Original German WWII Luftwaffe Flak Artillery “Kriegserinnerungen” Personal Photo Album – 103 Photos Original Items

Original Item: One-of-a-kind-set. Here we have a wonderful Luftwaffe Flak Artillery personal photo album, with what looks to be mostly photographs they took themselves, without some professional shots and prints mixed in. It is covered with a lovely textured maroon cover, and there is a print of a Flak 88 glued to the cover. The lower right is embossed in silver with Kriegserinnerungen (War Memories), and the album measures approximately 12” x 8”.

A total of 103 photographs and prints fill the pages of this album (not counting the print on the front), making it a treasure-trove of images taken from the viewpoint of a young, patriotic German soldier. These are contained on 19 pages, which are not captioned, and most pages are separated “onion skin” separators. Some are glued directly to the pages, while others use corner tabs.

There are some REALLY fantastic shots in this album, including some NIGHTTIME shots of firing the Flak guns, which we assume are Flak 88s. They show the full massive muzzle flash, as well as another photo showing the smoke coming out of the barrel. This page is even dated 1938 on the upper right! The next page has has a picture of a Flak 88 encampment, complete with a dug bunker and Luftwaffe soldiers outside a tent. There is also a fantastic photo showing a Flak gun camouflaged to look like a tree! Later pages show additional Luftwaffe personnel and some location prints. These really are some remarkable period photographs!!

Historical records like this album have become priceless time capsules that provide an incomparable level of insight into the individual experience of the Second World War, now that almost eighty years have passed.

The older albums such as these usually withstand the ravages of time. The leather or fabric covers may wear, but the pages stay well intact. The black paper albums of the early 20th century are more fragile, while the glue from magnetic albums can damage photographs. And, as with all old photographs, keep albums in a safe, climate controlled environment.