SUMMER 1944 – A happy family poses for a selfie in the garden of their home in Malente-Gremsmühlen, Germany. © Mark Zanzig/zanzig.com
The story behind the image
The summer of 1944 had been a difficult time. The war was still a deadly danger and affecting everyone, including our family. They had made the right decision in 1943 to erect a makeshift home in Malente-Gremsmühlen, about 40 kilometers away from Kiel. The construction works were almost completed and the family regularly visited the site to enjoy the time far away from the war. (Kiel had seen severe attacks in 1943 and 1944, with some of the bombs hitting as close as 100 meters from my grandparents’ home in Kiel-Wik.)
However, this selfie of the little family does not show any of these severe dangers. It shows a relaxed and happy family on a nice and warm summer day. From left to right we see the Schweim family: my mother Inga, my grandfather Otto, my aunt Editha, and my grandmother Edith (born Gehring). The boy is Inga’s and Editha’s cousin Peter who spent a long time with the family in Malente during the war time as it was much more safe than in Kiel.
I like this image because it signals ‘hope’ to me. However dark a situation may look like, one can find small patches of peace and periods of rest. Family and nature are essential components for this.
The high resolution image
| Capture Date | Summer 1944 |
| Location | Malente-Gremsmühlen, Germany |
| Image Source | 6 x 6 cm Print |
| Digital Image Source | EPSON Perfection 4870 Photo |
| Digital Image Source Format | TIFF, 48 bits/pixel, AdobeRGB |
| Edited Image Format | JPEG, 24 bits/pixel, sRGB |
| Edited Image Dimensions | 2562 x 2487 Pixels |
| Copyright | © by Mark Zanzig/zanzig.com |
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