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World War II

World War II started with Nazi Germany's invasion of Poland in September 1939 and ended in Europe on May 8, 1945. In Asia, the war ended on August 15, 1945, following the atomic bombing of Japan's Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

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Reports & Analysis

SHIFT Erinnerungskultur Susanne Siegert

SHIFT Erinnerungskultur Susanne Siegert

Can TikTok teach young people about the Holocaust?

Can TikTok teach young people about the Holocaust?

Through TikTok and Instagram, Susanne Siegert shares history about the Nazi era.

Row upon row of old photos are seen on display in an exhibition. The photos are headshots of young Polish men dressed in Wehrmacht uniforms. Some photos are black and white; some are in sepia tones

Row upon row of old photos are seen on display in an exhibition. The photos are headshots of young Polish men dressed in Wehrmacht uniforms. Some photos are black and white; some are in sepia tones

Were Polish troops in Nazi's military traitors or victims?

Were Polish troops in Nazi's military traitors or victims?

An exhibition in Gdansk tells the story of about 450,000 Poles who had to serve in the Wehrmacht during World War II.

A room showing a wash basin and a wooden stretcher at the Nazi German Stutthof death camp.

A room showing a wash basin and a wooden stretcher at the Nazi German Stutthof death camp.

Nazi human experiments still influence medicine today

Nazi human experiments still influence medicine today

A new database details forced medical research by the Nazi regime. How do those findings influence modern health care?

Visitors in Japanese Imperial army costume entering the Yasukuni Shrine in 2023

Visitors in Japanese Imperial army costume entering the Yasukuni Shrine in 2023

Japan grapples with its past 80 years after World War II

Japan grapples with its past 80 years after World War II

Right-wing groups in Japan continue to push historical denialism that whitewashes wartime atrocities.

A packet of birth control pills

A packet of birth control pills

What does birth control pill have to do with Auschwitz?

What does birth control pill have to do with Auschwitz?

The pill gave women new freedom. But its development was based on brutal human experiments conducted in Auschwitz.

A crow flies over the Genbaku Dome, near Memorial Park, in Hiroshima, Japan, August 5, 2025

A crow flies over the Genbaku Dome, near Memorial Park, in Hiroshima, Japan, August 5, 2025

Japan: Passing on the pain of Hiroshima and Nagasaki

Japan: Passing on the pain of Hiroshima and Nagasaki

A new generation of storytellers is stepping up to ensure the world never forgets the human cost of nuclear war.

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The fake Auschwitz images distorting Holocaust history

AI-generated images depicting fake historical events from Auschwitz are deceiving some users online.

black and white photo of Stauffenberg, Hitler, General Fromm from July 15, 1944

black and white photo of Stauffenberg, Hitler, General Fromm from July 15, 1944

Operation Valkyrie: 81st anniversary of plot to kill Hitler

One act of resistance against the Nazi dictator had more of a long-term impact than all the others.

Picture of seated a woman with grey hair looking pensive.

Picture of seated a woman with grey hair looking pensive.

Holocaust survivor Anita Lasker-Wallfisch turns 100

She survived Auschwitz and told of witnessing the Holocaust. Now, at age 100, Anita Lasker-Wallfisch is disillusioned.

A woman and man enjoy a cigarette while staring into each other's eyes

A woman and man enjoy a cigarette while staring into each other's eyes

Lost Nazi-era novel becomes bestseller

Sebastian Haffner's forgotten 1932 romance novel set amid Hitler's ominous rise to power is now a literary sensation.

An archive photo of an extreme-right protest from 2015

An archive photo of an extreme-right protest from 2015

In eastern Germany, youths embrace nationalism, extremism

In many parts of eastern Germany, Nazi symbols have become a common sight. DW went to Dessau to find out why.

A child holds up a red banner with a yellow wheel symbol surrounded by black stars, and the words Romaday Parade, while walking on a street with other people in Berlin

A child holds up a red banner with a yellow wheel symbol surrounded by black stars, and the words Romaday Parade, while walking on a street with other people in Berlin

Germany: Racism against Sinti and Roma increasing

A new report about antiziganism in Germany has revealed alarming figures — and criticized the media for feeding cliches.

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