Children after the War: Legendary Photos | Culture and Lifestyle in Germany and Europe | Dw

Photos by David Seymour showed the world the most defenseless victims of the war – children. The renowned photographer, who founded the Magnum photo agency with his partners, agreed to carry out an order for the UN Children’s Fund project. The result was a series of pictures called “Children of Europe”. According to photographer biographer Karola Naggar, Seymour became the first photographer to work for the protection of human rights. At that time, the famous photographer’s fee already reached $ 100 per day, but for UNICEF, David Seymour agreed to work for a symbolic amount.

“The thought that it was the children who suffered the greatest losses during the war did not leave him,” the biographer emphasizes. Perhaps the most famous work can be considered just his project “Children of Europe”. These shots David Seymour took in Italy, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Greece, Poland. And in every photo there are children with wounds on their bodies and in their souls, but with hope in their eyes.

A new biography of a Polish-American photographer will be released in 2021, and the UN Children’s Fund is now celebrating its 75th anniversary.

See also:

• What did German children play after the war?

  Rebirth from the ashes

  The unprecedented phenomenon of the post-war revival of West Germany, its powerful leap forward after the financial reform of 1948, and the rapid modernization of industry, which until recently was oriented towards war, was called “An economic miracle”. Technological progress has not bypassed the world of toys. An exhibition in the West German Kommerne tells about what German children were playing at that time.

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  What did German children play after the war?

  Lufthansa aircraft

  The rationing system, empty store shelves – in post-war Germany, people literally fought to survive. There was no need to talk about toys. The girls played with dolls made of rags, the boys made wooden pistols, instead of soccer balls there were cans … But as soon as the situation improved, they began to produce toys. Pictured: a plane manufactured by Schuco.

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  What did German children play after the war?

  On the toy track

  This playset, called Varianto, was released in 1951. It consists of three hand-wound cars and a collecting track with tunnels, bridges, houses, trees and road signs. By 1956, the economic potential of the FRG in comparison with 1950 had doubled, and by 1962 it had tripled. The volume of production of goods for children has grown at a very fast pace, and their range has expanded.

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  What did German children play after the war?

  Figurines made of wood

  Houses, Christmas trees, horses, sheep, of course, and little people, painted cubes – such educational wooden toys were again produced in Germany in the 1950s. They were inexpensive and almost every child had them. The kids loved to play with them.

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  What did German children play after the war?

  Sandbox Molds

  All kinds of toys for the sandbox and the beach have again appeared on the wide sale: molds, most often in the form of fruits or fish. small buckets, shovels, scoops, rakes … At that time, children, willingly or unwillingly, often had to play in the fresh air. This . one of the themes of the exhibition in Kommerna.

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  What did German children play after the war?

  Knitting reel

  Such coils (in German they are called Strickliesel) with hammered and curved studs that act as a hook are a purely German invention. In Germany, they began to be produced in the 1960s. Not only girls, but also adult women were fond of knitting with the help of such a device. A simple fixture allows you to create a variety of patterns.

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  What did German children play after the war?

  Stroller for dolls

  There was no limit to the joy of the girls when they began to receive elegant carriages for dolls on sale from their parents as a gift. They cost a lot at first, but soon became available to almost everyone. Having put her favorite doll in such a stroller, the girl went for a walk. Accessories could also be purchased: pillows, blankets, elegant handbags.

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  What did German children play after the war?

  Doll kitchen cookbook

  The girls were also delighted with the appearance of all kinds of models of doll kitchens – with cabinets, a stove, a set of dishes, tiny tea and coffee sets. Cookbooks with recipes were also published especially for children, according to which various dishes could be cooked in these pots and pans. The picture shows the culinary manual of the Doktor Oetker brand.

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  What did German children play after the war?

  Animals on wheels

  Such plush dogs, elephants, bears also became the hallmarks of the West German “economic miracle”. The exhibition “Wir Wirtschaftskinder. Spielen und Spielzeug in den 1950er und 1960er Jahren” (“We are the children of an economic miracle. Games and toys from the 1950s – 1960s”) is held at the Open Air Museum of the Regional Union of the Rhineland (LVR) until September 24, 2017.

  Author: Natalia Koroleva

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