Heidelberg commemorates 1945: A journey through war and peace

Heidelberg commemorates 1945: A journey through war and peace

The event took place on April 30, 2025 University of Heidelberg the Ruperto Carola lecture series takes place. This lecture series is dedicated to the year 1945 as an epochal threshold and space of experience. Designed by Prof. Dr. Manfred Berg from the History Seminar, the event illuminates both the retrospective interpretation of the end of the Second World War and the reconstruction of the human experience in this chaotic time.

The lectures, which will be held on Mondays in the auditorium of the Old University at 6:15 p.m., include perspectives from speakers from Germany, Austria and the USA. They address the local, national and international contexts of the events surrounding the end of the war. Particularly noteworthy is the opening lecture by Prof. Jörn Leonhard, who offers a comparison between the end of the First and Second World Wars. The consideration begins with the belief in victory in the First World War, which lasted until the summer of 1918; In contrast, optimism about the outcome of the Second World War was already declining at the end of 1942.

The turning point of 1945: a time of upheaval

The year 1945 is considered a profound turning point in German and European memory. While the world was reeling from the horrors of war, this period called for a reassessment of social and political structures. The Federal Agency for Civic Education highlights that the six years of war in Europe cost around 40 million lives, including six million Jews in the Holocaust. Large parts of Europe lay in ruins, and after the end of the war, the victorious powers took control of Germany, which resulted in far-reaching political changes.

Soviet influence shaped the geopolitical landscape, particularly in Central, East-Central and Eastern Europe. Poland's western shift led to mass (forced) migrations and a series of communist takeovers in several countries until 1948. Historically, 1946 is referred to as the year in which Winston Churchill described the "iron curtain" over Europe, which symbolized the division of the continent into East and West.

Visions after the war

The end point of the Second World War came during a time of great uncertainty and violence within European societies. The events in Japan also led to crucial historical developments. On August 14, 1945, Japan accepted the terms of the end of the war following devastating atomic bombings by the United States on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. These bombings marked the transition into the nuclear age and the subsequent creation of the United Nations Atomic Energy Commission, which sought control over nuclear weapons.

The year 1945 represents not only the end of a war, but also the beginning of a process that would lead to the independence of many colonial countries. Countries like Vietnam and Indonesia declared their independence, while European colonial powers tried to reestablish their rule by force. But these attempts ultimately failed, leading to significant political upheaval in Asia and Africa in the decades that followed.

The Ruperto Carola lecture series is part of a larger project that deals with the historical turning point of 1945. Further lectures are planned for the summer semester that deal with the central questions of this time. The lecture series is accompanied by a photo exhibition entitled “1945: Heidelberg – All Lost?”, which opens on May 4th. Another exhibition of work by photojournalist Leonard McCombe opens on May 6th at the Heidelberg Center for American Studies.

The examination of 1945 offers a comprehensive reflection on the challenges and changes that shaped not only Germany, but the entire history of the world. The Ruperto Carola Lecture Series helps to make these historical questions accessible to a broad audience and to shed light on the different experiences and memories of this era.