Christmas, 1945

DECEMBER 1945 – A family explores Christmas gifts in their home in Malente-Gremsmühlen, Germany. Scan © Mark Zanzig/zanzig.com

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The story behind the image

This photo from our family archive shows (from left to right) the nanny (Mrs. Irmgard), my grandmother (Edith), my aunt (Editha), my mother (Inga), and my grandfather (Otto). They have gathered under the Christmas tree and explore the gifts that Santa has brought. The photo was shot in their makeshift home in Malente-Gremsmühlen in Germany, some 40 kilometers outside Kiel.

We see a really happy family, and the happiness comes from the fact that the dreaded war had finally ended!

Sure, the times ahead were difficult. Entire cities had to be re-built, including the hometown of the family, Kiel, with entire quarters that had been destroyed. But the family had survived the six years of war, the house in Kiel had not been damaged, and the business was picking up again. This was all extremely positive and promising.

So, while the 1944 Christmas photo was taken under less favorable conditions, this photo shows true happiness and optimism.

Merry Christmas!

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The high resolution image

Capture Date	24-DEC-1945
Location	Malente-Gremsmühlen, Germany
Image Source	6 x 6 cm black & white 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	2484 x 2484 Pixels
Copyright	Scan © Mark Zanzig/zanzig.com