Refugees (1945)

[@ppainterco]

My dad was a POW in Germany and said that when he was liberated, the medics doused him with DDT from hand pump sprayers just like this video. He said it was pretty effective and all the lice and fleas he had carried with him died off quickly.

[@ppainterco]

@@ramenlover1727 Human contact DDT isn’t acutely toxic unless you directly ingest it or are in long term use of it. DDT causes thinning of the shells of bird eggs. It was the basis for Rachel Carson’s book “Silent Spring”. The further up the food chain the more DDT builds up, so birds like eagles, condors, hawks, etc. are very affected and led to the near extinction of eagles and peregrine falcons. In the 1940s, the environmental impact of Chemicals weren’t studied, so they only knew that DDT is an effective insecticide. Government agencies were spraying DDT to kill mosquitoes in an attempt to stop malaria. That kind of large scale use, misuse puts a great deal of pressure on the environment. While banned in the US, DDT is still used in India and African countries as a means to reduce malaria.

[@stxrynn]

I read that a scientist ate that stuff everyday for some months with no ill effects ever. It was safe for humans, deadly for bugs. When fake science blamed it for thinning egg shells, they outlawed it. From a few hundred malaria deaths a year, to thousands in Africa and Asia as a result. Truly a great invention, removed from use by knee jerk reactionaries. Resulting in massive human suffering.

[@ohneEisen]

Interesting scenes! This station was only for a short time called "Immendorf". It is better known as "Salzgitter-Drütte".

[@Ann-kw1pn]

I wish I knew who these people were. Slave laborers? People need to know

[@kaprinal492]

Possibly slave labourers who have been liberated. I'm wondering if they've reached their DP camp 😊

[@thomaschevalier9356]

Even in the end the rail cars were put to use again

[@bau7087]

L'allemagne il fallait pas aide...sont pas recconeceant