Berlin 1940/41 in Farbe (HD) – Seltene Aufnahmen der Reichshauptstadt neu restauriert

These extraordinary color images show Berlin during the years 1940/41 in significantly better quality than previous releases. The film was shot by professional cameraman Frederick Fuglsang and documents central locations of the German capital of the era — from the East-West Axis and Alexanderplatz to Wannsee. Important: The opening title card in the original film, “Reich Capital Berlin 1936,” is historically incorrect. According to current analysis, the footage clearly dates from 1940/41. One important indication is the absence of the Olympic decorations of 1936, along with numerous chronological details visible throughout the city scenes. Also noteworthy are certain formulations used by the narrator. At one point, he describes Berlin’s Nazi flag decorations with unusual detachment as a “modern design,” which today sounds almost ironic. Equally striking is a later remark about the Reich Aviation Ministry, where “the fate of the German people for the future is being decided to a large extent” — a sentence that, in retrospect, sounds almost prophetic. Among the locations shown are: Brandenburg Gate, Victory Column, Reichstag, Unter den Linden, Museum Island, Berlin Cathedral, Alexanderplatz, Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, Funkturm, House of Broadcasting, Berlin Zoo, Wannsee, and the New Reich Chancellery. The footage contains visible Nazi symbols and uniformed organizations as part of the historical documentation. ▷ 00:00 – Introduction & historical context ▷ 00:06 – East-West Axis & Brandenburg Gate ▷ 00:14 – Victory Column & Bismarck mosaic ▷ 00:59 – Brandenburg Gate & traffic ▷ 01:10 – Reichstag & tramway ▷ 01:22 – Unter den Linden ▷ 01:24 – Funkturm & exhibition halls ▷ 01:35 – House of Broadcasting ▷ 01:46 – Berlin Cathedral & street traffic ▷ 01:57 – Neue Wache & guard change ▷ 02:21 – Museum Island & Berlin Cathedral ▷ 03:32 – River Spree & cargo ships ▷ 03:42 – Alexanderplatz ▷ 04:13 – Café & outdoor dancing ▷ 05:16 – Berlin street scenes ▷ 05:28 – Hitler Youth & S-Bahn along the Spree ▷ 05:57 – Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church ▷ 06:04 – Reconstruction plans for Berlin ▷ 06:36 – Berlin Zoo ▷ 07:01 – Wannsee ▷ 07:36 – New Reich Chancellery & SS guard change Digitally restored and released in HD. © 1941, Licensed by Xerxes