Reich eagle, swastika flag, and goose-stepping parade. It was 1940. These images were filmed in Paris, France, by soldiers of the German army, the Wehrmacht. During the war years, this was their home. More than 100,000 soldiers,
officers, and generals. Men and women alike have passed
through the City of Light. Paris was the ultimate dream for all of us. - Paris... it was the best year. The perfumes, the good food, and all those monuments to visit. - Far from the battlefields,
the new lords have made Paris an Eldorado. Everything
is planned for them. The occupant knew how to choose the most
pleasant and enjoyable places. - They're not going to put themselves
in a grim furnishing, that's clear. In the beautiful districts, a second
Germany. Home, café, and cinema where the 100 percent German offer
is reserved for the soldiers. - It was very important for them to be able to live the German way. - Soldiers enjoy themselves here without
hindrance. At night, cabarets, theaters, restaurants and also French
prostitutes are at their disposal. - It allowed me to enjoy things that I didn't have at home, such as brothels. - For Parisians, the German occupation
meant shortages, ration coupons, but also round-ups
and fierce repression. - It was scary, you could feel the hand of the occupation. - If everything opposes them, the
French and Germans will sometimes get closer. From hostility,
some will move to love. Stories like those of Marguerite and Otto will even give birth to children. - My father loved my mother
very sincerely, my mother always loved my father and
she was crazy about him. - The Parisian adventures of these
soldiers are told by themselves. First Klaus, a soldier in the
Luftwaffe, the Air Force. Gertrud, the telephone operator. Then the children of soldiers who heard their stories and archived photos and documents. Today, Peter Lorenz, son of a high-ranking
officer, and Margaret Witte, daughter of a private, are the custodians
of their fathers' memories. - They were fascinated by the life of this city. - There are also thousands of diaries,
and countless photo albums, not to mention millions of letters sent
during the war years to families. So many unique stories, testimonies, about those four years when Paris was German. Who were these soldiers and officers? How did
they live in the most beautiful city in the world? What were the real relations between
the new lords and the defeated Parisians? For the first time, the occupation
of Paris, told through the other end of the viewpoint, from the
side of the German soldiers. June 14, 1940, in Paris. The weather
was looking good, but the capital was a dead city. The streets, the
cafés and the buildings are empty. Of the 1.8 million Parisians, more than a million escaped. For good reason, their worst nightmare is becoming reality. The Wehrmacht, the German army, marches
on the capital. Hitler defeated France with the Blitzkrieg, the lightning war,
in only five weeks of fierce fighting. As a result, 80,000 soldiers died. A few miles from Paris, the victorious troops made a final stop. Private Werner, 18, from Lower Saxony, remembers. - Before entering the city, we had
to clean our vehicles and also our uniforms. We had to present
ourselves as neat soldiers. We had to make a good impression. - The first units arrived from the north, at the Porte de Clignancourt and Porte de la Villette. - The first units arrived in Paris around 6 am. They are motorcycle units. They head towards the Place de la Concorde. It will become a central location for the German high command. The Germans did not encounter any resistance in Paris. - Paris, the City of Light, has just
fallen into the hands of the Reich. A great capture and the culmination
of a victorious campaign. Private Klaus was 19 years old at the time and he realizes his luck. - I was happy to be in Paris, it was the best thing that could happen to me. I am a Berliner, I know the big cities, Paris is still a class above. Here I could live without risking my life. Here, I was no longer in danger of death. - The next step for the Wehrmacht troops was to establish their military headquarters. In a city deserted by two thirds of its inhabitants, the conditions are ideal. The big hotels are empty and so are most of the apartments. To avoid fighting, Paris was declared an open city by the French authorities. This means that they must bow to the demands of the victors. So the Germans have free rein. - The best guide was the Michelin
guide, which is translated into German. The Michelin guide,
the red guide of 1939. What are the best places and hotels?
The occupant has chosen the most pleasant and emblematic
places in Paris. They're symbols, but obviously
they're not going to put themselves in a grim
furnishing, that's clear. - These requisitioned hotels are all very prestigious. Starting with the Meurice on
rue de Rivoli, headquarters of General Schaumburg, the
new master of Paris. The Ritz Place Vendôme, the most
prestigious palace in the city, is reserved for high
dignitaries visiting Paris. Field Marshal Hermann Göering, commander of the Air Force, has a year-round suite there. On the left bank, the Hotel Lutetia, the
most modern of all the Parisian palaces. It became the headquarters of the
Abwehr, the German secret service. The most important of all, the
Majestic. This hotel houses the MBF, the military high
command for all of France. It was led by General Otto Von Stülpnagel. - Each time, it is a symbol, the Arc de
Triomphe, it is not nothing. The Avenue d'Iéna, all these names are Napoleon's
victories and it is also the revenge. - In order to guarantee maximum security
at these highly sensitive locations, the Nazi secret service
obtains precise plans. - Plans of the cadastre were
available for sale and these plans always indicate the entrance
door, the exit door. This is for in case of attack, always a possibility
to escape. Obviously, the places of requisition were made according to
these possibilities, always of escape. The larger a location is, the more it has one, two or even three exit doors. - Officers will have no complaints about their housing. The George V, the Raphael, the
Crillon, the Royal Monceau and other prestigious addresses
are reserved for them. A question of comfort, but not only that. - Each room has a telephone. Not only could we accommodate everyone, but we also had the infrastructure. What was essential was to have electricity and control of the telephone exchanges. As hotels only have beds, then you need desks, lamps, and typewriters. So the Germans draw up endless lists of demands that the French must meet. - So how does it work? Let's take the example of the Majestic with its luxury suites. On the second floor, room 119 became
the office of a lieutenant in charge of managing the
soldiers' permissions. Next door, the former room 118 has been transformed into a secretariat. 117 is now used for the registration of newly arrived soldiers. A few floors up, on the fourth floor, the former
suite 464 became the office of Dr. Michel. He was in charge of controlling the entire
French economy in the German zone. The highest military authorities are invited. The decoration is simple and spartan, a portrait of Hitler and that's all, military rigor obliges. In all, the Germans requisitioned 400 hotels in Paris. The owners of these hotels
will not have to complain. The occupant pays his bill,
but with French money. It is up to France to pay the costs
of the German occupation, 400 million francs, or 160
million euros every day. - They set up a bank account into which the French government would pay 400 million francs daily. It is with this account that
the Germans will finance the occupation. Hotels, but also
deliveries to the Reich. Germany pays its bills, but with French money. - For their needs, the Germans put their hands on apartments, even entire buildings. That of the very prestigious
British bank Lloyds of London which became the credit
union of the Reich. Then on the buildings and apartments of Parisian Jews who had to flee the Nazis, and no question, of course, to pay a rent. - If you are a Jew, a Freemason,
an Englishman and an American, you are not allowed to own the
empty apartments. So there were spoliations, requisitions,
and sealing. These apartments were called the apartments
of the Jews, it is known. The Rothschild mansions, for example. - The Rothschild mansion on Avenue
Foch became the headquarters of the Sipo-SD, known as the Gestapo and the
dreaded SS, the security squads. It is the armed wing of the Nazi party, known for its ruthlessness towards the enemies of the Reich. - Each time, this place is returned, a
place is returned with a new purpose. - For the time being, the SS and the Sipo-SD
are just quietly taking their marks. The real power is in the hands of the Wehrmacht, the German army, but only for the moment. In addition to the hotels and buildings requisitioned,
two hospitals, Lariboisière and Pitié Salpêtrière, and a dental clinic
in the 13th arrondissement were added. There are also barracks, including
three in the city center, Prince Eugene, Military School
and even Polytechnic. It is here that the soldiers will be housed in much simpler conditions. - Certain districts were privileged
and the east of Paris was considered the red-light
district of the communists. On the 10th, 11th, 19th, and 20th, there is very little German presence. - The occupant declared a curfew. No one in the streets of Paris from 11 p.m. and windows must be closed. The Germans want a deserted city seen from the sky, invisible at night. The gates of the capital are put under
high surveillance. Between armored cars and roadblocks, everyone has to show
their credentials to enter Paris. The French, of course, but also the
soldiers of the Reich. The sesame, the Ausweis, a pass valid from
a few hours to several months. To get it, go to the Kommandantur, place de l'Opéra. - The Kommandantur is the equivalent
of a French town hall, it regulates all the administrative
questions of the daily life. It issues papers that require authorization from the Germans. It also functions as a reception point for German soldiers. They find everything they are looking for at the Kommandantur. - To really make sure that Paris
had become German, the major intersections of the
capital saw these signs flourish to direct the troops to
strategic places, hospitals, barracks and of course the command centers. During the summer of 1940, Paris was transformed into a German city. First demonstration of strength
of the new lords, the victory parade at the foot
of the Arc de Triomphe, 10,000 soldiers march at a goose-step on a deserted avenue. - The German units made their first victory parade not on the Champs-Elysées as it is often said, but on avenue Foch. As you can see on the pictures, the Arc de Triomphe is a bit slanted. If you ask me, it was an attempt not to offend the French too much. - Nevertheless, for these men, it is a great moment of power. A young Austrian soldier remembers. -
We felt like masters of the world when we went through Paris. I think it was
a normal feeling for a soldier. We were proud to have beaten the French so quickly. - The best is yet to come, the surrender of the hereditary enemy, ten days later. Hitler comes in person, He demanded that the French surrender as the Germans had done 22 years earlier, in 1918. First of all the place, the clearing of Rethondes, near Compiègne, 50 kilometers north of Paris. Then this wagon was specially brought out
of a museum. It was on this very table that the French and Germans signed
the armistice of November 11, 1918. The Führer triumphed a few days later with a surprise visit to Paris at 6 am. His only trip to this city, has fascinated him since his youth. - He was at the Eiffel Tower, at the Trocadero, where the famous photo of him was taken. Then he went to the Opera House.
There is even a concierge there who has the keys and can
give this delegation a tour. During this visit, Hitler noticed
that there were changes from the plans he had studied in his youth. He knew these plans of the Opera
House almost by heart and indeed, the concierge confirmed to him
that work had been done. We can see how fascinated he was by the city. - Later, Hitler would entrust his architect Albert Speer: It was my dream to visit Paris. I often asked myself whether Paris should be destroyed. When we have rebuilt the new Berlin, Paris will be no more than its shadow. Then why destroy it?" Hitler shared this fascination
for the City of Light with Joseph Goebbels, Nazi
Minister of Propaganda. For Goebbels, Paris was the showcase
city of the Reich, the place where it was good to live,
as long as you were German. - In Goebbels' eyes, Paris had to hold a special place within the Reich. He quickly realized the need to preserve the atmosphere and the unique character of this city. Establishing a typically German
order in Paris, turning Paris into a second Berlin, was not
in the Germans' interest. Paris, the showcase city, was
to be an attraction for the soldiers, where they
could have adventures. - Paris will be the city of the warrior's rest where he can forget the torments of the battlefield. If the Germans have won the war, will they be able to win the hearts of the Parisians? Late summer 1940. With the armistice signed, the war is well and truly over, at least in France. The Wehrmacht troops now become occupation troops. Little by little, the daily routine falls into place. - First of all, there is the permanent staff
who work in different administrations. There are between 20 and 25,000 of them
and they don't change very often. In Paris, there is no need for combat
troops, but there is a contingent of soldiers that can be mobilized
in case of trouble. Then there is the industry on the periphery which develops weapons for the Germans. In particular, the tanks and it takes soldiers to try them. - There are not only men in the German army. Young women auxiliaries of the Wehrmacht arrived as reinforcements. They made up less than 10 percent of
the workforce but participated in the war effort by taking up positions and
freeing up men to go to the front. They are mainly secretaries or operators in transmissions. The French immediately found a nickname for them, the grey mice. If they get involved, it is not necessarily for ideological reasons. - The uniform was very fancy, it was a suit. A suit was a very elegant thing
in those days. So the Army would give these women a suit
that they could never afford. Most of them came from rather modest homes and thought that this uniform was something very special. - The war also allowed them to escape the role of housewife imposed by Nazi ideology. As a bonus, they discover Hitler's new empire with its jewel, Paris. When they were assigned to Germany
or Austria, they were a little disappointed because
they wanted to go abroad. Among the favorite destinations, there was of course France and especially Paris. It was the number one Paris, city of fashion and love. - Among them, there is Gertrud,
from a small village in northern Germany. She is one of the lucky
ones who are assigned to Paris. She was 20 years old at the time. - I had no idea what to expect in Paris. I was just glad I didn't end up in a German weapons factory. I was assigned to the Transport Kommandantur Nord. - Gertrud arrived in 1940 with a group of 30 girls. They were housed in a hotel near the Madeleine. In Paris, everything is new for them. - We were in a city. Most of us were not familiar with big cities. We felt foreign, a little lost. You really had to get it into your head that you were now in France and not in Germany. At the beginning, we were not allowed to leave our hotel alone. We were driven to our work. We were a bit scared, we didn't know how the French would react to our presence. - How will the French react? This is
the concern of the General Staff, there is no question of letting
the soldiers loose in the wild. For his first month of stay, the soldier Klaus is confined in a Parisian barracks. - First, we had to move into our barracks at the Military Academy. Finding our marks, cleaning our uniforms. The daily life of a soldier is always organized to the minute. We always find things to do. There's never a boring moment, but we weren't allowed to go out right away. - The orders came from the Führer himself, on June 18, 1940. "The soldier must be an example of
the German military spirit, in terms of uprightness, good humor,
manliness in all situations." In short, Hitler ordered each soldier to behave properly with the Parisians. Objective, to make the enemy an ally. - In 1940, the French population felt abandoned by their own government. On the German side, it was realized that
the desperation and anger of the French against their state was an opportunity
to present itself in a good light. - At the highest level, an agreement
was sealed in October 1940, when Hitler met Marshal
Pétain in Montoire. With this handshake, the veteran
of Verdun officially promised the collaboration of the Vichy government
to the next master of Europe. It now remains to win the hearts of the Parisians. A real operation of seduction then starts. The soldiers parade every day
on the Champs-Élysées. The boots are impeccably polished
and in perfect order. Then, in a very strong symbolic gesture,
they came to pay their respects at the tomb of the Unknown Soldier
under the Arc de Triomphe. A highly calculated tribute. - The Germans had the reputation
of being barbarians, especially in France. Here,
the barbarians arrived, and it was discovered that they did not look
like barbarians and did not behave like them. That they didn't take small children either, something we weren't so sure of at first. They had the aura of winners, they fascinated everyone without exception and even the men. It is understandable that the arrival of
these soldiers with their well-tailored uniforms, leather boots on their motorcycles,
was a real sensation. - On the steps of the Paris Opera
and in the public gardens, the military bands try to
allure the Parisians. The canteens of the national socialist soup kitchen distribute free food to the needy. There are anecdotes that tell
that the little French boys who played in the war all wanted
to be German soldiers because they were the winners. - Propaganda had done its work. Then, from July 1940, the Parisians returned from exile. Among them, Jean-Claude, a 19-year-old Parisian. He discovers his city and the new lords. We returned to Paris and I can still see the posters
on which we saw a large smiling soldier with a child on his shoulders and it was written: "Abandoned
populations, trust the German soldiers." It struck me, we looked at it with a certain amount of disbelief. We had no idea. We returned, and everything was quiet. - The worst fears are gone on both sides. For the German soldiers, the year 1940 will be the year of all pleasures. Klaus, the Berlin soldier, finally gets his first leave. This is Paris and this is me on the second floor of the Eiffel Tower. We had gone up to the second
floor on foot, the elevators were out of order and it
was already very high. - Klaus' memories are carefully stored in a luxurious album donated by the Reich Army. Leather cover, swastika helmet and this inscription in German, my military service. Thousands of them carefully compiled these little
travel diaries. Equipped with cameras, the German soldiers embarked on guided tours
duly supervised by the high command. In front of the Sacré-Coeur, Notre-Dame, the Opera, the Louvre, the Invalides, without forgetting the Trocadero and
the Eiffel Tower, they put themselves on stage in the city of light
that now belongs to them. These guided tours end in a highly symbolic way in the Hall of Mirrors of the Palace of Versailles. The same place where the infamous treaty for Germany was signed in 1919. The revenge is so perfect. - For my part, I wouldn't call it tourism, it trivializes the occupation. It is clear that the German soldiers present themselves as the victors and the new lords. Hitler and Goebbels wanted this. Soldiers had to take pictures to show
their glorious victory and send these pictures home to explain to their
families the merits of this war. In this soldier's album, the photos and comments are clear. "These are the new masters," he comments on this photo taken in front of the Palace of Versailles. This photo of the decapitated statue of Louis XIV inspired another comment, "France without a head". - There is irony, of course, but mostly it is the idea that they are the new faces. - Yet another album of an officer with this photo taken on the roof of the Arc de Triomphe. The boot on the balustrade, the pose of the new master of Paris is cleverly studied. - In the occupied countries, photography
was forbidden to the civilian population. At the same time, the soldiers
used to confiscate all cameras. The civilians had no more. Only the Germans were allowed to take pictures and they took advantage of it. - For these young Germans, the real curiosity lies elsewhere. Who are these Parisians? - It was a new world for me, but I couldn't talk with French because I didn't speak their language. So I remained silent, the French also remained silent because they didn't speak a word of German either. The young operator Gertrud tries her luck with her few words of French learned at school. She starts with the concierge and the maids of her hotel. I always made an effort to talk with them. They were rather reserved than others. They had their national pride. - How did you expect the Parisians to like me? We had defeated them. The French accepted their fate
and I accepted mine. We lived according to this principle,
each on our own. We tried to pretend we didn't see
them. Several times in the street, we came across German troops going
from one point to another. When we saw them coming conspicuously, we went towards the windows and
we looked at the interior of these windows, that is to say
turning our backs on them. - It is while leaving her hotel that
Gertrud discovers a different universe, another mentality,
another way of life. - The French are a bit shallow, they do not take life seriously, unlike the Germans. - For the Germans, the French are
shallow, distant, impolite, and Parisian women are the
incarnation of the devil. In a letter to his wife, Private Ernst takes offense at their appearance. "You wouldn't believe your eyes when you see the damn makeup that women smear on their faces. If my wife did that, I would pack up and leave right away. I can't believe it! Very often, I have to think about something else, otherwise, I get extremely sick. Those bright red lips, those faces
painted yellow, those eyebrows highlighted in black and those
bright nail polishes. Behind this flashiness is a lot of smut." - For the Germans, it was a culture shock.
Parisian women were so different from the German feminine ideal advocated
by the Reich's propaganda. Concerned about the behavior of the troops,
the Wehrmacht even devoted an entire chapter to French women in its official
guide, Paris seen by the Germans. "The Parisian woman is coquettish, even if
she has a natural tendency to play up her feminine assets, she has a strong sense of
family and a great love for her children." - We wanted to avoid misunderstandings
by explaining to the soldiers that there were
other customs in France. A French woman is not a prostitute
or a cheap girl just because she looks like a
prostitute in Germany. - Some soldiers tried their luck. - There were some who were looking for contact. It was during their big walk, miss. They would say that in order to try to make a connection, and sometimes it worked. - However, the General Staff did not approve of any contact between its troops and the Parisians. There are even very firm instructions given to the soldiers. "Avoid all contact with the civilian population. It is forbidden to take French women in a company car or to hold them by the arm." - The soldier who develops too close a relationship
with the civilian population will end up forgetting his role as a soldier,
and that's a big problem for the Army. - Paris was nicknamed the city without eyes. The Germans looked at the French women who ignored them, it is untenable in the long run. - Divided by war, language and culture,
how will the new lords and the vanquished live together in the 1,000-year
Reich promised by Hitler? Paris has many assets to which the invaders will succumb. At the end of the summer of 1940,
the German soldiers took possession of the heart of Paris
and the café terraces, but not only, they also invest the
stores. Paris at the beginning of the occupation was a veritable
Ali Baba's cave. - The Germans had a buying frenzy. They bought things they couldn't find at home, like tourists. They bought everything they could.
The French said they could even sell them an 1870s garter
and they bought it anyway. - From the moment we are no longer at
war, but in a situation of occupation, the commercial relationship that
is established is quite classic. If a soldier refuses to pay, it is theft and will be severely punished by the German military court. - For the first time in their lives,
the soldiers had money. A salary of 90 Reichsmarks was the equivalent
of today's minimum wage. Except that with a new exchange
rate favorable to the occupant, its purchasing power
is multiplied by four. It is only pocket money, the soldiers are fed and housed at the expense of France. Then, they discover the joys of shopping. - I bought some perfume, it was called Soir de Paris. All the soldiers were buying this at the time. It was a blue bottle with stars. Honestly, I don't even remember if it smelled good, but the bottle was very pretty. - There was not a single soldier
who did not at least once send silk stockings in a
letter to his girlfriend, it was great luxury. - It was absolutely necessary that we discover the department stores, Aux Trois Quartiers and Galeries Lafayette. It was a real adventure for us. We didn't know the big stores like this. We were used to the little grocer in the village. We were very happy to discover exotic fruits that came from far away countries. We had never eaten bananas before. - For officers who receive double pay, it's even better. In these conditions, a few extras are allowed, only the top of the range. This is the case of this officer, Hans
Lorenz. For four years, he will have only one obsession, to spoil his son
Peter, who remained in the country. - I had the most beautiful bikes
in the world, a wonderful French bike that you couldn't
find in Germany. He bought all this stuff in Paris. My father also brought back luxurious perfumes and great wines from Burgundy and Bordeaux. My father had the style, he was like a rooster in Paris. - Germans are not only interested in luxury goods. Amazingly, they buy food to send home to the heart of the triumphant Reich. - They even sent half pigs or fresh eggs individually wrapped in soft boxes. The soldier wanted to fulfill
his role as a man and a father to help his family who had
to fend for themselves. Being away from home, all
he could do to contribute to the home was to send as
much product as possible. At the same time it was part of the Reich's strategy. The more cheap items soldiers sent from occupied countries, the less shortage there was in Germany. - France was a reserve for Germany
in a war that was still going on and whose end the occupier
did not yet see in 1940. The goal is to exploit all the resources of this country to continue the war against England. - The number of shipments became so great that the Reichpost was overwhelmed. She decided to limit the weight of the packages per soldier. The new lords engaged in a veritable official
pillage. Two thirds of French agricultural and industrial production
was reserved for the occupier. An unequal division provided for by the conditions of the armistice. Parisians then experienced a real shortage of food, but also of fuel. Another plundering continues more discreetly. That of the works of art stolen from the great Parisian Jewish collectors, especially for Göering and Hitler, big lovers of art. - Göering came more than 20 times and helped himself.
So there is the spoliation of Jewish property of course, and the emptying of apartments that belonged
to Jews, Freemasons, Americans or English. The objects were sorted and the
most beautiful pieces were put aside. Indeed, it is an organized
and methodical looting. - Between 1941 and 1944, 29 convoys
left Paris for the Reich. They represented a total of 138 wagons
filled with 4,170 boxes. The greatest looting of artworks of all time. The Germans do not know it yet, but the gentle occupation of Paris will soon come to an end. On June 22, 1941, 4,000 kilometers from Paris, Wehrmacht troops invaded the Soviet Union. Hitler launched Operation Barbarossa, Europe was once again ablaze in the East. A turning point for the war, but also for Paris. It was the beginning of the armed resistance. At the Barbès metro station
in the 18th arrondissement, Alfons Moser, a military officer
in the Kriegsmarine, was shot and killed by Pierre Georges, better
known by his fighting name, Colonel Fabien. - Towards the end of 1940, the population awoke from the shock of defeat. Students demonstrate against the occupation of the Champs-Élysées on Armistice Day 1918. They were arrested during a joint operation between the French and the Germans. These are the first signs that public opinion is shifting. - This peaceful demonstration of students, triggers fierce repression. Demonstration or attack, any anti-German action is punishable by death. A sentence handed down in mock trials. If the culprits are not found, the Wehrmacht applies ruthless measures dictated by Berlin. - As soon as a member of the
Wehrmacht is killed, and even more so if it is a higher rank,
a quota is established. One hundred hostages for every German killed. - The occupier makes his sentences known on posters printed in both languages. In each case, death sentences. The objective is simple, to reign terror. - We always feared that when we arrived
at the subway station in the morning, there would be a red poster with the names
of the people the Germans had shot. I remember very well having read the poster announcing the execution of Estienne d'Orves. - The young French Navy captain was one of the 100 hostages executed following the Barbès attack. - It was also a bit scary and you could feel
the hand of the occupation. It meant that these were people who were resisting, who
were fighting against the occupiers. - The Wehrmacht makes the soldiers believe
that behind every man and especially behind every beautiful woman, there
is an enemy of the Reich. How do you go against human nature and frustrate an entire army of sexual contacts? - I can tell you that a horde of young men with hormones on fire is like dynamite. It's very dangerous, we have to hold it. - The solution, brothels reserved
for members of the Wehrmacht. An initiative encouraged
by Adolf Hitler. "If the soldier is expected to give
his life without reservation, he must also have the freedom
to love without reservation." - Dozens of brothels were requisitioned.
Managers and prostitutes were French, and Jewish women were forbidden. Brothels for ordinary soldiers are in the working class areas, an unthinkable pleasure in the Reich. - What was forbidden in Germany was allowed in France. I don't know if this is freedom, but it allowed me to enjoy things that I didn't have at home, like brothels for example. - In a letter to his wife, the
soldier Günther tells about the operation of the brothels
and he is rather careful. "My dear, I didn't go. I have to say that these
people are really not to my taste. Statistics say that a prostitute makes an average of
100 passes a day, the record being 187. Imagine what a state they must be in. Good morning show." Then there are the brothels
reserved for officers, like the Chabanais, a stone's throw
from the Palais Royal. An institution already legendary in
the good old days when the very famous and very modern One-Two-Two,
located on rue de Provence. High-end brothels with luxurious
interiors. Oriental bathrooms and furniture leave
room for all fantasies. The women wait for the customers in boudoirs with sultry decor. Dressed or not, they are handpicked. Germans are obsessed with hygiene. The real enemy of the Wehrmacht, venereal diseases. - Paris has a reputation as a city of pleasure. Rightly or wrongly, perhaps rightly so. A reputation also, of dirty city
and the notion of sanitary facilities are not the same.
The Germans discovered that the French didn't wash every day,
so this idea of the dangerous woman, the venereal woman
and the venereal disease. - Syphilis was not a curable disease at that
time. So, brothels like the Chabanais are equipped with a gynecological office
where the girls are checked twice a week. But that's not all. Soldiers
also undergo controls and preventive treatments. On
the lists distributed, the addresses of the brothels appear on the left and
on the right those of the disinfection offices. Soldiers have to go there before
and after each report. In such an atmosphere, things
easily get out of hand. A disgruntled soldier and it is the punitive expedition in a brothel. "We had to show them who the lords were. We couldn't let that go. We went into the brothel, pulled around a bit and went up to see the prostitute. We stripped her, threw her stuff out the window and beat her up. People just watched us do it. It was our revenge, we were at the height of our power." - Some soldiers are terrorists. The Austrian soldier Heinz remembers. "If they ended up hating us, it was our fault. We were arrogant. During the patrols, we checked if people respected the curfew and if the curtains were well drawn. When we saw lights, the officers
would shoot into the windows. It was because of things like that
that people ended up hating us." The challenge for the General Staff is to avoid these slippages at all costs. In the middle of Paris, the occupier remade
Germany. In the most prestigious districts, there are two German bookshops, on the rue
de Rivoli and on the Champs-Élysées. Three movie theaters were requisitioned,
two on the Champs-Élysées and the Rex with a huge 2000 seat theater. On the menu, German films, romantic rhymes, but also pure and simple propaganda. - It was necessary to reconstitute
a part of Germany for these soldiers, to give
them a haven of peace. The big challenge was to keep them occupied and contained. For example, they had to be able to celebrate Christmas the German way. We had to allow them to live a bit like back home, it was very important. - In addition, Paris has several soldier's
homes. The most important ones were in Place de Clichy, Saint-Michel
and on the Champs-Élysées. Under the portrait of the Führer,
typical German food is served, carrot soup, fried fish with
raw vegetables and potatoes. All this in a typically German atmosphere. - We can have fun with each other and a little bit with the Germans too. That is to say, a place where you can
have a coffee, eat a cake, read German newspapers, German bookstores and
all that is very well thought out. - In these places, there was still food. In the Parisian brasseries, there was not much left. The menu was small, but there was plenty of choice there. - In the luxurious airmen's hostel
on the Boulevard de Courcelles, there is even a faithfully reconstructed
Bavarian brasserie. Enough to make them forget their homesickness. In Private Kurt's letters to his fiancée
Dorit, we read, "The coffee and cakes are really good and
the dinner wasn't bad either. Then, we let off steam by playing ping-pong and when I saw the little French waitress, I thought it was you, my little heart. I felt very lonely, I wish I could be with you so much." Then there is the café des Soldats
Madeleine, a stone's throw from the famous church. The most luxurious,
the most popular too. The Wehrmacht's recreation officer
was Heinz Lorenz, the officer who sent the latest
bikes to his son in Germany. In his memoirs, he describes the atmosphere of these places. "The café was packed, it was
scary. All they wanted to do was eat a cake and forget
about the war for a while. The soldiers were obsessed with sweets. What was served was certainly not haute cuisine. Poor quality flour, a little milk
and a lot of sugar. The main thing was the decoration and
the smile of the waitresses. In one weekend alone, we sold 22,000 of these cakes." Officer Lorenz is tireless in his efforts to provide all kinds of entertainment for the soldiers. - It organized sports competitions of real small Olympic Games. Track and field competitions, running races, high jump. In short, there were all disciplines. - I did a lot of sports, especially swimming. A swimming pool was reserved for us where I went very often. I took the opportunity to get my first aid certificate. Then soccer, the national sport in Germany. The Wehrmacht organized a championship. The Luftwaffe, the air force against
the Panzerdivision, the armored division and each time
at the Parc des Princes. The Germans always win. Hans Lorenz even solicited artists among the soldiers for painting and drawing contests. Funny painters in uniform will
then set up their easels in the most picturesque corners
of Paris like Montmartre. The result is sometimes surprising. Like these small drawings of the soldier Schmitz which put in scene his fantasies. Not sure the Führer would have approved. - They wanted to keep the soldiers busy.
To allow them to experience extraordinary things and that's why we organized
these painting contests. Among the soldiers, there were real artists. - His father does not lack imagination. He even had an old barge refurbished to offer the soldiers cruises on the Seine. Every day, 200 of them embarked on the Touriste II, recognizable of course by its swastika flag. The only civil boat authorized to circulate on the Seine. On the program, flonflons, romantic ballads and beautiful accompanists. The boat trips are promoted in German guidebooks published in Paris. The most famous of these is
the Der Deutsche Wegleiter, the German pariscope specially
designed for the troops. Metro map, Parisian cultural programs, Wehrmacht program. Everything is done to make the German soldier feel at home in the great metropolis. - This guide is also becoming very important for Parisian merchants because they can put ads in it. Photo studios offer to take portraits
in their homes. Institutions like the Lido and other cabarets advertise their
programs, sometimes in color. The cinema, the theater, and cultural life in general pick up fairly quickly. The Germans are also very active with this kind of guide. - In a few months, the Wigleiter grew
from 16 to more than 100 pages. The Parisian advertisers are jostling
each other at the door. Ads in German, of course. Fashion shows, furs, furniture, baby stuff and also restaurants. In Montmartre, one of the most popular neighborhoods
for the occupiers, the most famous restaurant is called La Mère Catherine
located in Place du Tertre. It is fully booked every day. For good
reason, the owner of this small Parisian bistro has adapted his menu
to the taste of the occupant. French and German culinary tastes are
different. For example, Germans don't like shellfish and seafood, while
it is delectable for the French. This is not consumed and so much the better for the French who can eat something. On the menu at La Mère Catherine, Strasbourg
sausage at six francs. Surprisingly, some of the food habits of the occupiers
became part of French gastronomy. Shredded carrots may sound
a little strange, but they didn't exist before the arrival
of the occupiers. One started to eat grated carrots in occupied France, with the occupant and besides one continues. The most daring of the soldiers will try French cuisine, totally exotic to them. Here is a letter from a soldier who decided
to embark on local culinary adventures. My dear, sweet wife, I want to tell you something
that will make you laugh a lot. I tried snails for the first time and I must say that it was good. I closed my eyes while eating the first one. The look and taste is a bit like kidney. I could eat it every day. Paris was the city of firsts. One
of the women told me that she had discovered hot chocolate,
she had never drunk it before. They learned to drink champagne, alcohol and even absinthe which some drank in bars. The officers and the staff live like nabobs. Witness this menu served at a gala
dinner at the Opera. On the menu, oysters, bouchées à la reine, fillets
of sole with Brillat-Savarin, chicken casserole with mushrooms
and dauphine potatoes and to finish in a light
way, Norwegian omelette. While the Parisian population was counting
its ration coupons, the large tables prized by the occupier were overflowing
with unobtainable products. Like at Maxim's, the most prestigious address in the capital, Hermann Göring's favorite canteen. Arno Breker, the Führer's favorite sculptor and a regular visitor, would later write. Maxim's was a feast for the eyes
and the palate, the likes of which I have never seen before
or since the occupation. In 1941, while the atmosphere in
Paris was festive, in Eastern Europe, the Nazis began to round
up the Jewish population. This was the beginning of the Final Solution, the extermination of the Jews of Europe. As on these terrifying images were shot in Latvia by the executioners themselves. The organizer of these massacres arrived in Paris in May 1942. This is Reinhard Heydrich, head of the SS, the security squads. Here Heydrich meets René Bousquet, on the left in the picture, chief of the French Police. She will do the dirty work. The French felt that if they
did things themselves, they would retain some autonomy
and control of the country. Since the Vichy government agreed
with the Germans on the substance of things, the anti-Jewish
laws and persecutions, there's really no problem. The first measure was the decree of June 7, 1942.
It obliged Parisian Jews to wear the yellow star. 83,000 stars were distributed in Parisian
police stations, three per person. To add insult to injury, they have to pay for them with ration coupons. This measure deeply affects Parisians. - So there, I have a very clear
memory of having seen an old man who had the Legion of
Honor and he was a lawyer. So he had his lawyer's robe, the Legion of Honor and a yellow star. I must say I was surprised and touched. Moved to see this segregation, this racial segregation that did not match in any way. They had to get into the last car of the subway. I remember that I and others also got on that car. It was a bit of solidarity for them. Which was dangerous, after all. We didn't
know that if they came to round up the Jews who were in that car,
we would be rounded up with them. - July 1942. The Nazis announced
that they wanted to deport 100,000 Jews from France. So
the French authorities do it. On July 16, the Vél' d'Hiv round-up
took place. 13,152 women, men and children were arrested and
deported to the death camps. Only three percent will come back alive. - At that moment, France entered the German program of the Final Solution as a real henchman. Between 1942 and 1944, 50,000 Parisian Jews were
shot or deported to the death camps. These were the darkest hours that the City of Light
experienced during the Nazi occupation. Fall 1942. The Germans have been enjoying the Parisian way of life for two years. Gertrud, the little Wehrmacht operator, now has her favorite spots. - In the Luxembourg garden, I always found someone to talk to. When we saw little children, we talked to the mothers and it was really nice. - She goes on an adventure to the heights of
Montmartre. Intrigued by these local artists, she takes her courage in both hands and
starts a conversation with one of them. - I talked to a painter. I wanted to know if he was able to make a living from his work, he ended up making a drawing of the Sacred Heart for me and he even wrote my name on it. - This idyll is deceptive, the Parisian resistance does not sleep. On September 16, 1942, a first attack took place
in front of the soldiers' hostel on the Champs-Élysées. The homemade bomb hidden at
the entrance to the metro exploded too soon. She then misses by a few minutes the soldiers who were to come out of the cinema just next door. Only 24 hours later, another
bomb exploded in front of the Grand Rex when about 2,000 soldiers
came out of a meeting. This time, four people were killed and 17 injured. The German response, several dozen hostages shot in retaliation. Heinz Lorentz, who was in the crowd, will comment on these events in his memoirs. "I think that the goal of the resistance
was not necessarily to kill German soldiers but to divide
the Germans and the French. That's what they were able to do." This kind of action does not remain without impact on the daily life of German soldiers. They are no longer allowed to
go out alone and carrying weapons becomes mandatory.
Vigilance is now required. - We had to be careful, especially in the subway. There were dangerous places. If you got too close to the edge of the platform, you could be pushed onto the tracks. - You must not believe that the resistance traumatized the soldiers. The Germans are professionals. The secret service and the Sipo-SD were trained to track down political opponents. On the other hand, you have, for example, a small
teacher who decides to join the resistance, to print a leaflet and who finds himself completely
helpless in the face of repression. At the beginning, the small groups of resistance fighters that are formed have many difficulties. A little information is enough to bring down an entire network. - Paris will always be Paris, the Resistance will not prevent the soldiers
from having fun. The inevitable Lido, Moulin Rouge, Folies Bergère which
are taken by storm every night. The most typical in the eyes of
the occupant, the Sheherazade, rue de Liège, in the ninth arrondissement. These shows fascinated the soldier Lenz who
wrote to his wife in Vienna. "The scenery of the revue was a delight to the eye,
as were the artistic scenes and props. Joke games, songs, and women in multiple costumes, if you can still call it that. One of the pieces was for our
pleasure, the Vienna Waltzes. We played this beautiful music
from The Blue Danube. You can imagine that despite my enthusiasm for the review, these tones made my heart ache a little." - The Parisian nights allowed the soldiers to enjoy what the Reich considered degenerate art. Swing, the music of the American enemy, is strictly forbidden in Germany. The soldiers also love Gypsy bands and Django Reinhardt. At the same time, the Reich deports thousands of Roma to concentration camps. - The Germans are very fond of these shows and sometimes there are real fights between soldiers and French public for the best seats in the house. French stars such as Maurice Chevalier,
Mistinguett, Fernandel, Arletty and Sacha Guitry performed
for the occupiers. They became the darlings of the German public. - In this war, Paris is not a military target.
Here, you really have an exceptional situation and you can spend even more
pleasant leaves than at home. - Thousands of miles from Paris, the fighting
rages on. The front needs men and Klaus, the Berlin soldier, joins
Rommel's AfrikaKorps in Tunisia. Other soldiers arrive directly from the battlefields, Paris is the ultimate reward for their sacrifices. One of them is Gisbert Witte.
The 22-year-old Air Force signalman has always suffered
from a kidney problem. Seriously ill, Gisbert was sent to convalesce
in Paris. He escaped for a few weeks from the battlefield and he
intended to take advantage of it. - With each new transfer, the first thing that interested my father was the cultural program. - Staying in the hospital was
out of the question. With two other fellow soldiers like him,
Gisbert explored Paris. Their dream is to go to the opera. Only officer's uniforms or tails are allowed. Gisbert and his friends will then draw up a plan. - The third of the gang was a waiter in the officers' mess. So he borrowed tails from the coat check for the evening. He found the right sizes. The three of them put them on, they made the wall and that's how they spent some great evenings. My father told me later that
he didn't know what they would have done with them
if they had been caught. Yet, they have done it many times. - The Opera, the Opéra Comique, the Salle
Pleyel, everywhere there are contingents of seats reserved for the troops and the
commander of Paris has of course his box. - At the Hebertot theater, in the
dressing rooms, there were rows of German officer's caps. I was
amazed when I thought that it was not a show of naked dancers, it was really an intellectual show. That there are so many Germans
who speak French well and are interested in French intellectual
life, I imagine. - The Germans also want to show the Parisians that they are a great nation of culture. The best of the Reich is brought
in, the Berlin Philharmonic under the direction of Herbert Von Karajan. It takes place at the Théâtre de
Chaillot, which is requisitioned three nights a week to provide
a German program. More modestly, Gertrud also participated
in bringing people together with the Protestant
choir of the Wehrmacht. In 1942, on the occasion of Christmas celebrations, she sang Bach's Passion at Notre-Dame. At the same time, bombs were falling on Berlin, Hamburg, and Munich. - When I returned to Germany
on leave and talked about my Parisian adventures, the choir,
our concert at Notre-Dame. My father asked me if we didn't know about the war. If they really lived like in peacetime. - In Paris, the city of exception, the war spares the soldiers. Then Gisbert, the opera lover, will do everything to avoid returning to the battlefields. - He knew that once his treatment was over, he would have to return to the Russian front. So, with one of his friends who had medical
knowledge, they decided to make a mixture of urine and blood in order to convince the
doctors of the seriousness of his illness. Thanks to this, he was not sent back to the front. To us, his children, he always said that it saved his life. It is important to know that none of the men in his unit returned from Russia alive. - For the moment, Paris remains the preferred refuge for the troops, but for how much longer? 1943, the turning point year. In Stalingrad, German soldiers
are falling like flies or are taken prisoner by the
hundreds of thousands. For the first time, the Parisians feel that the wind is changing. The press was controlled by the occupier and the newspapers only reported glorious facts. So the Parisians have to look for information at the English BBC. - We used to put on Radio London and
we were very careful. We didn't play it too loud, always afraid that
someone else would hear it, etc. It happened that the Germans entered the houses and immediately turn on the
radio to see what they were listening to. If they came
across Radio London again, people who listened to Radio London started to get into trouble. - The French were quietly rebelling
against the occupier. As proof, these posters of the collaboration, Fight against Bolshevism becomes after a few brushstrokes, fight against the Boche. Parisians choose posters in the metro to do the same. - As it is forbidden to smoke
in the subway and there were signs in every car, Rauchen
Verboten, no smoking. The French noticed that by cutting some letters, it could remain, Green Race. It was the Germans, they were dressed
in green. - If the atmosphere was tense, the Germans did not
have only enemies in France. In three years of daily contact with civilians, from occupants, some became friends, even lovers. Officer Heintz Lorenz flaunts his most beautiful Parisian conquests without batting an eye. - My parents had a very open relationship. My father was a real ladies' man. Both of them did not miss any opportunity. They lived their lives on their own. - Love between French women and German soldiers is unthinkable. Yet, from hate to indifference, from peaceful cohabitation to friendships and from sex to love, human nature does its work. At the beginning of April 1943,
a young 24 year old Breton woman arrived in Paris. Marguerite
Rouxel has a big problem. She was carrying the child of Otto Ammon,
a German non-commissioned officer in the Air Force. She came to Paris to
give birth at the Port Royal clinic. A special regime allows women to give birth anonymously under a false name. The fruit of this forbidden union, little Daniel, a child of love. - My father loved my mother
very sincerely, my mother always loved my father and
she was crazy about him. My mother was at home and I put a picture of my father on television. She didn't know about it. She comes unexpectedly and looks: "Otto, Otto". It looked like a young girl who finds her lover. It's something that is... She was crying and crying. Yes, a very beautiful story. - This story between Otto and Mathilde
begins in Brittany, on the roads of Saint-Malo where
they meet for the first time. - She was riding her bike on the road to Saint-Malo, it must have been her day off. She met my father who was with a car and his friend. They stopped the car and talked with my mother. My father had a little detail that amused me a lot, he was eating cherries. My father gave my mother cherries. - Mathilde finds a job as a
canteen worker in a barracks where Otto lives. The lovers
spend time together. On both sides, people know about it, but they turn a blind eye. The problems come when Daniel is born. - My father went up to Paris
to see me, he was not allowed to enter. He was not allowed
to enter the clinic. - Germans are not allowed to recognize these children and marry French women. All this was forbidden by the Wehrmacht. - Otto will see his son only once to hug him. - He told his mother that he had
a son in France, If he should die, he wanted me to be raised
as he had been raised. - The war takes its toll and Otto's
unit must leave France. It is at the age of four that Daniel
learns who his father is. - I went back to school. They didn't know me and they came to me saying that I was the son of Boche. What does it mean? What is this? Then my mother had made a Kraut. Only words, the most absurd,
the worst we have heard. All I wanted to do was cry
and not go back to school. - Being the child of the enemy,
a stigma that Daniel will carry all his life. Under the
pressure of the entourage, the beautiful story between Otto and Mathilde turns
into a nightmare for the mother and her child. - My mother was very embarrassed. I was a real embarrassment to my mother. She had shame that she couldn't... There was always someone there too to remind her, always someone. - Even today, it is difficult to
determine the exact number of children born of relationships between
French and German women. Estimates range from 60 to 200,000. So many hidden love stories lived in shame. June 6, 1944, the day of the landing on
the beaches of Normandy. Americans, British and Canadians open the Western
Front to encircle Hitler's Germany. Now war is raging 250 kilometers
from Paris. For the first time in four years, Gertrud sees the consequences,
from operator to nurse. - They had to be cared for, bandaged and given first aid. More than one was dying. - In Paris, however, the high command
acted as if nothing had happened. The instructions from Berlin
were clear, no need to panic. We must inspire confidence in the Parisians, but behind the scenes, we are active. - At that time, at the beginning
of August 1944, the General Staff was considering the
question of withdrawal, but the return to Germany is not considered. Then we start burning files systematically. The summer of 1944 is described as very snowy with the bits of ash that were falling down. - The events are going to be precipitated. On August 19, the first fighting
broke out in the streets. It was the beginning of the
Parisians' insurrection. A total surprise for Gertrud and for the first time she is afraid. - We were no longer safe in the streets, there was shooting everywhere. There, it was really a war. - The only option is to flee. Some have
already done so, like officer Lorenz. Thanks to his friends in Paris, he found
a driver who drove him to Germany. For ordinary soldiers, nothing is planned, because for Hitler, defeat was never an option. - The German is necessarily victorious because
he is a superior race. At that time, the good soldier is the one who dies in combat
to defend his country or who is victorious. - The 20,000 soldiers were then left to their own devices. Their options are thin, in this month
of August 1944 the train is excluded. The railroads had been sabotaged
by the French Resistance. Gertrud has only a few hours to find a solution. - No one cared about us getting
out of Paris. We took the last metro, my girlfriends and I,
and we went to the terminus. There, there were still some German trucks already damaged by bullet holes. One of them took us. On the road, we had to stop several times to hide. We were shot at. It was horrible. I wonder how we survived that. - For Gertrud, the first step is Verdun and then the Netherlands. For her, the war continues. At the Hotel Meurice, the new commander
of Paris, Dietrich Von Choltitz, received an order from Berlin,
to defend the city at all costs to the last man, he was going
to mine the strategic places, the telephone center, the Senate
and the Alexander III bridge. Everything is in place for Paris to become
a battlefield. The only problem is that most of the soldiers have
left for the Normandy front. - The Germans tried at the last minute to assemble makeshift units. That's when we realized that among
the 20,000 soldiers who were still in Paris, very few had
any real military training. They were mostly uniformed officials, but not soldiers. - August 23rd. General Leclerc's second armored division was 50 kilometers from Paris. Nothing can stop it. So Von Choltitz knows that defending Paris is a waste of time. He even negotiated a ceasefire with the resistance. In Berlin, there is no information.
So Hitler sent a telegram with the now famous question,
"Is Paris burning? - It was not an order of destruction. Von Choltitz arranged the truth
in his memoirs after the war because he thought the
French wanted to hear it. He had no interest in informing Berlin that he had negotiated an armistice with the Resistance. This could be considered high treason. - He behaved more like a soldier than a Nazi by
saying that it was over, that it was better to preserve Paris and the troops than to go into
battle until the end and that was a defeat. - On August 24, around 6 p.m., the first French
armored vehicles under General Leclerc arrived in Paris in front of the Hôtel de Ville, which
had already been taken by the Resistance. - All of a sudden, we heard the
church bells ringing. That day, the radio had passed into
the hands of the Resistance. The announcer repeated, asking
the priests of Paris to please ring their churches for the
liberation of the Capital. It was really hot, it was happening
at that time. We heard all the churches around us ringing,
etc. It was very moving. - The next day, August 25, 1944, the fighting raged. They were particularly violent around
the German strategic points, the Kommandantur, the Majestic
and the Military School. More than 1,000 French and 3,200
Germans lost their lives. One after the other, the German
fortresses will fall. Le Meurice is one of the first, It is here that Von Choltitz signs the surrender, precisely at 2:45 pm. - Then, he also had to sign surrender orders
which were delivered by German officers accompanied by French or Allied soldiers
at the various German resistance points. - Paris is liberated. These images of jubilant scenes went around the world, as well as those of the former German lords. Nearly 13,000 of them were taken as prisoners. The reversal of roles for the Parisians, is quite a symbol. - The German who marched from the Concorde to the
Champs-Élysées. This victorious army becomes an army, therefore defeated and conversely, the defeated
of yesterday become the victors of today. - Parisians have not forgotten the occupation, the shortages, the raids, and the repression. Seeing the former occupant in a defeated position is a relief that sometimes leads to outbursts. - There are scenes of soldiers
who will be insulted, who will be molested, who will
be insulted and spat upon. There is really measured violence that is verbal and physical, but it is a violence of release. It is really the civilian population
and we see that it is not only men but women and
children who take revenge. Even if it is measured, they take
revenge on this occupation or this victor who is now
defeated and defenseless. - For these soldiers, the war is now over. From occupiers, they became
prisoners. A new status was painted on their uniform,
POW, for prisoners of war. The 800,000 German prisoners
of war were requisitioned to clear the beaches and work
in the mines of the North. The last of them will return in 1948. Gertrud arrived safely in Germany.
She returned to her home region, got married,
and had three children. She now lives in a nursing home in northern Germany. Klaus, the soldier of the first hour, spent
four years in captivity in the United States. He returned in 1948 after an eight-year
absence and now lives in Berlin. The soldier Gisbert returned to Germany and opened a household appliance store in Kronenbourg. Music remained his passion.
Since his death in 2014, his daughter preciously keeps his
souvenir photos of Paris. Officer Hans Lorenz found his son. Until his death in 1966, he continued to organize cultural events such as the German Wine Festival. As for Daniel Rouxel, the child of Boche, he met his German family at the age of 12. In 2009, after years of administrative hassles, he obtained dual German citizenship. His name is now Daniel Rouxel-Ammon. In Paris, no trace remains of the dark years of the occupation. The Germans' fascination for the City of Light remained intact.
