Living in German Occupied Paris France

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Les Invalides in Paris France was occupied by German forces during World War II, serving as a site for administrative purposes and military control from 1940 to 1944. Following the 1940 defeat, the Germans took over the complex, which even included a visit from Adolf Hitler to Napoleon’s tomb in June 1940.

When it seemed clear that the city would be captured by the Germans, curators at the Louvre, summoned back from summer vacation, began cataloging and packing the major works of art, which were put into crates and labeled only with numbers to disguise their contents. The Winged Victory of Samothrace statue was carefully wheeled down the long stairway on a wooden ramp to be put on a truck for its departure to the Château de Valençay with the hope that the Germans could not find her.

Iconic hotels and buildings were requisitioned by the Nazis, turning the “City of Light” into a somber, occupied, and often hungry city.  Parisian had to endure the humiliation of being second-class citizens in their own city. Living in German-occupied Paris from June 1940 to August 1944 was characterized by severe food shortages, strict curfews, fear, and a loss of freedom, with the city’s atmosphere defined by the Nazi flag atop the Eiffel Tower. Parisians lived under constant rationing. Food was scarce, leading to long lines and, for many, severe malnutrition. Adults were limited to 2.5 ounces of meat per week. Essential items like coal, soap, and clothes were strictly rationed, leading to a flourishing black market where goods were expensive.

Private cars were reserved for the occupiers, forcing Parisians to rely on crowded buses, the metro, or bicycles. Strict curfews, often starting around 9 p.m., meant being confined to homes, and nightlife ceased to exist as it once did.

The presence of the Gestapo and German soldiers created an atmosphere of fear, with frequent identity checks, searches, and the threat of arrest. The architectural landmarks of the city were protected by sandbags.

The Jewish population suffered immense persecution, including mandatory wearing of the yellow star, and exclusion from public life. On July 16-17 1942, French police, on orders of the Germans  rounded up 13,152 Jews, including 4,115 children, who were sent to the Auschwitz concentration camp where they were murdered on mass.

Thousands of Frenchmen were conscripted for mandatory forced labor in Germany to make munitions for the war effort. Parisian had to endure the humiliation of being second-class citizens in their own city. While many citizens quietly tried to survive, some collaborated with the Germans, while others joined the French Resistance, risking death to fight back. After the city was liberated, the collaborators would be publicly humiliated. Particularly women who dated German officers would be striped and have their hair cut off publicly by the angry mob.

The French Resistance in Paris launched an uprising on August 19, 1944 seizing the police headquarters and other government buildings. Resistance fighters and everyday citizens including children blockaded streets by cutting down trees and removing cobblestones. The week between August 19 and the 25th the city saw the resistance fighters and any citizen with a firearm fighting to free their city from German oppression. The city was liberated by French and American troops on  August 25, 1944, the next day, General De Gaulle led a triumphant parade down the Champs-Élysée and organized a new government.

May 7, 1945, Late Pasta Lunch in Paris

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A block from the hotel I was staying at in Paris was a breakfast place that was really popular. I tried to get in, and the hostess pointed out the door. There was a long line of people hoping to get inside waiting in the street. That was not going to work for me. I walked past the place every morning and there was always a long line. It was too popular for me. I walked a few shops down the street and walked into Ricci which was a pizza and pasta restaurant. I sat at a table towards the back of the restaurant and ordered a plate of pasta.

I sat at this table because there was a group of men eating across from me at a long table. However, they were close to being done. I noticed their cups near empty and there was no food left on the plates. Sure enough as I started laying in my sketch, they got up to leave. I was left with a large empty table and a small family tucked away in the corner. Their, two children were squirming and impatient. The waiter was really good with the kids, entertaining them as their parents also got up to leave.

I was left to sketch the gaudy and tasteless painting of Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn and I think Leslie Caron as Gigi, hanging on a mirrored wall. Each of the women was blowing a big bubble. The tacky paintings had gold leaf and bright colors. The owners might have thought this is the type of art that tourists wanted to see. Maybe they think that people come to Paris for gaudy pop art rather than to see classical masterpieces in the world class museums.

The German Generals signed the surrender document on May 7, 1945, in a red brick schoolhouse in Reims France in a room whose walls were covered with war maps. This was General Eisenhower’s headquarters. I thought this was too humble a spot for signing such an important document. It really should have been signed in a more opulent setting. The Russians had the same idea, and they insisted that a second document of surrender should  be signed the next day at the former Soviet engineering school in Karlshorst, Berlin Germany. This room felt more like a courtroom with dark wood paneling, dark leather chairs and above was a golden chandelier.

Then I thought to myself it might be more fun to sign the Document of Unconditional Surrender in a gaudy Paris restaurant with Marilyn, Audrey and Gigi blowing bubbles. What the occasion needed was plenty of mirrors, cheep restaurant chairs and pop art. Of course, pop art wasn’t a thing until late in the 1950s and it didn’t become popular until the 1960s, long after the war was over.

My spaghetti Marinara was good and I ordered two Cokes for the caffeine rush. I also ordered a dessert since the sketch was taking some time to create. I nursed my desert taking my time to complete the sketch. The waiter walked over to my table. I was the only person in the place. He informed me that they needed to shut the restaurant down. I did not realize that some restaurants took a break between lunch and dinner. I tended to eat at odd time on my trip since I would only eat between sketch opportunities. I apologized and wolfed my desert down. The sketch was as done as it was going to be. I kept hoping that someone might sit down at the large table I was drawing but that was not going to happen.

I got up to pay my bill. I got some stink eye from a second waiter. He must have been annoyed that the American tourist would take so long to eat a plate of spaghetti. He wanted his afternoon break. I walked back to my hotel and made plans for what I might sketch the next day.

Paris Bomb Shelter

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The Paris Liberation Museum features an original 1940s underground bomb shelter used as a Resistance command post. Located twenty meters under the museum, the command post used during the Liberation by Colonel Henri Rol, head of the French Forces of the Interior (FFI) which was the unified military wing of the French Resistance that played a crucial role in the August 1944 liberation of Paris. It has 10-foot thick concrete walls, pedal-powered ventilation, and gas-tight doors. The memory of World War I gas attacks made keeping the bunker airtight a priority.

Built in 1938 as an air raid shelter. It was constructed to protect against potential aerial attacks.. The bunker, which features a 250-line telephone exchange, served as the operational command post for the final battle to liberate Paris, rather than as a civilian shelter. The bunker never really saw any action as a shelter, Paris was largely spared from air attacks during WWII, and there was little danger of poison gas.

The bunker was used as the headquarters for French Resistance leaders including Colonel Rol-Tanguy during the August 1944 uprising. It features a restored “disinfection room” gas masks, and a bicycle used to generate electricity. In this bunker, plans were set in place for the city’s liberation. In one room there are still telephone switchboards and a typewriter as if staff had just left yesterday.

Starting on August 15, 1944, thousands of FFI members and Parisian police initiated a general strike and armed insurrection. They seized police stations and barricaded streets before Allied forces arrived. The FFI hoped to liberate the city themselves, but their limited, mostly light, weapons cache forced them to rely on the arrival of General Leclerc‘s 2nd Armored Division and U.S. 4th Infantry Division, which entered the city on August 24-25, 1944.

The Allies were still pushing the Germans toward the Rhine River and did not want to get embroiled in a battle for the liberation of Paris. The Allies thought that it was too early to take Paris. They knew Adolf Hitler‘s Nero Decree required the German military to destroy the city if the Allies attacked.  Charles de Gaulle persuaded them to attack.  De Gaulle,  learned the French Resistance had risen up against the German occupiers and he was unwilling to allow his countrymen to be slaughtered like the Polish Resistance during the Warsaw Uprising. He petitioned for an immediate frontal assault. He threatened to detach the French 2nd Armored Division and to order it to single-handedly attack the German forces in Paris, bypassing the chain of command in so doing, if Eisenhower delayed approval.

Paris was considered to have too great a value, culturally and historically, to risk its destruction. The Allies were also keen to avoid a drawn-out battle of attrition like during the Battle of Stalingrad when Germany was stopped in it’s tracks by the Russians. Ultimately the Allies liberated the city.

The FFI’s actions, including securing key Paris buildings, prevented the German garrison from destroying the city. The actions of the FFI allowed the city to be liberated on August 25, 1944, with relatively light resistance.

Paris France: Foch’s Tomb

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This Tomb of Marshal Foch is in the Cathedral of Saint-Louis of the Invalids. Also in the cathedral is the Tomb of Napoleon. Adolph Hitler saw himself much like Napoleon conquering all of Europe. The Dome of the Invalids is the tallest church building in Paris France at a height of 351 ft.

Ferdinand Foch’s tomb has a really nice statue of soldiers carrying his body still clutching a sword. Foch was a French General and Marshal of France. He was born in 1851 and died in 1999. He distinguished himself as the Supreme Allied Commander on the Western Front during the First World War. Foch became Supreme Allied Commander in late March of 1918 in the face of the all-out German spring offensive. He successfully coordinated the French, British and American efforts. He stopped the German offensive and launched a war-winning counterattack. In November 1918, Marshal Foch accepted the German cessation of hostilities and was present at the Armistice of November 11, 1918.

Foch was seen as a master of the Napoleonic school of military thought. It seems appropriate therefore that his tomb would be within yards of Napoleon’s tomb.

The Cathedral of Saint-Louis of the Invalids was not significantly damaged during WWII. While many cities in France were heavily bombed, Paris was declared an open city and escaped major strategic bombing during the conflict, preserving its major landmarks.

With Paris under German occupation, there were severe food shortages, strict curfews, constant surveillance, and systematic persecution of Jewish residents. Life was characterized by long lines, a thriving black market, German soldiers occupying luxury hotels, and a tense, silent atmosphere where the swastika flew over major landmarks. The French government moved to Vichy France.

A 9 p.m. curfew was enforced, and only Germans were allowed to drive cars. While many Parisians struggled to survive, some collaborated, while others joined the Resistance. I am left wondering how I might act under such circumstances, and yet the situation isn’t that abstract as history repeats itself. The Gestapo operated with extreme brutality, leading to widespread fear of arrest and torture

The Nazis, supported by French authorities, systematically registered, arrested, and deported Jews to concentration camps, including the 1942 Vélodrome d’Hiver Roundup, which was a mass arrest of over 13,000 Jews in Paris by French police, acting on behalf of German authorities. Victims were held in brutal conditions at the Vélodrome d’Hiver cycling stadium before being deported to Drancy, then Auschwitz.

 

Paris France: The Army Museum

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My last stop before flying back to the States was Paris France. I stayed in a small hotel at the Ecole Militaire metro stop. Returning the rental car was an adventure in itself since the parking garage was unmarked and I ended up driving backwards up some winding exit ramps to finally find the level I was supposed to be on.

My goal in Paris was to explore all the World War II museums and there are many. The hotel was situated walking distance to several of the war museums as well as the Eiffel Tower. My first stop was to the Army Museum at Les Invalides. There are actually several war museums in this complex.

Louis XIV initiated the project by an order dated November 24, 1670 to create a home and hospital for aged and disabled soldiers, the veterans of his many military campaigns. Les Invalides is a complex of buildings containing museums and monuments, all relating to the military history of France, as well as a hospital and an old soldiers’ retirement home. The buildings house The museum of the Army of France, the Museum of Plans-Reliefs, and the Museum of C0ntemporary History. The complex also includes the Cathedral of Saint-Louis-des-Invalides. It is adjacent to the Royal Chapel known as the Dome of the Invalides, the tallest church building in Paris at a height of 351 ft.

The Army Museum (Musée de l’Armée) was created in 1905. On display are all things related to weapons from the late Middle Ages through to World War II. They include weapons, armor, works of arts and technology. I of course spent most of my time on the floors devoted to World War II. The floors were dedicated for uniforms, weapons, and documents. I made my way through the chronological displays several times before settling on this spot to sketch.

One display caught my eye. It displayed all the things an American GI might carry into battle. There were 3 boxes of K Rations, an old can of what might be green beans, a Coke bottle, foot powder, shoe polish, a razor for shaving with Gem double edge blades, a large syringe, a tiny tin can camping stove, mess kit, canteen, several pockets full of shaving cream, tooth paste and a shaving brush, armed services editions of several books including Big Ben and Fireside Book of Verse, Pal Mall Cigarettes, a wrist watch, some Chiclets, dog tags, a lighter, whistle, a small satchel full of bobby pins, tweezers and a nail file, a knife fork and spoon, a small folding shovel, a flashlight and some V Letter envelopes, and a pin up girl photo. I can’t imagine any one soldier would carry all of these items. In the Netherlands I remember being told that the Americans were known for leaving plenty of Coke bottles behind. Some of them were still full. Another item often left behind was foot powder. Cases of this were left behind. So much so that the curator of the military museum offered me a tin of foot powder but I had to refuse. My backpack was already too heavy.

As I sketched there was a WWII video playing in the room to my left. There were the sounds of aircraft hurling towards the earth along with fires and ling lines of displaces persons searching for a place to call home. The video always zoomed on  a young girls face as she boarded a box car. I saw that image repeat over and over. I still haunts me.

Digital Future

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A Digital Artist Meetup was held at the Internal Operations Center (450 Esat South Street Orlando Florida). Those who attended were encouraged to help shape the future of the digital landscape in Central Florida. Since I am an Analog Artist in a Digital World, I was curious.

After introductions from everyone in the room there was a presentation by Kunal Patel, Orange County’s Innovation Manager. Kunal’s background was as a game designer. He spoke about how he thought outside the box to promote his games. At a conference He wore a suit and handed out information about the game he was working on to everyone in the room. He used to believe in converted into a digital workspace. People will be able to use the space to learn about projection mapping, augmented reality, digital painting, 3D modeling, animation, vector art and other mediums. I made sure to sketch digitally to document the meeting.

The Innovation Center is scheduled to open on March of 2026. Kunal showed those gathered on the room a virtual walk through of the space. Creative lighting was being considered and there was plenty of blank wall space the could feature art. He likes the idea of presenting that art via projections. He feels that physically hanging art is a cumbersome process, but with projections, the art could be easily changed out.

Orange County’s investment in this project must be sizable. Digital tech becomes outdated quickly, so that investment will have to keep growing. It seems like the large studio areas could be a fun place to experiment. I plan to stop by the Innovation Center when it opens. I like the idea of a limitless digital playground.

Reims France: Cathedral Notre Dame

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While under German occupation, the cafes in Reims France were typically restricted, serving limited goods, and often frequented by German officers or, in secrecy, by members of the French Resistance.

Reims was liberated from German occupation by Allied ground forces on August 30, 1944, during the Northern France Campaign. Following its liberation, the city served as a key Allied logistics hub, and significantly, General Eisenhower’s Supreme Headquarters was located there, where Germany signed its unconditional surrender on May 7, 1945. My father, 1st Lieutenant Arthur Thorspecken would have likely entered the city between June 1, 1945, and September 15, 1945, on leave from his duties helping run Camp Cleveland which was a short distance south east of the city. He would have explored the city as an American GI.

American soldiers on leave in WWII Rheims frequented the city center for relaxation, with key spots including the iconic Notre-Dame de Reims cathedral, the Lycée Roosevelt (site where Germany signed the unconditional surrender in the war room), local cafes for coffee, and areas to enjoy Champagne, capitalizing on the city’s role as a major hub for the U.S. Army. There was an American officers’ club in Reims, France, known as Club du Chateau.

The Reims Notre Dame Cathedral was not destroyed during World War II; it remained largely untouched during that conflict, although it suffered severe damage and near-total destruction during World War I. The cathedral underwent a major restoration between 1919 and 1938, allowing it to survive the 1940s conflict relatively unscathed. This magnificent structure was the traditional coronation site of French kings, with more than 30 monarchs crowned here between the 11th and 19th centuries. It was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1991. Reims is also known as the “city of cathedrals” and is home not only to the Notre-Dame de Reims but the Basilica of Saint-Remi, the Church of Saint-Jacques, and the Protestant Church of Reims.

After World War I, much of Reims was rebuilt in the Art Deco style, giving the city a distinctive architectural identity. Walking through the city center, visitors will notice elegant facades, geometric designs, and decorative details that reflect the optimism of the 1920s. This blend of medieval landmarks and early 20th-century architecture makes Reims visually unique among French cities.

After the sketch was complete, I wandered the streets of the historic city searching for a nice restaurant to have my meal for the day. I found a nice little café on my walk back to the rental car. I ordered a chicken dinner which was delicious. The proprietor let me know that all the food was purchased fresh from local farmers markets. An older couple in the corner was celebrating a birthday. From behind the bar, the proprietor pulled out a bouquet of flowers and he offered it to the woman celebrating her birthday. I considered doing a sketch, but decided to just enjoy my meal and soak in the ambiance.
Walking back to the rental car I enjoyed the magnificent historic homes and there was yet another World War statue in a public park I passed through. History felt alive on every street I walked down.

Reims France: Museum of the Surrender

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My second stop on the drive back to Paris was Reims France. Rheims was the city where Germany unconditionally surrendered on May 7, 1945, at 2:41am. However, the Soviets had not yet officially approved the text of the Instrument of Surrender signed in Reims. The Soviets insisted that the proper signing ceremony must not take place in France, but right in the fallen Reich’s heart, in Berlin. They also insisted on certain changes in the text of the Instrument of Surrender, insisting it state unambiguously that all German troops were required to give up their arms and hand themselves over to the Allies. Therefor on May 8, 1945, there was another, grander, more formal ceremony in Berlin Germany.

There were no immediate celebrations. The ceasefire was set for 11.01pm on 8 May, and the news correspondents present at the Rheims signing were sworn not to report the surrender until further notice. A few hours later, however, German radio did – and the news was out.

My Father 1st Lieutenant Arthur Thorspecken was serving occupation duty in the area of Hemer where Stalag VI-A was located as well as Iserlohn and Plettenburg Germany when Germany surrendered. He held on to the Stars and Strips newspaper announcing the surrender for the rest of his life. I now have that very yellow and fragile newspaper with the full-page headline NAZIS QUIT! Arthur must have been ecstatic that the European war was over. The 75th Infantry marching band celebrated by marching through the streets of Plettenberg Germany playing patriotic music.

Although Arthur Thorspecken wasn’t at the signing on May 8, 1945, he was reassigned to Camp Cleveland just 11 miles south east of Reims on June 1, 1945. Leaves to Rheims and Paris were common for the 75th Infantry soldiers who ran Camp Cleveland. I have no doubt that Arthur would have taken a leave to Rheims and come to the this site where the war in Germany had ended.

The newspaper announced that, German officers formally surrendered the German forces at a meeting in the big red schoolhouse which was General Eisenhauer’s headquarters. Grand Admiral Doenitz, successor to Adolph Hitler, ordered the surrender and the German High Command declared it effective. The signing of the surrender declaration took place in secret in the “map room” located in the technical college (now called Lycée Roosevelt)

The red schoolhouse in Rheims is now a museum memorializing the end of World War II. The museum has archives, uniforms, and artifacts which bring the period of May 1945 to life. Unfortunately, when I was there, the museum was under renovation. It is slated to re-open in March of 2026.

The text serving as the “Instrument of Surrender” had already been written by the Allies in mid-1944, after the D-Day Landings in Normandy France. Reworked sections of the text were also the subject of the Yalta Conference in early 1945. The main points were that the surrender had to be unconditional and must be signed by the German Military High Command. When Germany’s surrendered in WW1, only the civilian government signed. This later paved the way for the “Dolchstoß”, or ‘stab-in-the-back’, legend that militarily Germany had not actually been defeated on the battlefields, but that it was “betrayed” – by republicans, social democrats, and Jews. This propaganda fueled the hatred that allowed Hitler to be voted into office and begin a massive build up of armed forces.

Adolph Hitler’s suicide, in the Fuhrer bunker in Berlin on 30 April 1945, opened a real chance for surrender to come quickly. Yet it came in stages, drawn out over the course of more than a week, partly because of the chaos the German military was experiencing.

Today the museum looks quite nondescript, a simple red-brick complex. Only the four flagpoles flying the British, United States, French and Soviet flags hint at its significance.

March 1, 1945: Trier Germany

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After visiting my Thorspecken cousins in Wiesbaden Germany, I had hundreds of miles to drive to get to back to Paris France before my flight to the States. My three months in Europe were quickly drawing to a close. I divided the drive in half and decided to stop on the first night in Trier Germany. The drive to Trier was 100 miles. Trier is a historic old Roman city on the border of Germany and Luxembourg. It was a long day of driving on winding mountain roads and quick sprints on the autobahn where there is no speed limit.

In Trier I stayed at a quaint historic hotel on a hill overlooking the city. There was a walking trail down into the city which would have been lovely but it started to rain. In the morning I decided to sketch the glorious panoramic view from my hotel window.

Prior to the Allied advance, the Jewish community in Trier was harassed, with roughly 600 people deported between 1941 and 1943. In September 1944 Trier was subjected to almost daily bombardment by American artillery. Allied forces carried out three large-scale aerial attacks on the city later in the same year. On December 19 at 3:30 pm, 30 British Lancaster Bombers dropped 136 tonnes of high-explosive bombs over Trier. Two days later, on December 21 at 2:35 pm, 94 Lancasters and 47 American fighter-bombers dropped 427 tonnes of ordnance (high-explosive, and incendiary bombs). Another two days after that, 700 tonnes of bombs were released over the city. At least 420 people were killed in the December 1944 attacks on Trier. Numerous buildings were damaged. During the entire war, 1,600 houses in the city were completely destroyed.

Trier Germany was captured and liberated by American forces, specifically Task Force Richardson of the 10th Armored Division (Combat Command B) of the U.S. Third Army on March 1-2, 1945. The troops secured the city and it’s historic Roman Bridge during the Allied offensive to clear the Rhineland before crossing the Rhine River. The capture was highly significant with General George S. Patton and Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force Dwight D. Eisenhower visiting to honor the success. The quick capture of the historic bridge lead to the quick fall of the city. Around 3000 Wehrmacht soldiers surrendered when Trier was captured.

The 75th Infantry Division was not involved in the capture of Trier. On March 1, 1945 they were liberating Venlo Netherlands from the Nazis as part of Operation Grenade which pushed the Nazi troops back across the Rhine River into Germany.

March 28, 1945: Hessian State Theater, Wiesbaden Germany

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After sketching in Plettenburg Germany, I arranged to visit distant Thorspecken cousins in Wiesbaden Germany. Back in 1994 I visited all of the Thorspecken relatives I could find based on researching my family tree. One relative was a professional flute player for the state theater in Weisbaden. When I interviewed her back in 1994, she was nursing her newborn baby girl. That child was just married, and she helped me on this project by agreeing to allow me to ship the empty sketchbooks to her home in Koblinz Germany. When my first sketchbook was completely full, I drove to Koblinz to pick up the other 6 sketchbooks and was treated to a delicious traditional German breakfast in their home..

We all agreed to meet at Hessan State Theater in Wiesbaden. This is where my cousin performed fin the orchestra for so many years. She retired recently from performing in the theater, but she knows every nook and cranny of the place. One entrance of the theater was for the king and all his horses. She showed me the kings box seating which was of course the best seat in the house.

I loved when we explored the prop rooms and the huge scenic shop. Large scenic drops were on the floor being painted. Another theater had a rehearsal going on but my cousin marched in with confidence, and we watched for a while from the back rows. Another rehearsal was going on in a lobby which was super elegant with highly ornate gold trim. We watched that rehearsal which was in English from an upper balcony. The theater was a buzz with activity.

Wiesbaden is situated above natural hot springs. Steam can be seen rising from the ground in many spots. A fountain allowed people to sample the sulfur flavored water which is supposed to have healing properties.

My cousin used to live in Weisbaden but she just recently purchased a home out in the country. The home had a wood burning stove and a balcony that has a gorgeous view of the valley surrounded by large hills. I loved the way her home was decorated, it had an elegant old world feel. She practiced her English and I practiced my limited German. After a day of exploring Wiesbaden with my cousins, they insisted we go to a spot high on the mountain that overlooks the city to have a hot mulled wine. It was the perfect end cap to an amazing day.

Wiesbaden became a military base during WWII for the General Command of the XII Army Corps and the 3rd battalion of the 38th Infantry Regiment. It was also a target for Allied bombings because of its industrial support for the Nazi war machine. Allied bombing raids targeted Wehrmacht facilities, the Glyco-Metalworks production plant, the Dyckerhoff and sons cement works, Kalle chemical works, the Albert chemical plant among others. There were frequent attacks on both industrial and residential areas. By the end of the war, around 30% of Wiesbaden’s buildings had been destroyed.

The Hessian State Theater that we visited, had extensive damage to the north side during the Allied air raid of February 2 to 3, 1945. In that air raid, nearly 500 British aircraft dropped 1,251 tons of bombs, including several so-called blockbuster bombs, which could destroy entire city blocks. But the city was lucky — heavy cloud cover meant it was spared the destruction suffered by many German cities in the war.

Wiesbaden was liberated from Nazi control on March 28, 1945, by the U.S. 80th Infantry Division alongside elements of the 4th Armored Division during the drive to the Rhine. On that morning at 5:45 a.m., a white flag was raised on the bunker at the museum, marking a peaceful surrender despite the Nero decree which insisted on evacuation and destruction of all infrastructure. My father, 1st lieutenant Arthur Thorspecken would have been much further north, crossing the Dortmund-Ems Canal on the way to attacking Dorsten Germay. The 75th Infantry Division did not take part in the liberation of Wiesbaden.

After Wiesbaden was liberated, it became a major hub for American forces. The city served as a major U.S. Air Force base (crucial during the 1948–49 Berlin Airlift) and housed the “Central Collecting Point” for art recovered from the Nazi’s by the Monuments Men.