Eighty years ago, the world witnessed the fall of Berlin—and with it, the end of the deadliest conflict in human history. On May 8, 1945, Victory in Europe (VE) Day marked the official surrender of Nazi Germany.
For Berlin, the war ended in the spring of 1945, in a cloud of smoke, rubble, and silence. The capital of Hitler’s Third Reich became the focal point of the war’s dramatic conclusion.
By April, Soviet forces had encircled the city, launching the final assault that would end with the Red Army storming the Reichstag and Adolf Hitler dead in his bunker. The town was a battlefield, and its scars are still visible today.
A City in Ruins, a Nation Defeated
In the desperate final days of April 1945, Berlin was reduced to a crumbling shell of its former self. The once-proud city was subjected to relentless bombing campaigns, including the British Royal Air Force’s attack on the night of April 25 to 26, 1940—an event that would trigger Hitler’s decision to build massive flak towers to defend the capital. Remnants of these fortresses still stand today, silent witnesses to the city's violent past.
As Soviet troops pushed through Berlin’s neighbourhoods, the German military attempted to slow their advance, sometimes with drastic measures. One such act was the destruction of the Brommy Bridge, blown up by German forces to hinder the Red Army’s crossing of the Spree. Today, hardly anything remains of the bridge, but its ghost still haunts the riverbanks.
Karlshorst: Where the War Officially Ended
While Berlin burned, it was in Karlshorst, a quiet district in the city's east, that history was sealed. On the night of May 8, in a former engineering school, Germany signed its unconditional surrender in the presence of representatives from the Soviet Union, the United States, the United Kingdom, and France. This moment officially ended the war in Europe, making Karlshorst one of the most significant—and often overlooked—places in the modern history of peace.
Soviet monuments in Berlin
The end of the war did not mean the end of suffering—or remembrance. In the months following Germany’s defeat, the Red Army began commemorating its fallen. Just six months after VE Day, on November 11, 1945, Soviet monuments and cemeteries began appearing across Berlin.
These memorials, many of which still stand, can be found in nearly every district. They serve as reminders of the enormous Soviet losses and the ideological battle that would soon evolve into the Cold War.
The Echoes of War in Berlin Today
Walking through Berlin in 2025, it’s hard to believe that only 80 years ago, this vibrant city lay in ruins. Yet, the remnants of World War II are everywhere—if you know where to look. The ruined façade of Anhalter Bahnhof, once one of the grandest train stations in Europe, now stands as a haunting reminder of the devastation that once engulfed the city.
While Berlin holds a unique place in the final chapter of World War II, the conflict's traces extend far beyond the German capital. Across Europe, relics of the war remain frozen in time—each telling a story of ambition, resistance, and devastation.
World War II relics
From the massive concrete bunkers of the Atlantikwall, Hitler’s failed defensive line stretching along the Western European coast, to the haunting remains of the “Wunderwaffe” or “super weapons” program, including V2 rocket sites and secret testing facilities, these remnants reveal the scale and desperation of the Nazi war machine. On the blog, you’ll find more stories and photos of these fascinating WWII relics.
