A few years back, the Bundesarchiv (German Federal Archive) announced it was donating tens of thousands of photos to Wikimedia Deutschland. The result has been a treasure trove for anybody interested in German history. I’m grateful for the donation, and here are just a few of the great postwar images we all get to see because of the Bundesarchiv’s generosity.

Destruction in the Neues Museum, Berlin, 1949. Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-S89884 / CC-BY-SA 3.0

Caught stealing coal, Berlin, 1946. Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-N0207-366 / Donath, Otto / CC-BY-SA 3.0

Babylon cinema, Berlin, 1948. Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-1984-0517-511 / Heilig, Walter / CC-BY-SA 3.0

No new shoes, Berlin, 1946. Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-M1129-321 / Donath, Otto / CC-BY-SA 3.0

CARE package, 1948. Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-S1207-502 / CC-BY-SA

Daily ration for 1 person in the British Zone, Germany, 1948. Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-H28811 / CC-BY-SA 3.0

Train travel, Bahnhof Spandau-West, Berlin, 1947. Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-N0304-308 / Donath, Otto / CC-BY-SA 3.0

Bathing by the Bunker am Zoo, Berlin, between 1946 and ’48. Bundesarchiv, Bild 146-1982-028-14 / Hoffmann, Otto / CC-BY-SA 3.0