WWII German Prisoners Return Home (1955) | British Pathé

The WWII prisoners are released from the Soviet Union, a country which cannot forget their crimes, back to Germany, a country which cannot forgive their captivity. Ten years after the war ended and families are still hoping the half-forgotten faces will be among the among the returning thousands. 9,000 war criminals become 9,000 heroes. The price is paid, but is the lesson learned? For Archive Licensing Enquiries Visit: Explore Our Online Channel For FULL Documentaries, Fascinating Interviews & Classic Movies: #BritishPathé #History #WWII #POWs #Germany License This Film: (FILM ID:) Subscribe to the British Pathé YT Channel: (Lavender.) (Orig “G“) Friedland Camp, Lower Saxony, West Germany (Federal Republic of Germany). Under the Adenauer-Bulganin agreement Soviet Union agrees to return German POW’s to Germany. GV. Line of Prisoners of War (POW) transport coaches arriving at Friedland Camp. STV. Coach driving through lane of cheering crowds. GV. Coaches arriving at camp with crowds cheering. SV. Man tolling bell. CU. Bell tolling. SV. POW’s stepping out of coach. SV. Group of German women holding up name boards. CU. German woman holding up picture of Nazi soldier. SV. More POW’s stepping down from coach, some still in Wehrmacht coats. SV. POW’s carrying bouquets walking past crowds. SV. Group of women holding name boards (one mentions Stalingrad). SV. POW’s being greeted by relatives. CU. Woman holding a large name board. SV. Smiling parents greeting POW. SV. Smiling POW with arm around relatives, looking happy. SV. POW walking with three very happy women. GV. Pan Mass of P.O. W’s all lined up being greeted by West Germany’s Vice-Chancellor Dr Bluecher in place of Dr Adenauer who was ill. CU. POW with scared face. SV. Dr Bluecher addressing crowds. CU. People listening. SCU. Old woman crying behind name board while another woman in front looks around with stern face. CU. Ex-prisoner with bard. CU. POW with sad face. GV. Mass of people. CU. Man being embraced by relative. BRITISH PATHÉ’S STORY Before television, people came to movie theatres to watch the news. British Pathé was at the forefront of cinematic journalism, blending information with entertainment to popular effect. Over the course of a century, it documented everything from major armed conflicts and seismic political crises to the curious hobbies and eccentric lives of ordinary people. If it happened, British Pathé filmed it. Now considered to be the finest newsreel archive in the world, British Pathé is a treasure trove of 85,000 films unrivalled in their historical and cultural significance. British Pathé also represents the Reuters historical collection, which includes more than 136,000 items from the news agencies Gaumont Graphic (1910-1932), Empire News Bulletin (1926-1930), British Paramount (1931-1957), and Gaumont British (1934-1959), as well as Visnews content from 1957 to the end of 1984. All footage can be viewed on the British Pathé website.