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World War II

Topic

When Germany invaded Poland in September 1939, it propelled the world into the most widespread conflict in history. World War II lasted from 1939 to May 8,1945.

Skip next section Reports & Analysis

Reports & Analysis

Hubert Aiwanger on the podium in a beer tent, speaking into a microphone

Bavaria: Aiwanger stays on despite alleged Holocaust jokes

Bavaria: Aiwanger stays on despite alleged Holocaust jokes

Hubert Aiwanger has kept his job despite being accused of making antisemitic jokes as a teenager.
SocietySeptember 3, 2023
Man sitting next to a Volksempfänger radio

Nazi Germany: Radio propaganda turns 90

Nazi Germany: Radio propaganda turns 90

The Nazis were masters of propaganda. The primary tool was, at the time, a revolutionary new technology: radio.
HistoryAugust 18, 2023
A high school class room.Students sit facing the electronic board where a teacher stands and writnes things down

Teaching about Nazis and the Holocaust in German schools

Teaching about Nazis and the Holocaust in German schools

What do German students learn about the Nazi era at school? DW visited a Berlin high school to find out.
CultureAugust 17, 2023
Men dressed in imperial army uniforms march

How Japan confronts its haunting World War II history

How Japan confronts its haunting World War II history

Japan is forced to reconcile the history of wartime atrocities with paying respect to fallen soldiers.
PoliticsAugust 15, 2023
Bulgaria Demonstrations in front of the monument for the Soviet army in Sofia

Should Soviet monuments be dismantled?

Should Soviet monuments be dismantled?

The war in Ukraine reignites a debate: How should Soviet monuments in eastern Europe be dealt with?
CultureJuly 29, 202312:35 min
A defused bomb sits on the back of a truck in Berlin

Germany's problem with its thousands of unexploded bombs

Germany's problem with its thousands of unexploded bombs

Germany is littered with tons of explosive ordnance. Attempts to rid the country of them are expensive and complicated
SocietyJuly 27, 202307:58 min
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Skip next section In the spotlight

In the spotlight

black and white photo of Stauffenberg, Hitler, General Fromm from July 15, 1944

'Operation Valkyrie': The failed plot to kill Adolf Hitler

One act of resistance against the Nazi dictator had more of a long-term impact than all the others.
HistoryJuly 20, 2023
Bullet holes on the door of the Old Synagogue in Essen

Germany: Racism, antisemitism reporting on the rise

Two new studies indicate that anti-Jewish racism and various forms of discrimination are widespread in Germany.
SocietyJune 27, 2023
An Israeli flag flies with a glass dome of the German Bundestag in the background

Five lessons from Meron Mendel's 'Talking about Israel'

"Talking about Israel," a book by Israeli professor Meron Mendel, analyzes how Israel is discussed in German society.
CultureMay 15, 2023
People carry an Israeli and a German flag during a rally in solidarity with Israel

What's behind Germany's special relationship with Israel?

After the Holocaust, it took decades of rapprochement for Germany and Israel to establish a partnership.
PoliticsApril 25, 202307:00 min
Young people wearing the Israeli flag over their shoulders while they walk through the former Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland.

March of the Living: Remembrance in Auschwitz

The March of the Living is an annual event recalling victims and survivors of the Holocaust, held at Auschwitz-Birkenau.
HistoryApril 17, 2023
A man looking at photo negatives in a photo lab.

Photography's diverse roles during the Nazi era

In the Nazi era, photos were used for both propaganda and documentation. An exhibition explores the medium's role.
CultureApril 17, 2023