Fat Ham Theater Poster Second Pass

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For the second pass at the Fat Ham theater poster for the Orlando Shakespeare Theater, I tried the classic Hamlet pose of holding a skull while debating existence. In this case I used a mirrored skull but ultimately such a scene does not happen in the play. Fat Ham is a modern take on Hamlet staged at a southern back yard barbecue.

A difficulty in depicting the cast is that the poster is painted long before any auditions. In this play, Juicy (Je’Shawn Jackson) steps in for Hamlet but he embraces his fabulous self. There is less self reflection and more yearning for being somewhere where he can be openly accepted for show he is.

In this painting I had not yet resolved the back hand holding the skull. The shakes decided to use this concept for the theater programs by posing the actor holding a mirrored skull in a photo. In this painting I had the rest of the cast dancing in the background, which is similar to the karaoke scene in the play. The trouble with their poses is that they could be dancing excitedly or in pain. The dancing and dark theatrical lighting had to go.

Since the concept was not accepted, I never polished the details of the painting. This is like a thumbnail concept sketch, but I find it just as convenient to work full size to explore ideas. This season I worked the thumbnail ideas at ¼ size, and I found it was easier to crank out more possibilities.

In Fat Ham Juicy is visited by the ghost of his dead father and he is tasked with avenging his death. The Rev (Essex O’Brian) is the brother of Juicy’s dad and he murdered Juicy’s father. The Rev then immediately made moves on his brothers widow and married her. Juicy is to kind of a soul to murder his uncle. But when his uncle chokes on some BBQ he refuses help from his nephew who could have saved him with a Heimlich maneuver. The uncle’s refusal to accept help is what killed him.

In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, pretty much everyone dies including Hamlet. Fat Ham uses the familiar Hamlet plot as a framework to explore themes of Black masculinity, queerness, family trauma, and the cycle of violence, ultimately subverting the tragic ending with a celebration of joy, love, and self-acceptance.

This celebration is what I wanted to express in the painting for the poster, but I think I missed the mark. I needed to do another pass that focused more on the everyday aspect of a family BBQ in the deep south.

Fat Ham Theater Poster First Pass

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When I did this first pass at the Fat Ham theater poster, I had not read the entire script yet. I did see a few YouTube clips from the Broadway production, and I was intrigued by the fabulous and exotic ending to the show. Now that I have seen the show at the Orlando Shakespeare Theater (812 E Rollins St, Orlando, FL 32803), I know that there is no crown in the production. Juicy (Je’Shaun Jackson) the main character in the show, isn’t a prince and he doesn’t see himself that way. He just wants to get a job in Human resources which is a normal everyday ambition. The show deals with queer black identity and juicy doesn’t try to hide who he is deep inside.

Like in Hamlet. Juicy does meet his recently murdered father’s ghost. Through this meeting Juicy learns that, his uncle and strep father had his father murdered with a shiv in prison. The Rev (Essex O’Brian) then immediately hooked up with the widow of the man he had murdered, Juicy’s mom, the beautiful Tedra, (Patrece Bloomfield). Tedra would marry anyone to keep from being alone. She needs chaos in her life rather than time to reflect and feel lonely. Her mantra is that if you keep a man fed, he will always be happy. The Rev, however, is bullying and aggressive, particularly towards her son Juicy. She turns a blind eye when the Rev sucker punches her son in the stomach. I suspect that after honeymoon period, the Rev’s aggression would turn towards her as well.

The show follows Juicy’s self discovery as he navigates a family barbecue where he doesn’t feel like he belongs. The original Shakespeare production of Hamlet is a definite tragedy but Fat ham is is more of a celebration of embracing differences. Tedra, Juicy’s mom exuberantly embraces her son’s unique qualities. Where as the Rev despised those same qualities. The barbecue is staged to celebrate the marriage of the Rev to Tendra and their differing world views become glaringly obvious.

The barbecue in the production is from Pig Floyd’s Urban Barbako which is right down the street on Mills Avenue from the Theater (1326 N Mills Ave, Orlando, FL 32803). Seeing how much the cast was enjoying the BBQ makes me want to stop by Pig Floyd’s to have a taste for myself.

Orlando Shakespeare Theater Lobby

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I have just finished the posters for next season at the Orlando Shakespeare Theater (812 E. Rollins St., Orlando, FL 32803). As I was crunching away painting the posters, I missed several sketch opportunities at the theater. Now that the work is done, I get to return to sketching theater live.

With Anna in the Tropics I was asked to depict the woman in a sensual nightgown with her lover behind her. It is ironic that a large box of typed information was placed over her chest. Perhaps my depiction was to sensual. I am learning what sells and what lines I should not cross.

The Hound of the Baskervilles was a comedy. I tried to make this clear with Watson holding a magnifying glass that made his eye super large, Sherlock’s quizzical expression as well as a dog with a big grin. Despite my efforts many members of the audience thought they were going to a dark mysterious show. I have seen the show before and it was hilarious. I am certain anyone who went to the Shakes performance was not disappointed.

I have done A Christmas Carol poster every year I have been painting these posters. This design reverted back to the first year’s poster which depicted Stooge holding up tiny Tim. I felt that first poster caught lightning in a bottle. This poster used photos from previous years’ show to tie it in with the actual costuming used in the show. Minor changes were made to the design like having Tiny Tim’s head overlap the title. I like the choice which helps to keep the characters large.

I love returning to the Shakes because I get to see the audience gather in the lobby with all the posters on the lobby walls. It is my one chance to see the posters at their full size all together. As a whole they all pull together. I think anyone seeing the posters will know that the same human hand touched each concept. I have seen what AI can do when designing posters. The results can be impressive technically, but for me they seem a bit impersonal, like clip art.

When I was working on the last batch of posters, I considered typing in a few words into an AI interface and seeing what the computer would spit out. I could not figure out the log in information with codes and passwords, so I abandoned my first curious venture. Instead I returned to painting by hand. Though the results look analog, I am working digitally on an iPad. The reason is that changes can be done much quicker digitally. Every element of the painting is on a separate layer and if a layer has to be altered I can just turn it off and try something new.

I have taken three months to travel Europe and follow my father’s footsteps at the end of WWII. It felt good to sketch with pen and paper along with watercolors. Decisions had to be made on the fly and there was no control Z to undo a pen stroke. Decisions had to be bold and decisive. If mistakes were made they reminded on the sketch and part of the process. It is that imperfectness that I love. Hopefully each sketch gets better and the bold decisions come faster. Having a machine make those bold choices for me seems unappealing.

Orlando Shakes Embracing Inclusion

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Now that I am back in the United States, I returned to the Orlando Shakespeare Theater to see a performance of Black Ham. All the posters that I designed, and painted were in the lobby which is rewarding to see. This rounded wall is part of the Patrons Room, which was once a planetarium, when the building was a museum many years ago.

I haven’t been to many live performances since the worst of the pandemic. I remain cautious, preferring to sketch dress rehearsals. At this performance of Fat Ham, I asked to be seated in the furthest back row. This makes sure no one is distracted as I sketch because they will not be tempted to be looking over my shoulder. When the theater is completely dark, I use my iPhone to illuminate the sketch page. I turn the brightness down on my phone, but any illumination like that might distract anyone seated behind me. My goal is always to be completely clandestine.

The Orlando Shakespeare Theater always has multi racial cast.  They cast shows based on the best performer for the part.When I painted the Romeo and Juliet poster, I had no idea who would be cast in the roles. I depicted Romeo hugging Juliet from behind and their embrace creates a heart shape with their arms. I am not even sure if people seeing the poster would see the heart shape. Juliet’s face is largely hidden by a dagger. I depicted Juliet as white but I would have been just as happy to depict a darker skin tone. What matters to me is the concept with the tangle of arms in a heart shape and the shattered glass behind the couple. There is even some ambiguity as to whose arms are whose and that was purposeful. In love, light and dark become entangled creating a new more powerful whole.

The Orlando Shakes faced backlash in early 2026 over its “Romeo and Juliet” production, which featured a Black actor as Juliet opposite a White Romeo. The theater received racist comments on social media, prompting them to publicly condemn the hate speech, affirm their commitment to inclusive casting, and rally community support for the performers.

The Orlando Shakespeare statement reads in part: “At Orlando Shakes, we believe theater is a space for empathy, humanity, and connection…We do not tolerate or condone hate speech, harassment, or any language that demeans individuals or communities based on race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other characteristic… Shakespeare’s work endures not because it is frozen in time, but because each generation finds ways to see themselves within it.”

Hate is encouraged by the present administration in Washington D.C. The troll come out of the woodwork encouraged by the hate and vitriol they see coming from Washington. I am so proud to work for a theater that is inclusive. As I see the theater patrons tapping on their phones in front of my theater posters, I have to wonder if they are tapping in love and inclusion or hate into their social media feeds. Orlando embraced love after the Pulse nightclub massacre, and they once again rallied in support of the Shakes when trolls attacked the show online.

Back to the States

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The temperatures in Paris France were dropping fast. Even with gloves on, my sketches were getting a bit shaky.  I had to leave my hotel near the Eiffel Tower very early to meet my Uber driver for a ride to the airport. I had success navigating Paris with the Metro and considered taking it to the airport, but the maps were not super clear on which stop I needed at the end of the line. I also was concerned about possible wait times as I switched trains at several stations. I’m glad I took Uber because it gave me a chance to look at the landscape as we drove out of the city.

I was rather sad to leave Europe because I knew I would be returning to strip malls and a fascist government. I documented an World War from 80 years ago but war was most certainly likely to break out again. The American president considered himself a war time president during the worst of the pandemic. He will only truly feel masculine when he is using the military against Americans and against nations of his choosing.

I thought I was documenting the worst possible fascist regime by sketching WWII sites my father passed through and liberated in Germany, but Germany learned its lessons from America which has always been racist and had no problem putting Japanese Americans in concentration camps at the start of WWII. Germans put people who were not Aryan enough into concentration camps. America is now following suit by randomly picking up people off the streets who do not look American enough. Children are being used as  bait to seize and imprison parents in the detention centers.

It started to snow as we drove towards the Charles de Gaulle Airport. It was the first now I had seen in my three months sketching the movements through Europe of the 75th Infantry Division. I am sure my father, 1st Lieutenant Arthur Thorspecken had visited Paris on leave from Camp Cleveland which he helped run. My father left Europe on about August 1, 1945, on a boat to America. He had been in Europe for 1 year, 3 months and 18 days. I originally wanted to stay in Europe sketching for the same duration, but the Schengen rule only allowed me 3 months to complete my sketch project. I had to rush through the 70 or so cities in France, Belgium, Netherlands and Germany at a much faster pace with my tiny French rental car.

You can tell a lot about a country by how people drive. Driving in Paris was of course hectic, but country driving was a delight. Belgium and the Netherlands both felt relaxed. Trucks drove below the speed limit, and all the other drivers were very polite. When I drove the speed limit, I would always find myself passing most of the traffic. Germany on the other hand is much like America in that all the drivers seem to be in a furious rush to get to the next stop light. Germans tail gate even closer than Americans do. They would rather drive though you than around. I had no desire to have a German officer stop me for driving too fast so I stuck to the speed limit. I started singing a little jingle every time there was a German on my butt. Every German I met who saw my rental car always commented on the French license plate. It looks just like a German license plate but with a tiny F instead of a tiny G. It might have been a mistake to drive the whole trip in a French car.

I also have a baseball cap that has the American 75th Infantry logo on it. In France people love the Americans for their help liberating their country from German occupation. The cap helped me fit in with WWII reenactors and others who appreciate the accomplishments of the greatest generation during WWII. People in Belgium and the Netherlands also appreciated seeing the emblem from 80 years ago. When I crossed the Rhine River into Germany, I stopped wearing the 75th Infantry Division hat, replacing it with a simple black cap.

At the time of my flight back to America the government had been shut down and air traffic controllers were not being paid. I was almost certain that flight would be delayed. I had no choice, my 3 months in Europe were up. Other than the exhausting wait going through customs the flights ran on schedule. All 6 of the sketchbooks I had filled were in my backpack along with multiple books about Stalag VI-A the POW camp that the 75th Infantry Division helped liberate. I am still translating the German book about Stalag VI-A too learn all about the camp which would have opened my father’s eyes to the horrors of how people are treated as subhuman and starved to death for the sake of a fascist Aryan ideal. I have no doubt that what he witnessed would have molded his world view for the rest of his life. If he were still alive, I would have so many questions.

Eiffel Tower: V for Verloren

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During the WWII German occupation of Paris (1940–1944), the Eiffel Tower became a symbol of resistance and a key military asset. French patriots cut the elevator cables to force Nazis to climb the stairs. In 1940 German soldiers had to climb to the top to hoist the swastika, but the flag was so large it blew away just a few hours later and was replaced by a smaller one. Later the Nazis used the tower for television and radio transmissions. The Germans hung a massive “V” (for Viktoria) on the tower which refer to Augusta Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein (1858–1921), the last German Empress and Queen of Prussia as the wife of Kaiser Wilhelm II. Had the Germans wanted to proclaim victory, they would have put a large S for Sieg. Adolph Hitler had a painting of Prussian King Frederick the Great by Anton Graff in his Berlin underground bunker. However Hitler despised the monarchy believing they caused the defeat of Germany in World War One.

Parisians interpreted it to mean “Victoire” (Victory). The Allied V-for-Victory cliché became so popular as a morale raiser that the enemy had to adopt to it. The propaganda officers just changed Sieg to Viktoria. The Nazis chose to believe that the use of V’s by civilians was a sign of support for Germany.

In ancient Roman religion, Victoria was the personified goddess of victory. She is the Roman equivalent of the Greek goddess Nike. Multiple temples were erected in her honor. Winged figures, very often in pairs, representing victory were common in Roman official iconography

The Nazis just used Viktoria because it had to start with V, and the V originally meant “V for victory” when Winston Churchill used it, so they probably needed something similar in order to not make it too obvious. When the Germans started their campaign, Churchill noted that they probably meant “verloren”, German for defeat.

The French resistance would often alter one letter to these type of banners and the message was transformed to Deutschland Liegt auf allen Fronten – Germans lie on every front line.

In 1944, American pilot Bill Overstreet reportedly flew his P-51 Mustang under the arches of the tower while chasing a German plane.

In August 1944, during the German retreat, Hitler ordered military governor Dietrich von Choltitz to destroy the tower and other landmarks, but the order was disobeyed. The tower survived, and the French flag was raised again on August 25, 1944.

Paris France: Place des Vosges

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While I was in Paris France, I thought it might be nice to sketch with the Paris Urban Sketchers, so I put out a request to see if they would be sketching the city while I was there. Sure enough they had a sketching event the week I was in the city.

While the surrounding neighborhood was heavily impacted by the persecution of the Jewish community, the square itself stayed largely intact. Place des Vosges is a perfect square, 150 yards by 150 yards. It is modeled on the piazzas that were appearing in Rome and Florence at the end of the 16th century, Place des Vosges itself became a model for the many squares that subsequently appeared in other European cities.

Place des Vosges in Paris did not suffer significant, lasting damage during WWII, as the city was largely spared from widespread destruction. While Adolph Hitler ordered the city to be left as a “field of ruins” in 1944, German General Dietrich von Choltitz disobeyed these orders to demolish key monuments and landmarks. Although explosives were placed under bridges and monuments, they were not detonated. While skirmishes occurred, particularly during the liberation in August 1944, the historic center and structures like those in Place des Vosges remained intact.

French author Victor Hugo, whose house is now a museum, once lived at Place des Vosges. His most famous works are the novels The Hunchback of Notre-Dame (1831) and Les Misérables (1862). Victor’s home is in my sketch in the corner of the square.

The last time I was at Place des Vosges, an immaculately stylish couple was dancing flamenco under the arched colonnade that runs around the square. On this day however there was the constant treat of rain. I arrived a bit early and started sketching before the other Urban Sketchers arrived. About 5 or 6 sketchers gathered as I was working away. Another tourist like myself had decided to take time to sketch. She spoke English so I had someone to chat with when the sketchers gathered afterwards in a café to compare sketches. At one point the rain got heavy enough that I ran for cover under the colonnade. I used that time to put down a few watercolor washes. When the rain let up, I returned to my spot in the park.

I was most fascinated by the heavily manicured trees that surround the square. They are cut into perfect cubes and without their leaves, they were perfectly shapes spiky boxes. I had fun sketching the menacing chaos of the branches. A few children were playing in the square and I got a compliment in French from a group pf boys. I don’t know what they said, but I assume it was a compliment. I responded with a Merci and thumbs up.

In the cafe afterwards, the artists were more intrigued by my tiny sketch stool than the sketch. They opened it up and set it up to sit in the café. There is a real sense of excitement that comes from meeting artists from another part of the world. I need to travel more often.

Charles de Gaulle

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In August of 1944, Paris, which had been occupied by German troops for 4 years, was liberated by the joint action of the Resistance, the French Forces of the Interior, General Leclerc ‘s 2nd Armored Division and the Allied troops sent by General Dwight D. Eisenhower.

On Saturday, August 25, 1944, at 4pm, Charles de Gaulle triumphantly arrived in Paris, liberated from the German occupiers but battered by the many confrontations of the previous days. It was the General’s grand return to the city he had left four years earlier. General Charles de Gaulle had fled to London. From there, he refused to accept the armistice, establishing the Free French movement to resist the occupation from exile.

In Paris, Charles de Gaulle stopping at the Ministry of War, from which he had left on the night of June 10, 1940, and at the Préfecture de Police. From there he walked to Hôtel de Ville where, at around 7pm on the square in front he delivered an impromptu speech to a crowd gathered.

“Why should we conceal the emotion that grips all of us, men and women, who are here, at home, in Paris standing up to liberate itself and who knew how to do it with their own hands. No! we will not conceal this deep and sacred emotion. There are minutes there that surpass each of our poor lives.

Paris! Paris outraged! Paris broken! Paris martyred! But Paris liberated! Liberated by itself, liberated by its people with the help of the armies of France, with the support and help of the whole of France, the France that fights, the only France, the true France, the eternal France…”

On August 26, 1944, General Charles de Gaulle led a triumphant liberation march down the Champs-Élysées in Paris, marking the end of four years of Nazi occupation. Following the city’s surrender, he walked from the Arc de Triomphe where he rekindled the Eternal Flame at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier before descending the avenue on foot toward Notre-Dame, Crowds of nearly two million Parisians filled the streets,

De Gaulle’s march was a crucial act of “political theater” designed to assert French sovereignty and restore the Republic with the Free French at the forefront. The march occurred one day after the formal surrender of German forces in Paris, which was negotiated by Dietrich von Choltitz, who defied Adolph Hitler‘s orders to destroy the city. The celebration was interrupted by scattered sniper fire from Germans who were still holding out. Though the crowd scattered, de Gaulle  refused to take cover, he continued the march unfazed. He famously dismissing the sniper fire as “buffoonery.” The procession ended with a solemn service at Notre-Dame Cathedral, further sealing the day’s symbolic weight.

De Gaulle ensured that the Free French, not the Allies, stood at the forefront of liberation. De Gaulle had convinced General Dright D Eisenhower to have French troops play the primary role in liberating Paris on August 25, 1944.

Winston Churchill

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This statue of  Winston Churchill by Jean Cardot was inaugurated in the grounds of the Petit Palais on the Avenue Winston Churchill in Paris France. The 10 foot high statue was funded by 3,000 donations totaling the equivalent of £250,000. It is based on a photograph of Churchill marching with De Gaulle down the Champs-Élysées on November 11, 1944. This one of the few statues of a foreigner in Paris.

Winston Churchill made several high-profile visits to the Western Front to witness the final Allied push into Germany. Key events included the Yalta Conference in February 1945, crossing the Rhine River with Montgomery on March 25, 1945, inspecting the Siegfried Line, and touring the ruined city of Berlin Germany in July 1945. He attended the start of the Potsdam Conference in July. He also toured the ruins of Berlin and Hitler’s bunker in July before losing the general election. These visits were designed to sculpt the post war world, boost morale, show defiance, and directly observe the collapse of the Nazi regime.

Churchill led Britain to victory in Europe in May 1945 but was stunningly removed from office months later. Despite high personal popularity, voters favored the Labour Party’s platform for social reform, resulting in his resignation on July 26, 1945, after a landslide election defeat. Churchill called the transition from war time leader to opposition leader an “anticlimax”. After Winston Churchill’s Conservative Party suffered a landslide defeat in the July 1945 general election, King George VI offered  him the Order of the Garter, the highest honor of knighthood in the King’s honor’s system. Churchill declined the honor, famously remarking that he could not accept it because the British people had just given him “the order of the boot”.

Winston Churchill, Harry Truman, and Joseph Stalin gathered in Potsdam, near the heavily bombed Berlin, to discuss the end of the war in the Pacific and the fate of the postwar world. After nine meetings over eight days, and with another week of the conference remaining, Churchill had to return to London for the results of the general election. Millions of British servicemen were casting their ballots from overseas. Churchill’s personal physician, left most of Churchill’s baggage behind in anticipation of a swift return. The opposing Labor party won the election in a sweeping victory. To add insult to injury, a large majority of the service vote went for Labour, deserting the man who had led them for five years and sung their praises in historic speeches. Churchill did not return to Potsdam. He had led Britain through its darkest hours and achieved final victory only to be booted from office.

Notre Dame Paris France

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Notre Dame Cathedral survived WWII largely intact, though it suffered minor damage from bullets during the 1944 liberation. The cathedral was protected with sandbags, which were placed around the portals. The portals are the large, sculpted entry ways to the cathedral which have hundreds of sculpted saints and martyrs. The cathedral’s stained glass was removed to prevent destruction. It narrowly escaped orders   Adolph Hitler’s order to destroy all monuments, landmarks and bridges. This order was disobeyed by Nazi commanding officer Dietrich von Choltitz.

Hitler did not visit Notre Dame during his 1940 trip. Hitler wanted the city destroyed and Dwight Eisenhower did not want Allied troops to get bogged down in a prolonged battle for Paris France. Memories of the Germans fighting for a long and arduous winter at Stalingrad left the impression that the Germans could make Paris a similar albatross around the neck of the allied push towards Berlin.

French resistance fighters and civilians forced Eisenhower’s hand since they blockaded streets and took back important public buildings. The square outside Notre-Dame Cathedral, usually empty early on a Saturday morning, filled with hundreds of policemen on August 19, 1944, all of them converging on the fortress-like Police headquarters. A flag unfurled atop the building: the blue, white and red French tricolor, banned by Paris’ German occupiers and last flown officially four years prior. The French police, on strike against the occupation, had returned, this time in revolt. Paris’ uprising against the Nazis had begun.

Resistance fighters erected around 600 street barricades—made of paving stones, trees, carts and sandbags—to stall and harass German troops. They seized government buildings, including the the city hall, where they pulled down a bust of Philippe Pétain, the French leader who’d collaborated with the Nazis, and replaced it with a portrait of Charles de Gaulle, the French General who insisted that France must be liberated at any cost.

Gunfire crackled all across the city as French freedom fighters hunted down Nazis and hoped to bring about the liberation of their city which had been under the boot of Nazi occupation since 1940. Two thousand police inside the Prefecture had used Molotov cocktails to thwart an attack by three German tanks. A fragile cease-fire, negotiated by the Swedish consul in Paris, saved the French police just as their pistol and rifle ammunition was about to run out.

If the revolt was unsuccessful the Nazi reprisal would be widespread and deadly. Adolf Hitler had ordered Dietrich von Choltitz, to “stamp out” any insurrection “without pity.” As Paris’ revolt grew.  Resistance fighters, were typically executed by firing squads. Mont Valérien fortress in Suresnes, near Paris, was the site for the execution of over 1,000 resistance fighters and hostages. It is estimated that around 60,000 French resistance fighters were executed, and 27,000 perished in concentration camps.

Hitler’s orders to Choltitz escalated. A Hitler order declared. “Paris must not fall into the hands of the enemy or, if it does, he must find there nothing but a field of ruins.” Choltitz refused to follow this order which would certainly result in his execution once the news got back to Hitler. But the war was almost over.

Dietrich von Choltitz survived World War II, surrendering as the German commander of Paris on August 25, 1944. He was held as a prisoner of war in Trent Park, London, and later in Mississippi, U.S., before being released in 1947. He died of a long-term illness on November 5, 1966, in Baden-Baden, Germany.

The cathedral was a focal point of the liberation, with a Magnificat sung on August 26, 1944, to celebrate the end of the Paris occupation. While it survived, the structure did suffer minor damage, including bullet holes in some stones. It is believed that 901 French Forces of the Interior members and 582 French civilians died in the fighting.