Zero hour (1945)

thumb|Ruined buildings in [[Nuremberg, May 1945]]

right|thumb|[[Trümmerfrauen at work in Berlin, July 1946]]

Zero hour (, ) is a term referring to the capitulation of Germany at midnight on 8 May 1945 and the immediately following weeks in Germany. It marked the end of World War II in Europe and the end of the Nazi regime, and was partly an attempt by Germany to dissociate itself from the Nazis. – which encouraged the idea that Germany was entering a new phase of history.

Allied occupation of Germany

During the post-war period Germany was partitioned into four zones controlled by the Soviet Union, the United States, France, and the United Kingdom. A primary objective of the Allied occupation was the denazification process implemented by each occupying power. This was accomplished through 're-education'. The Allies' objective was to ensure that another Nazi regime would not arise in Germany; however, there was concern that the German people would reject these ideas if they felt they were being reeducated. A period of massive reconstruction began after the end of the war. famously gave his blessing to those who had to steal in order to feed their family.

Der Elendswinter ("The miserable winter", 1945–46)

The winter of 1945–46 was one of the coldest winters in Berlin, with temperatures as low as . There was little protection from the severe cold in the bombed-out houses. About 40,000 people suffered from hypothermia and 1,000 died as a result. The Berlin Magistrat (municipal authority) created official Wärmeräume (warm rooms) for people to warm themselves in.

Crime

Crime was rampant in Berlin during the first months of occupation. There were an average of 240 robberies and five murders a day, and most criminals were the destitute and homeless in Berlin. Allied soldiers sometimes harassed German civilians. Problems with law and order occurred in the areas that had still been controlled by the Wehrmacht on May 8, 1945 (e.g. western Austria, Bavaria, South Tyrol (Italy), East Frisia and Schleswig-Holstein), the date of the final German surrender.

Culture at the time of Stunde Null

Germany at the time of Stunde Null was significantly different from its pre-war self. After the Allied victory, the inhuman practices and crimes of the Nazi regime were revealed to the world. Thomas Mann stated "Humanity shudders in horror at Germany!" (published in a Munich newspaper named Bayerische Landeszeitung.), implying that a true and total restart never occurred in postwar Germany. The term Stunde null implies that the past is over and nothing from former times continues to exist past the Stunde Null. Experts in German culture find that this term is divisive and is a barrier to the collective German psyche and their ability to deal with the recent past. The concept of Vergangenheitsbewältigung (coping with the past) is what experts allude to and Stunde null conflicts directly with this idea, necessitating its judicious use.

Use in music

An EP released in 1995 by German techno artist Cosmic Baby was entitled Stunde Null.
The English band British Sea Power entitled the fourth track from their 2011 LP Valhalla Dancehall "Stunde Null".
The German gothic metal band Eisheilig released a track named "Die Stunde Null" on their 2009 album Imperium.

Use in cinema

The 1948 neorealist film Germany, Year Zero by Roberto Rossellini depicts life in Berlin in the year after its near total destruction in World War II.

References

External links

The End as the Beginning, an exhibit at the Deutsches Historisches Museum