Paris In The 1940s: A Decade Of Devastation And Rebirth

Source: Musée de la Resistance

As World War II raged throughout Europe, the “City of Light” transformed into a city of darkness. While the Germans declined to physically destroy the city upon its 1940 occupation, their presence greatly tested the Parisian psyche. Over two million Parisians fled as the Germans arrived, but those who remained in the capital faced interrogations, curfews, rations, shortages and arrests. The German occupation of France (1940-1944) remains a humiliating time in the history of Paris and, more broadly, France.

Paris did not have to rebuild the Eiffel Tower at the war’s end, but it did need to reconstruct its collective consciousness and shirk the shame of the German occupation and the nation’s history of collaborating with Germany more than it did resist it. The second half of the 1940s was marked by a desire to rebuild what had once been taken by World War II, both structurally and politically. Paris’ liberation allowed Charles de Gaulle to establish the Free French government, which united a previously divided assemblage of actors–namely Gaullists, nationalists, communists and anarchists.

These images of vintage Paris capture the city’s metamorphosis throughout the decade. To see what the rest of Europe (and the world!) was up to, check out some of the most iconic photos of the 1940s.

A Nazi flag hangs in Paris during the German invasion of the city. Source: Stalin!

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A close-up look at Adolph Hitler as he poses in front of the Eiffel Tower. Source: Wikipedia

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A woman walks from the Paris Métro station in the early 1940s. Images like these were used as German propaganda, (falsely) portraying Paris as a vibrant, lively city. Source: Flickr

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A Parisian flower shop in 1940. Source: Pinterest

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Adolph Hitler and his soldiers pose in front of the Eiffel Tower in 1940. Source: Rare Historical Photos

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A Parisian theatre is overtaken with Nazi paraphernalia during the German occupation of France. Source: Pinterest

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Women ride bicycles in the 1940s. Source: Vintage Everyday

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Armed fighters work to liberate Paris during the German occupation. Source: Young Gifted and Black

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Nazi flags are seen hanging street-side. Source: Musee de la resistance en linge

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An image shot by Andre Zucca depicts children playing at the foot of the Eiffel Tower during the German occupation of the city. The Nazis tasked Zucca with portraying the occupation in a positive light. Source: Daily Mail

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A couple is married in Paris in 1943. Source: The Museums of Florence

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Americans march through the Avenue des Champs-Élysées, marking the liberation of Paris. Source: Historic Wings

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Banners celebrate the expulsion of German forces from Paris. Source: TIME

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Parisians celebrate the liberation of Paris in 1944. Source: Wikipedia

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American soldiers gather in Paris to celebrate the Japanese surrender in 1945. Source: National Archives

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A glimpse of Paris in 1946, as the city recovers from World War II. Source: Daily Mail

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This 1946 photo captures a completely empty Louvre museum, a sign of the decade’s turmoil. Source: Daily Mail

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In 1947, Christian Dior launched his extravagant dress designs, restoring Paris as the “pinnacle of haute couture.” Source: Diorable Style

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The conference on European Economic Cooperation was held in Paris in 1947. Source: CVCE

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An image shot by photographer Edouard Boubat captures two children outside a Paris storefront in 1948. Source: Pigtails in Paint

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A picturesque snow day in Paris in 1948. Source: Vintage Everyday

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A Parisian painter in 1949. Source: Antique and Classic Photographic Images

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United News captured the liberation of France in 1944. Check out this clip for historic scenes from the liberation: