't separate the people of the world into good and bad. I've met many Russians who admire and like Germany and wish their country could be more like yours. I'm assuming you're German. I'm English. What good would hating the Germans do for all the damage they did. My mother had nightmares about watching her house burning, unable to save the 3 children trapped inside. It never happened - it was in her head.

[@suggsbomber7004]

My granddaddy’s dad fought in the war with Nazi germany he survived but died in 2008 I never meet him :(

[@americanpatriotism1776]

Same here, my father was posted in West Germany in 1976 with the 82nd Airborne we left in 1980.

[@harshmalik3623]

Excellent documentary, song name in the beginning?

[@FANSpiele]

DW Documentary you have to do a playlist about german history so we can binge watch on after another

[@jasonfaulkner8644]

7:07 "For two hours on Sunday afternoons ..." Oh the humanity.

[@ChicoAndTheMan8]

Sometimes two hours can seem like an eternity.

[@robertperrella4194]

DW'S documentaries are first class and extremely organized !!!!!!!!!

[@obbah3873]

Nice documentary....what could be the name of the background song at the beginning?

[@MaGioZal]

The theme music from the beginning and the end of the documentary is a German version of the World War II-era British song “We’ll Meet Again”…

[@khecke]

In 1949 it was already pretty good in Western Germany and you did not need any ration-stamps any longer to buy food, but money was tight. I was lucky to survive the war and made it in 1946 from Silesia to the city of Hamburg.

[@simplicius11]

From what I heard and read the rations were better in the East.

[@sneek14peek]

I appreciate the paths told by those who walked them. Those are valuable shoes. 🙏✌️

[@grandmalovesmebest]

I only believe stories told by ppl who lived them. Otherwise they may be distorted (or wholly fabricated) by prejudices and the passage of time.

[@magsb6318]

What is the titel of this beautiful old song at the beginning? great docu, as always!

[@dcasper8514]

Title ??

[@michaelsingh4874]

I love DW documentary and their shows

[@curiousworld7912]

Fascinating. My God, but people need to remember the past in order to avoid the same mistakes. Germany is a prime example for the rest of the world to examine - what was, what is, and what could be again.

[@queenfubi]

If only every other country did the same..

[@curiousworld7912]

@@queenfubi I know. Just like individuals, every nation should occasionally take a hard look at themselves and critique their past and present behavior.

[@queenfubi]

@@curiousworld7912 yes, keyword occasionally. It's like the victors did not do this at all while Germany does it too much.

[@curiousworld7912]

@@queenfubi Well, I know the US isn't much on 'reflection'.

[@queenfubi]

@@curiousworld7912 yes, that is saying it politely. Ahmadinejad said the US is "rigged for demolition" like the twin towers. I'm afraid that about sums up the US.

[@bearhughes7009]

Man amazing Doc. thank you, my grandmother was from Berlin she left shortly after the war an lived with my parents and I til passing at age 102. I have huge interest in pre an post German society.

[@khalidalali186]

You should read “Wolf Among Wolves” by Hans Fallada. It’s one of the best literary works I have ever read in my life.

[@bearhughes7009]

@@khalidalali186 thank you

[@khalidalali186]

You are more than welcome sir. May your grandmother Rest In Peace. Regards from Abu Dhabi.

[@orinrichards2465]

What is the name of the theme tune that plays at the beginning of this documentary and who sings it. Its a lovely song. Can anyone help. Thanks in advance.

[@jalspach9215]

If my teenage daughter comes home saying she watched this in school I'd tell her of the thousands in the following decades who were shot in the back trying to escape to the West. And gift her a copy of Solzhenitsyn's "Gulag Archipelago", ...which I plan to do anyway. What is not mentioned in this documentary I find most disturbing.

[@allaseremetova4257]

present to daughter a book full of liar no one single letter of truth. silly brainwashed sheep.

[@grandmalovesmebest]

J alspach. Ditto. But then that's always the way, isn't it?

[@thenoisyneighbour]

great documentary, _especially for people who wants to learn post war history_

[@VickiBee]

The beginning of this, from the perspective of my fiancé (who lived in East Germany and has the most tragic WW2 story I've ever heard) is simply not true. Before the war, someone in their family was murdered bc he had polio; he was "verschwunden und nie wieder gesehen" but they know he was murdered bc Hitler had all mentally and physically disabled people killed. After the war, his family was separated and it stayed that way for 40 years. So his Opa lost one brother to death and another to the separation of East and West while his remaining brother was in West Germany. My Verlobter thinks Hitler "did nothing for Germany. It was all for himself and nobody else."

[@joshwaffen88]

What a ridiculous comment... AH was a hero, and you should always respect what he did for your country when he became chancellor.

[@hermesfreire3052]

What song did you use at the beginning of this documentary? Thank you!

[@MikeD-tf7dk]

Very Interesting.

[@jeremy28135]

Germans are some of the most proud, resilient, smart, and tough people I've ever had the pleasure of meeting and befriending in my life. No other People could simultaneously reckon with their past, suffer for their country's sins, and face their uncertain future as a divided nation.

[@achillesrumon3190]

Such a smooth narrator. It's brilliant mam.

[@danielcoltea1359]

Very disappointed. Looks like that the documentary was made right after 1949. Why? Because, at the end, there is no mention of the fundamentally differences between the two groups of power that controlled the two separate areas. When you analyze that we are dealing here with the same group of people (Germans), that have the same way of thinking, the same way of acting or reacting, the same believes, the same approach towards work, etc and they were under control of two different systems. We can see the results after 40 some years. Are the results even close? The west, under the Ally forces, let the Germans be Germans, when the Russians had controlled and suppressed the East. We do not have here one nation on the West and different nation on the East. No. Same people, but two different systems. This should be enough for anybody to see what a FREE society (West Germany) can accomplish in the same period of time, versus a controlled (USSR) system (East Germany).

[@donkeyslayer4661]

It's Peter Graves.

[@americaillustratedbyhughwa9636]

As a former Rheinpfälzer, Adenauer is and always will be my greatest political friend. As an Englishman I was a member of his youth organisation in Cologne. I am very proudly pro-European. I campaigned endlessly for his politics. His candlestick will always be my light and not the torch of imperial, and Nazi hatred. Europe is for all not for the privileged or the best. The SED also have a special place in my heart as a West Berliner I watched their children's TV and heard their inspiring pioneers sing, one of which is my true love. They chose to join our European Union eventually in an act of extreme bravery my friends from Leipzig took on their government to say how much they loved me. Now the UK is divided.

[@michealbohmer2871]

@DW Documentary Who is the Australian narrator, I recognise her voice. Did SBS Australia help with the dub?

[@mandyt7010]

I really admire germans the way they rebuilt their lives after everythng what they owned was destroyed…it was literally starting from scratch and in no time was a super power again…

[@grandmalovesmebest]

Mandy T, so true. I lived in Germany in the 60s and the ppl were truly great, focused, organized, hardworking, and generous. I studied WW2 all my life bc I could not comprehend how such ppl could have allowed the extermination of 11 million ppl in camps. (Please remember the killings were not limited to Jews. 5 million non Jews were also murdered and many more devastated in their survival. And these ppl are rarely even mentioned, much less mourned by the masses, in remembrances of the holocaust.) Today, as an American citizen, I have finally understood how any majority of ppl can be worked up to hate others to the point of not caring what is done to them. And I understand why it is done.

[@ssgokublack4813]

They rebuilt "really quickly" cause they had help! when you have America, England and Russia helping you rebuild you're country even though you were trying to kill them and bomb them is why they had any chance of coming back from all that destruction. It's also weird how countries like the UK and America can bomb the shit out of african nations and countries like Syria etc and just leave them with nothing but a pile of rubble, no food and no roofs over their heads or their children. How can you help a country who were trying to dominate the world and killed millions of people yet leave the African and arab countries in ruin with no help and a military force? Heck the Americans can't even leave Africa or Arab countries alone forget helping they cant even leave them in peace! So many lives and countries destroyed because of Americas and England's greed.

[@schoolofgrowthhacking]

Not a superpower, only USA and Soviets earned that title. More accurate to say a regional power.

[@user-nm3nb4oj5d]

Yes. This is the difference between Germans and most others. Both East and West Germany became the largest most prosperous economies in Europe in their respective systems within a few years. The sheer incompetence of most peoples in the world, especially the third world, ironically makes you wonder if the master race proclamation has been verified by God’s will through this tribulation.

[@MrsHicks-it5xj]

@@schoolofgrowthhacking 🇺🇸 Germany was definitely a Super power during the war. It didn’t last but still. It’s not a good thing to be a superpower. The USA loves Germany though. Germany the older wiser brother, the usa: the younger bigger brother. “The way you treat your enemy will decide how many generations of wars you will fight with them. Respect your enemy.” It’s very easy to say but very hard to do. Canadians are actually very good at this. The USA and Germany bicker with eachother and it only makes us both stronger. People say here that America controls Germany and that is not only untrue it’s propaganda. Germany doesn’t agree with USA frequently. This is a good friend, not a fake a friend.

[@petercoster7407]

Glad this was put up. I grew up with things like the 2 Germanic Soviet union eastern block and yugoslvia