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Clip description
This clip from a home movie filmed by Australian Prime Minister, Sir Robert Menzies, during a trip through Europe in 1948 shows the destruction that followed the Second World War in Berlin. Piles of rubble stand tall in front of half-destroyed buildings. The sun sets over the Brandenburg Gates.
Curator’s notes
In 1948 West Germany started to become a western capitalist country, introducing the Deutsche Mark as currency while East Germany established a Soviet-style command economy. That year the Berlin Blockade occurred, one of the first crises of the Cold War when the Soviet Union blocked rail and street access to West Berlin.
The eastern part of Berlin became known as East Berlin in 1949, a year after this clip was taken.
The silent footage reinforces the powerful 16mm colour images of destruction, capturing both the mood and the sense of place.
The clip ends with poignant footage of dusk settling over the Brandenburg Gates in Berlin, the symbol of peace in a war zone.
