Wehrmacht soldaat voor een huis 1940 - 1941

This photograph, “Wehrmacht soldaat voor een huis,” meaning “Wehrmacht soldier in front of a house,” captures a moment in occupied territory during World War II. The anonymous photographer presents a German soldier standing stiffly, his presence imposing on what seems to be a domestic space. It’s impossible to ignore the power dynamics inherent in this image. The soldier embodies the occupying force, while the house behind him likely belongs to someone whose life has been disrupted by the war. The bicycle in the foreground serves as a reminder of ordinary life interrupted. This photograph encapsulates how war invades the everyday. As viewers, we are left to contemplate the complex layers of identity and experience during wartime, and to acknowledge the discomfort that arises when confronting such stark reminders of power and displacement.