Mai 1945: Das absurde Ende des »Dritten Reiches«

The end of the National Socialist German Reich seems clearly defined: On May 7th and 9th, the unconditional surrender of the German Wehrmacht was signed. While this marked the end of the war, the Wehrmacht and the "Third Reich" had not yet completely collapsed. Not everyone immediately realized or wanted to acknowledge that it was all over. Some continued to fight, and there were still mass executions of "deserters." Others attempted to flee, committed suicide, or pretended to be uninvolved, like Albert Speer. Grand Admiral Karl Dönitz, the "successor of Adolf Hitler," issued a daily order to the Wehrmacht as late as May 18th. On May 23rd, he and other members of the acting Reich government were arrested in Mürwik near Flensburg. On the same day, SS chief Heinrich Himmler committed suicide in Lüneburg. Gerhard Paul skillfully presents the last four absurd weeks of the crumbling Reich in words and images, balancing between tragicomic moments and brutal downfall. His portrayal uniquely connects the perspectives of perpetrators, bystanders, and victims, the defeated and the victors, the actors and the spectators. An extraordinary book marking the 80th anniversary of the end of Nazi rule.