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World War II

World War II brought more suffering to humanity than any other event in the 20th century. Nearly 60 million people died throughout six years of war, which saw atomic bombs, cities flattened and the Holocaust. Out of the war sprung the atomic age, the Cold War and the division of Germany.

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A New Look at the Great Quedlinburg Art Robbery - Elmar Egner M. A. / Domschatz Quedlinburg

Shadows of World War II A New Look at the Great Quedlinburg Art Robbery

In 1945, an American officer pilfered valuable pieces from Germany's most important art collection and sent them to Texas, setting off a long search for the items. Now, experts are wondering: Was he just a simple thief? Or was he trying to save the treasure from the Nazis? By Frank Thadeusz

"Putin Wants to Be Feared – Like Stalin and Hitler" - Evgeny Biyatov / dpa

British Historian Antony Beevor "Putin Wants to Be Feared – Like Stalin and Hitler"

British historian Antony Beevor sees Russia as a "prisoner of its past." In an interview, the historian discusses why Putin's invasion of Ukraine reminds him of Soviet military attacks from the past - and what mistakes the Russian army has made. Interview Conducted by Peter Littger

Germans Reflect on the Allies’ Arrival in Europe in 1945 - BETTMANN / GETTY IMAGES

The Summer of Liberation Germans Reflect on the Allies’ Arrival in Europe in 1945

After the Allies defeated Germany and ended World War II in Europe in summer 1945, peace finally prevailed on the Continent. The Germans were beaten, desperate and ashamed, but also ready to get back to normal life following the trauma. By DER SPIEGEL Staff

Two Soldiers Recall the Liberation of Dachau and Auschwitz - Sara Naomi Lewkowicz/ DER SPIEGEL

Freeing the Prisoners Two Soldiers Recall the Liberation of Dachau and Auschwitz

Seventy-five years ago, Auschwitz was liberated, with Dachau to follow a couple of months later. Here, a Soviet soldier and an American soldier recall the moment they first set eyes on the camps. By Susanne Beyer, Christian Esch und René Pfister

"For A Long Time Now, Words Have Not Been Enough" - Clodagh Kilcoyne/ REUTERS

German Foreign Minister on the Legacy of the Holocaust "For A Long Time Now, Words Have Not Been Enough"

Speeches and warnings are insufficient when it comes to anti-Semitism in Germany and Europe. We need concrete programs to counter the hatred of Jews, including better education and harsher penalties. An Op-Ed by Heiko Maas

Is Armed Conflict Possible in Today's Europe? - Dmitri Baltermants

World War II Anniversary Is Armed Conflict Possible in Today's Europe?

Europe has been largely peaceful since the end of World War II. The shock of that conflict was simply too great. But with memories of the violence now fading and nationalism on the rise, it is far from certain that peace will remain the status quo. Von Dirk Kurbjuweit

Time for a New Look at Nazi Art - Jeff Elkins/ Washingtonian

A Hidden Legacy Time for a New Look at Nazi Art

Thousands of artworks from the Nazi period lie hidden away in storage depots, far from the public eye. The U.S. also holds a number of paintings, drawings and sculptures from the Third Reich under lock and key. It is time that they be more closely examined. Von Ulrike Knöfel

The Comeback of a Soviet Dictator - Max Sher/ DER SPIEGEL

Honoring Stalin The Comeback of a Soviet Dictator

After he died in 1953, Stalin was quickly erased from the public eye in the Soviet Union. These days, though, he is making a comeback, with statues and plaques honoring the dictator going up throughout Russia. Why are people honoring a mass killer? Von Timofey Neshitov

'You Can't Report Your Own Father!' - privat

A Nazi Critic and a Gestapo Spy 'You Can't Report Your Own Father!'

The Gestapo spy Paul Reckzeh denounced a group of Nazi critics in Berlin and two of them were executed. Irmgard Ruppel was the last survivor of the group, and in an interview five decades later, she told the story of what happened. Von Marianne Wellershoff

The Immense Challenge of Preserving Auschwitz - Sven Doering/ DER SPIEGEL

Saving a Memorial The Immense Challenge of Preserving Auschwitz

Conservators at the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial are doing all they can to preserve artifacts left behind by those murdered at the camp in the Holocaust. Structures, too, need refurbishment. But the goal of authenticity is a difficult one to reach. Von Martin Doerry

To Auschwitz and Back - Sven Döring / DER SPIEGEL

A Lost Childhood To Auschwitz and Back

The Germans stole Josef Salomonovic's childhood, but his mother wouldn't let him die -- neither in the Lodz ghetto nor in Auschwitz. This summer, he returned to the place where he was saved. Von Takis Würger

A Bizarre SS Expedition to Tibet - ullstein bild

Nazis on the Roof of the World A Bizarre SS Expedition to Tibet

In 1938, an SS expedition led by German zoologist Ernst Schäfer trekked to Tibet, returning with priceless animal specimens. Many believe they had actually been sent to search for a lost Aryan race, but a new book argues that the truth is more complicated. Von Matthias Schulz

The Bold Attempt to Demystify Hitler's 'Mein Kampf' - Matthias Balk/ dpa

Book of Hate The Bold Attempt to Demystify Hitler's 'Mein Kampf'

For the first time since 1945, Adolf Hitler's 'Mein Kampf' is available for sale in Germany. With a new annotated edition, Historians hope to "defuse" the Nazi-era bestseller. Even after seven decades, it remains a dangerous proposition. Von Martin Doerry und Klaus Wiegrefe

How Fans Smuggled Nazi Art To West Germany - Peter Schmitz

Hitler's Bronze Horses How Fans Smuggled Nazi Art To West Germany

In one of the most curious stories of art smuggling from the Eastern Bloc prior to the fall of the Berlin Wall, two classic car dealers smuggled Nazi artworks from a Soviet barracks to West Germany in 1989. The full account is only now coming to light. Von Konstantin von Hammerstein

Wartime Diaries Reveal the True Astrid Lindgren - ddp images

Pippi Longstocking's Creator Wartime Diaries Reveal the True Astrid Lindgren

Who was the woman behind Pippi Longstocking? Freshly released wartime diaries along with a new biography reveal Astrid Lindgren, author of some of the world's most beloved children's literature, to be as radical and determined as her best-known character. Von Claudia Voigt

London Mayor Boris Johnson 'We Can't Leave Europe, We're Part of the Continent'

In a wide-ranging interview with SPIEGEL, London Mayor Boris Johnson discusses his recent Churchill biography, his views on Britain's planned referendum on EU membership and why he believes Greece will ultimately exit the euro zone. Von Thomas Hüetlin und Christoph Scheuermann

Normandy Secrets Forgotten Nazi Arms Caches a Bonanza for Historians

For decades, a vast network of Nazi arms caches and supply depots in the forest of Normandy lay forgotten. Now, research shows the extent to which the Wehrmacht sought to defend itself against the impending Allied invasion. Von Frank Thadeusz

The Quest for Hitler's Lost Treasures - Fredrik Von Erichsen/ dpa

Art World Hunt The Quest for Hitler's Lost Treasures

A Dutch detective and Berlin police spent months searching for art commissioned by Hitler that went missing after German reunification. Officials finally recovered the dubious works in raids last week -- here's how they did it. Von Konstantin von Hammerstein

Nazi Art Sculptures from Hitler's Chancellery Discovered

The sculptures had been missing for decades. But on Wednesday, investigators found pieces of Nazi art that had once adorned Hitler's Chancellery in Berlin.

Skeletons of the Past Helping Europe's War Dead Find a Final Resting Place

With excavations of Europe's killing fields still unearthing the mortal remains of thousands of fallen soldiers, World War II still isn't over for the people who find them, identify them and give them a proper burial. Von Alexander Smoltczyk

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