The 20th century begins and Europe has high hopes for the future. New inventions are expected to bring peace and prosperity. But it did not take long for Europe to find out that the new century also brought problems and challenges.
Tens of thousands British and French soldiers lost their lives on the battlefields and in the trenches. Most of them were young boys with no military training.
Everything Adolf Hitler dreamed of in the 30's was already achieved by Benito Mussolini in the 20's. 'Il Duce' was born in Predappio, where you can also find his grave.
When Franz Biberkopf, the fictitious main character from the book 'Berlin Alexanderplatz', was released from prison in 1929 he panicked when he saw present-day Berlin.
How was it possible that so many well-educated people, people from completely normal families, fell for the reign of the Nazi's? Their children try to answer this question.
The French liked to believe the whole of France was against Hitler during the war. They were wrong, a part of the country supported the Nazi's: Vichy France.
From behind the windows of their factory, the employees of 'Topf und Sohne', could see the smoke rise from the chimneys of Buchenwald, a Nazi concentration camp. The smoke came from ovens they designed.
In 1943 a Polish man took a picture of the beautiful German girl Lilly Steinmuller. Who was she? What was she doing in Poland and were did she went after the Soviets defeated the Germans in Poland?