The Leica Diaries

Dirt road recoloring with neighborhood dog somewhere in Heidelberg. #heidelberg #heilbronn #germany #leica #leicaii #photoshop #recoloring #history #military #wwii #army #badenwürttemberg @leica_camera @leica_classicstore_wetzlar @leicasociety #dog (at Heidelberg, Germany) https://www.instagram.com/p/CcgzYRUv15S/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Landscape recoloring of one of his aerial pics somewhere between Heilbronn and Goppingen. #heilbronn #germany #leica #leicaii #photoshop #recoloring #history #military #wwii #army #badenwürttemberg (at Heilbronn, Germany) https://www.instagram.com/p/CcRcZbvPsF6/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

You can't speak of WWII without at some point alluding to it's well known horrors behind the battlefield. I read Mein Kampf in the spring of 2016. Concerned over the rise of nationalism in America I wanted to learn about Hitler's motivations and background. What I read often seemed to manifest itself into today's world in the form of xenophobia, bigotry, vomitous lies, unabashed racism and violence at political rallies. Twitter (social media) would have been Hitler's radio had he been alive today. Russia has recently published their own Mein Kampf in the second picture via state run media. Both are examples of the intent and premeditation that each have taken towards their desired goals. The former should serve as a reminder to the later what happens to a country when it embraces an alternative truth and nostalgia for a time that never was what it seemed. Destruction and misery. #germany #wwii #history #meinkampf #ukraine #russia (at Germany) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cb_a4ZrvDff/?utm_medium=tumblr

Couple ideas I've thought of over the past couple of weeks. The first being inspired by the December 4th, 1944 air raid on Heilbronn that leveled much of the city. The later idea inspired by the use of trains in Germany. Explanations of the concepts can be found in the sketches. #leica #leicaii #germany #heilbronn #wwii #history #army #badenwürttemberg https://www.instagram.com/p/Cb9dhGyL1WE/?utm_medium=tumblr

His formal discharge papers and re-entry into civilian life while in Fort Dix, New Jersey. He had typed out the names and addresses of some individuals. I can only assume he stayed in touch with them for some time until inevitably everyone went their separate ways in life. #photography #blackandwhitephotography #leica #leicaii #wwii #history #army #filmphotography @leica_classicstore_wetzlar @leica_camera #fieldartillerybattalion #usa #america #fortdix (at Fort Dix, New Jersey) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cb3yFUJPDSL/?utm_medium=tumblr

Organizing his transfers and extractions in these slides in chronological order while he was in Europe. Difficult to tell which city he went to in April when he was transferred to the 627 FA battalion since it was outside of American occupation and in France's occupation. #europe #photography #blackandwhitephotography #leica #leicaii #wwii #germany #history #army #badenwürttemberg #filmphotography @leica_classicstore_wetzlar @leica_camera #künzelsau #fieldartillerybattalion #heilbronn #heidelberg #nuremberg #munich #bamberg #rosenheim #marburg #stuttgart #mannheim #amberg #ingolstadt #schweinfurt #france #lehavre (at Germany) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cb1o8KaL4cl/?utm_medium=tumblr

Originally thought he had completed this in America before being transferred to Germany until I saw the date. Must have completed it in Heidelberg in the barracks shown in the last photo. Brief history of the seventh army can be seen sliding through. #europe #photography #blackandwhitephotography #leica #leicaii #wwii #germany #history #army #filmphotography @leica_classicstore_wetzlar @leica_camera #heidelberg #seventharmy (at Heidelberg, Germany) https://www.instagram.com/p/CbzP356LFfc/?utm_medium=tumblr

Oh wow, I just realized it said Heidelberger and not Heidelberg Bach Quartet. 😂 I wonder if they still have these informal concerts there. #europe #photography #blackandwhitephotography #leica #leicaii #wwii #germany #history #army #filmphotography @leica_classicstore_wetzlar @leica_camera #heidelberg #heidelberger #quartett (at Heidelberg, Germany) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cbwc-XMLmYW/?utm_medium=tumblr

Not sure who he saw on trial in Nuremberg, but according to History.com there were only 216 sessions. Maybe session 276 was for a lesser case or individuals. According to his map he made a trip there towards the end of his military service. Following slides provide a brief summary of the trials. #europe #photography #blackandwhitephotography #leica #leicaii #wwii #germany #history #army #filmphotography @leica_classicstore_wetzlar @leica_camera #nürnberg #nuremberg #internationalmilitarytribunal #nürnbergtrials (at Nürnberg, Bayern, Deutschland) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cbtm8dyrX8Y/?utm_medium=tumblr

As pictured is his brief tour of Baden Württemberg and Bavaria in early December 1945 before settling into Künzelsau for one month. #europe #photography #blackandwhitephotography #leica #leicaii #wwii #germany #history #army #badenwürttemberg #filmphotography @leica_classicstore_wetzlar @leica_camera #marburg #fieldartillerybattalion #karlsruhe #marburg #rosenheim #ulm #stuttgart #heidelberg #münchen #augsburg #mannheim #darmstadt #frankfurt #glessen (at Marburg, Germany) https://www.instagram.com/p/CbrM1CaLCZs/?utm_medium=tumblr

May have seen those GMC trucks in other photos. Will have to double check that and the barracks in Karlsruhe or Marburg if there are any that could help identify more pictures. #europe #photography #blackandwhitephotography #leica #leicaii #wwii #germany #history #army #badenwürttemberg #filmphotography @leica_classicstore_wetzlar @leica_camera #marburg #fieldartillerybattalion #karlsruhe #marburg (at Marburg, Germany) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cbobr9vvbjq/?utm_medium=tumblr

I had heard about the black forest before, but never knew where it was located. It must have been larger in acres more than 75 years ago as his current path on his maps would not have crossed into the Black forest of today. #europe #photography #blackandwhitephotography #leica #leicaii #wwii #germany #history #army #badenwürttemberg #filmphotography @leica_classicstore_wetzlar @leica_camera #marburg #fieldartillerybattalion #blackforest #blackforestgermany (at Marburg, Germany) https://www.instagram.com/p/CbmJGuYry3b/?utm_medium=tumblr

The following slides are just to help me organize his military paperwork in chronological order from depature to arrival (America to Germany). 1. Fort Sill, Oklahoma 2. Pier 51, North River, New York, NY 3. Kunzelsau, Germany #europe #photography #blackandwhitephotography #leica #leicaii #wwii #germany #history #army #filmphotography #america #usa #fortsill #oklahoma #newyork #nyc #navy #kunzelsau #germany (at Fort Sill, Oklahoma) https://www.instagram.com/p/CbjlJFZLGhs/?utm_medium=tumblr

June 30, 1942 my grandfather was registered to join the army. Thanks to Alan Turing breaking the enigma code he never saw action, unlike his older brother who marched from the beaches of Normandy to Berlin. #europe #photography #blackandwhitephotography #leica #leicaii #wwii #germany #history #army #filmphotography #america #usa #philadelphia #pennsylvania #enigma #alanturing (at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) https://www.instagram.com/p/CbhBWurrMlu/?utm_medium=tumblr

The first time I flipped through the album I remember asking my mother why he wasn't in Berlin or some other more well known parts of Germany, not realizing then that the country was divided into four zones. Of course my knowledge of German towns, states and geography was limited to more or less Berlin back then. 😂 The only areas of American Occupation he didn't travel through, were Mainfranken, Berlin, Bremer and Bremerhaven. #europe #photography #blackandwhitephotography #leica #leicaii #wwii #germany #history #army #badenwürttemberg #filmphotography @leica_classicstore_wetzlar @leica_camera #kocherriver #neckarriver #künzelsau #rathauskünzelsau #fieldartillerybattalion #schlossbartenau #johanneskirche #heilbronn #heidelberg #nuremberg #munich #bamberg #rosenheim #marburg #stuttgart #mannheim #amberg #ingolstadt #schweinfurt (at Germany) https://www.instagram.com/p/CbfpwSFPYf1/?utm_medium=tumblr

One term I didn't recognize when looking over the maps at first was "40 and 8". It's history and description are to the right along with previously shown photos of his jeep that he probably used for "trips" and the plane he used for his lone aerial voyage. No photos of the trucks were found in the album. #europe #photography #blackandwhitephotography #leica #leicaii #wwii #germany #history #army #badenwürttemberg #filmphotography @leica_classicstore_wetzlar @leica_camera #kocherriver #neckarriver #künzelsau #rathauskünzelsau #fieldartillerybattalion #schlossbartenau #johanneskirche #heilbronn #heidelberg #nuremberg #munich #bamberg #rosenheim #marburg #stuttgart #mannheim #amberg #ingolstadt #schweinfurt (at Germany) https://www.instagram.com/p/CbbzsgzLBKP/?utm_medium=tumblr

When I first looked at his maps I hadn't realized they were adjacent to each other. Several glances later I've managed to understand the terminology and geography better. Will be sharing these advances in the coming days. First photo combines the two maps while the later two show them separate as seen in the album. #europe #photography #blackandwhitephotography #leica #leicaii #wwii #germany #history #army #badenwürttemberg #filmphotography @leica_classicstore_wetzlar @leica_camera #kocherriver #neckarriver #künzelsau #rathauskünzelsau #fieldartillerybattalion #schlossbartenau #johanneskirche #heilbronn #heidelberg #nuremberg #munich #bamberg #rosenheim #marburg #stuttgart #mannheim #amberg #ingolstadt #schweinfurt (at Germany) https://www.instagram.com/p/CbZdqPlLpOi/?utm_medium=tumblr