I received some lovely responses. Particularly moving was the comment made by my son who spent almost a year there. This old town seems to have made quite an impression on him.
Originally I had planned to show some more images of Braunau, and I may still do this.
Right now, however, I will post some images which I did NOT take.
These photographs were taken by somebody else and I photographed the pages of a book, which, unfortunately I no longer possess.
The pictures were taken on the 1st, 2nd or 3rd day of May 1945. Then I was 13 years old and did not own a camera.
All of it I witnessed and recollect every detail, as an old man recollects his youth.
Many years ago I wrote a series of short stories which deal with this time and this place and this happening.
I may even publish these stories here... someday...
The pictures above and below are some of the final signs of the lunacy which caused World War II.
The image above shows the ruins of the vehicular and pedestrian bridge connecting my home town Braunau with the smaller town, Simbach in Bavaria, Germany.
The picture below depicts the railway bridge crossing the Inn, just a few 100 meters down river.
Remember, the War officially ended on the 8th of May 1945.
On the 30th day of April of the same year some fanatical lunatic thought it would be a great idea to blow these bridges up.
Was it "just for the fun of it"?
At that time the Western Allied Forces, lead by the USA had occupied (liberated) all of what later became West Germany, and stood at the borders to Austria ( which was then part of Germany).
Russia's Red Army approached Vienna with almost no opposition.
It had to be obvious to even the most fanatical steel helmet
that this war was over.... lost... the enemy had won.
The symbolism of these images is undeniable:
above:
The destruction caused by Hitler's Regime
below:
the efforts to rebuild a devastated Europe.
My best friends, Hermann and Kurt and I sat on the river's shore and watched with utter amazement the speed with which American Pioneers laid a pontoon bridge
across the fast rushing waters of the Inn.
It seems to me that it took not more than 3 or 4 hours, maybe less
for the first foot soldiers to cross.
This is what I saw
but, unfortunately, some one else photographed.
This too is part of
Bertstravels
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