second world war

It is the Okopowa Street Jewish Cemetery. Spanning a bit over 33 hectares and containing upwards of 250,000 graves, it stands as the largest Jewish cemetery in Poland and one of the largest in Europe. There is a remarkable void in the landscape of the capital, where pre-war Warsaw is mainly unaltered and where moss, carved stone, and deep silence all serve as direct windows into the past.

The Silent Forest of Okopowa: Exploring Europe’s Largest Jewish Cemetery

Warsaw (category)
12 min read
03/09/202621/09/2026

I think I rode for 90 km or so when my GPS tracker told me that the UFO memorial was close by. I stepped into the forest and tried to spot it. After a few wrong paths and turns, I saw a clearing in the woods, and there it was: a concrete model of a flying saucer in the middle of nowhere. I was in the right place.

Sweden’s Out-of-This-World Attraction: A Guide to the Ängelholm UFO Memorial

Sweden (category)
7 min read
07/03/202622/04/2026

Whenever tourists think about Berlin architecture, I believe they picture two things in their minds: the modern glass buildings around Potsdamer Platz and the Prussian palaces and boulevards. But there is a massive residential complex in Berlin-Schöneberg that can tell a much more complicated story. If you are interested in history and architecture as much as I am, you shouldn’t miss the Grazer Damm housing estate. This is not a normal residential complex; this is what Nazi Germany thought about urban planning.

Finding the Grazer Damm: A Deep Dive into Berlin’s Dark Architectural History

Berlin (category)
6 min read
20/02/202623/03/2026

From Secret Fortresses to Urban Spaces: The Fascinating History of Bunkers in Berlin

Berlin (category)
5 min read
16/09/202517/09/2025

Berlin is a city layered with history that offers countless sites that narrate its complex past. While landmarks like the Brandenburg Gate and the Berliner Fernsehturm are globally recognized, a less-visited yet profoundly significant site lies in the southern district of Mariendorf: the Martin Luther Memorial Church. Often starkly referred to as the Berlin Nazi Church, this building provides a unique and unsettling glimpse into the intertwining of faith and fascism during the Third Reich.

Berlin’s Enduring Nazi Church: The Martin Luther Memorial in Mariendorf

Berlin (category)
9 min read
17/05/202518/05/2025

We passed by bike a few times on our way to Adlershof, and we always wondered what it would look like from inside the fences. We knew about the abandoned Flugplatz Johannisthal for years, and we even tried to find our way a few years ago. Still, we only made it in early January 2021.

The Abandoned Flugplatz Johannisthal: Exploring Germany’s first commercial airfield

Berlin (category), Urbex (category)
8 min read
27/04/202520/07/2026

Berlin is a city rich in history, with its vibrant present often built on the remnants of a complex and, at times, troubling past. While iconic landmarks like the Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag attract millions of visitors, there are quieter sites that hold equally profound stories. One such site is the memorial dedicated to the former Columbia-Haus, situated on Columbiadamm near the expansive grounds of the former Tempelhof Airport.

Echoes of Terror: Visiting the Memorial to Berlin’s Columbia-Haus

Berlin (category)
9 min read
07/04/202510/04/2025

Located in the western outskirts of Berlin, the Berlin-Grunewald station was used to deport Jews to ghettos and extermination camps in the east. Today, where all of this happened, there is the Platform 17 Memorial inaugurated in January 1998 to commemorate the deportation done by Deutsche Reichsbahn during the years of Nazi Germany.

A Journey Through Time: Discovering Five Essential Jewish Historical Sites in Berlin

Berlin (category)
5 min read
28/03/202528/03/2025

Located in the vibrant district of Moabit is the Levetzowstraße Deportation Memorial, a poignant reminder of one of the darkest chapters in the city's history. This memorial marks the site of the former Levetzowstraße Synagogue, which tragically changed from a place of worship to a transit camp for deportation during the Nazi regime.

Moabit’s Memorial: A Stark Reminder of Berlin’s Deportations

Berlin (category)
5 min read
18/03/202531/03/2025

In the aftermath of World War II, Berlin became a city split in two—a concrete sign of the ideological divide between East and West. This short video, Life in POSTWAR BERLIN before the WALL, which I found on the BBC Archive YouTube page, explores the stark differences in the quality of life between East and West Berlin and the invisible boundary between them.

Berlin’s Divided Heart: Stories of Resilience and Resistance

Berlin (category)
4 min read
15/04/202426/04/2024

In the heart of Berlin, at the edge of where Tempelhof and Neukölln meet, a colossal iron relic stands as a stark reminder of the city's turbulent past. Known as the Vaubeka Crane, this industrial titan once symbolized resilience during a crisis.

From Industrial Workhorse to Historic Landmark: The Vaubeka Crane Story

Berlin (category), Urbex (category)
5 min read
30/03/202423/04/2024

The Seelow Heights Memorial is a solemn tribute to the ferocious Battle of Berlin during the Second World War, where more than one million men clashed at the opening phase. Perched some 90 kilometers east of the city, this historic site played a pivotal role in shaping the war's course. As the Soviet forces clashed with the Nazi defenders, the Seelow Heights became a formidable obstacle.

Exploring the Seelow Heights Memorial: The Battle for the ‘Gates of Berlin’

Germany (category)
5 min read
19/06/202316/04/2025

We have been living in Berlin for years now, and these battle scars we see everywhere caught us by surprise during our first months in town. Especially because the battles in and around Berlin happened over seventy years ago. Because of these scars and bullet holes, we always watch for the remains of the extraordinary fighting that occurred during April and May of 1945 in Berlin.

Echoes of History: Discovering WWII Battle Damage in Berlin

Berlin (category)
18 min read
04/06/202326/05/2026

Discover the National Socialism Documentation Center in Köln, Germany. As the largest regional memorial site dedicated to the victims of the Nazi regime, it offers a remarkable journey through Cologne's history during the Nazi era. You will immerse yourself in its exhibitions, witness the preserved Gestapo prison, and gain invaluable insights into this significant European history chapter.

Exploring the National Socialism Documentation Center in Köln

Germany (category), Köln (category)
6 min read
30/05/202319/12/2023

Berlin is a city known for its rich history, stunning architecture, and cultural diversity. But one piece of design that often goes overlooked is the street lighting created by Albert Speer, Hitler's favorite architect. If you're looking to experience some of the city's lesser-known design pieces, you won't want to miss the Albert Speer street lights.

Albert Speer Street Lights Still Stand in Berlin

Berlin (category)
3 min read
14/02/202321/07/2024

We saw the Wehrmacht Graffiti during a short trip to Copenhagen in the fall of 2022. We went to have a coffee in the Meatpacking District and had a location saved on our Google Maps. This was it.

Echoes of Occupation: Unveiling the Wehrmacht Graffiti in Copenhagen

Copenhagen (category), Denmark (category)
4 min read
15/11/202213/02/2025

The Unholy relics of Nazi Germany is a half-hour documentary from the BBC. In the show, Jonathan Meades presents the role of urban planning and architecture in establishing the Nazi regime in Germany and how it helped perpetuate its hateful ideology.

Unholy Relics of Nazi Germany with Jonathan Meades

Germany (category)
4 min read
02/07/202225/03/2024

Even though Olga Benário Prestes was born in Bavaria, her legacy lives in Berlin today. The signs are spread around town, and we decided to write something about this German-Brazilian antifascist militant that was executed by Nazi Germany after being extradited from Brazil.

Olga Benário in Berlin: Unraveling Olga Benário’s Antifascist Journey

Berlin (category)
8 min read
05/05/202226/03/2025

Before it became the Lager Koralle Bunker Complex, the goal was to build a naval academy in the outskirts of Berlin. But, after some test radio transmission, the Navy decided to change its plans and create what we would call the German Command of the Navy.

Exploring the Abandoned Lager Koralle

Berlin (category), Germany (category), Urbex (category)
9 min read
26/02/202202/03/2025

Crowned with a golden statue above it, the Berlin Victory Column is one of the city must see sights and destinations. And it also has one of our favorite panoramic views of Berlin!

Siegessäule: The Berlin Victory Column in the middle of Tiergarten

Berlin (category)
11 min read
19/02/202218/11/2024

If you like unusual facts about Berlin, this article is for you since our goal is to talk a bit about the Eiergasse, Berlin's shortest street. But, as it happens to many things, there is more to this street than its title.

Eiergasse is Berlin’s shortest street

Berlin (category)
4 min read
12/02/202228/12/2023