Wehrmacht militairen lopen in een straat 1941 - 1942

This photograph, by an anonymous artist, shows a street scene in tones of grey. The figures marching forthrightly seem to have been captured candidly. I wonder what it was like for the photographer at that moment? Maybe they felt compelled to document what was happening in front of them, maybe they felt scared, or maybe they felt a sense of responsibility to record history as it unfolded. What caught their eye? Was it the rigid discipline of the soldiers? Or was it the children walking alongside them? Or was it the contrast of the architecture? Photography can be such a powerful way to capture a single moment in time, and this image is no exception. It makes me think about the many other artists, both known and unknown, who have documented the world around them. The images of history that survive help us to understand the past and learn from it.