Another great job! The Then and Nows may be my favorite presentations. Nothing to do with WWII but my Munich story is this. As a member of the 33rd US Army Headquarters Band, we played a reception one afternoon at the US Consulate there just as the 1972 Olympics was beginning. We wore our dress blue uniforms, of course. During a break I was able to freely mingle among the guests. Got very close to the former Grace Kelly, then Princess of Monaco. With her hair up she still looked radiant in her early 40's. Jesse Owens was there and still looked pretty fit for a man of around 60. Burt Lancaster was also there. Looked like just he wanted to get away from the crowd and came outside into the garden where some of us had gathered. He was very casual and friendly. The same age as Jesse Owens, he still looked incredibly fit. He had been a circus acrobat in his younger days before Hollywood. We went back to Heidelberg after a couple of days and I then we heard of the takeover of the Israeli athletes. The mention of Munich brings back so many memories for me. Thanks.

@WW2Wayfinder

4 ай бұрын

Oh wow! That must have been quite the experience both during and after getting back to Heidelberg. I've walked around the Olympic Village in the city and it's a wonderful spot and has a real feel of looking to the future about it, but clearly marred by those horrific events that occurred that year.

Superb content. As usual, the Then and Now photos are very surreal and compelling. Many thanks and please keep up the good work.

@WW2Wayfinder

4 ай бұрын

Thank you! Keep an eye out for part 2 to this episode as I've still got a few more locations in the city to find!

I was in Munich for about 3-days in November of 1982, at the start of a 2-week vacation through central Europe. It was a great experience. I hope to return someday.

@WW2Wayfinder

4 ай бұрын

It's a wonderful city so I hope you can make it back there soon!

I think we need a Then & Now of that beer you had. Your Then & Now videos are absolutely the best

Great presentation Jon, love seeing these then and now pictures. Thank you very much.🫡

@WW2Wayfinder

4 ай бұрын

You’re most welcome Troy, glad you enjoyed it. Munich really is a fascinating place to spend a few hours and small enough to cover most of it on foot too!

Very good presentation of them and now of Munich. Good job

@WW2Wayfinder

4 ай бұрын

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it. I’ll have a part 2 to this coming out at some point as there’s still more to show from the city!

Thank you for the excellent presentation. I love to see then and now photos.

@WW2Wayfinder

4 ай бұрын

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it and I’ll have a part two to this episode in the next few weeks.

Jon, another excellent Then and Now. I look forward to your next video.

@WW2Wayfinder

4 ай бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it! I’ll have a part 2 to this out at some point as there’s so many to find there!

Excellent job, thank you!

@WW2Wayfinder

4 ай бұрын

You’re most welcome! Thank you for watching 😃

Excellent work, Jon.

@WW2Wayfinder

4 ай бұрын

Thank you!

Excellent, then & now pictures , keep up the good work!

@WW2Wayfinder

4 ай бұрын

Thank you!

I was in the US Army in nuremberg in 1966 to 1967, and was a dental Lab tech. I had a german man working for me in my section, named Victor Zimmerman, and he was a surviver of stalingrade. He died while I was there and He came from Munchin, and was buried there, and my whole unit went there to honor him...jack johnsen

@WW2Wayfinder

3 ай бұрын

Oh wow thank you for sharing that Jack. Did Herr Zimmerman ever talk about Stalingrad at all before he passed?

@jackjohnsen8506

3 ай бұрын

@@WW2Wayfinder He told me some stories and How he was able to survive, because he made Dental appliances, for the Russian officers and sargents, while in priosn camp. He brought in his regiment reunion book, which showed Him standing by an 88 mm gun, in the snow, and a santa Claus, in 1943.....Victor could not speak English and I could not speak much german, so we had a lauguage we called Gerlish, and always had a good undersatnding of what the other was saying...funny thing,,,when Victor would make a small mistake, I would say "Victor, vas is loss mit this?" Victor would say "Nix mier, was da Newie man" and we would both laugh....I miss him still.....

Great content, and we can see that you made a real and personal effort to make it as good as possible. I had three relatives and many friends who have survived that time in Munich. During the 1970s, memories were still fresh and I grew up listening to interesting stories of the war years. In late April and early May 1945, most German soldiers in that area just switched to civilian clothes and walked home. That's why they had a problem finding and filming a few hundred German POWs. The forests around Munich had plenty of weapons, ammunition and German uniforms everywhere. Boys went there to "play", and this bad habit did end badly for many of them.

@WW2Wayfinder

4 ай бұрын

Thank you! I can imagine the amount of munitions left at the end of the war and young boys wanting to ‘play soldiers’. Sadly an all too common tale at the end of any conflict.

Spectacular video! Not just before and after shots, but on-the-scene video. Cheers from Minnesota.

@WW2Wayfinder

4 ай бұрын

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it!!!

Great video it brings back so many memories of my Munich walking tour a few years ago. I also took photos of all the still hidden swastikas displayed under verandahs especially where Unity Mitford sat on a bench outside Hitler's offices.

@WW2Wayfinder

4 ай бұрын

Thank you! The Art Museum still has the party symbols in the ceilings on the outside. I'm not doing a great job of explaining it but I've got a part two to this episode so will show them in that one!

Outstanding presentation. I have visited there several times and went to all the areas in your presentation. Thanks for the memories.

@WW2Wayfinder

4 ай бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it! Munich a great place to spend a day or two isn’t it and the history there is fascinating.

Wow, great job Jon. The architecture is totally stunning! I may be wrong but the people there seem to take pride in their City. Munich would definitely be on my bucket list to visit. Stay safe.

@WW2Wayfinder

4 ай бұрын

Thank you Mike! For the most part Bavarians really take pride in where they live and Munich always looks good even at the height of the Oktoberfest!

Always fascinating Jon, keep them coming

@WW2Wayfinder

4 ай бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it!

Ever since seeing and reading those original "Then and Now" magazines from the '70's to the present which formed my part of youth and bringing history alive..you have done a remarkable job here and without question spent a great deal of time and effort not only tracking, tracing and confirming pictures and accounts, but have also done some superb editing and producing here which with my small thanks here is not enough credit to you. Please keep up your hard work..I (amongst many others also..for sure) deeply appreciate your efforts and (we) are rewarded by your work. SUPERB!

@WW2Wayfinder

4 ай бұрын

Thank you so much! I'm also a big fan of the Then and Now books and magazines and they've certainly been a big part in my inspiration for tracking down these locations! I'll have another Munich T&N episode out soon as I have so many more photos from the city I couldn't fit them all in to one episode!

@andrewdiack8162

3 ай бұрын

Do you mean the 'After the Battle' magazines from around 1974 which you can still buy online now? Used one on the Falaise Gap battles when in Normandy in 1989.

@robertchubb5602

3 ай бұрын

@@andrewdiack8162 YES...and if they sell..online..Great and yes..I speak of those same magazines one used to wait for in a newsagents to arrive

I wasn’t able to watch your videos lately so I am getting back on tracks ! I messed these Then&Now videos, a lot of KZreadr do this format but you nail it every time

I think they were probably waving and applauding that Americans and British were rolling in and not Russians.

@WW2Wayfinder

4 ай бұрын

Very much so! They knew the horrors the Soviets would bring to their doors.

@eko.h2959

3 ай бұрын

,,

@edwardmcdermott9948

3 ай бұрын

My dad said that the regular German people as the rest of most of Europe and the world were just glad it was ending!! And figured it couldn't get any worse !!!! Dad was just glad he survived and could.go home but didn't have enough points to go home so it really wasn't over for America yet until Japanese surrender in August that it was really over

solid as always sir, thank you for your continued high standard of videos and the time that you spend making this.

Very nice , I have also taken a before and after ( 2019 ) photos of the Hofbrãuhaus from slightly right of yours , a jeep is driving by it , only thing that is really different is the fount on the name , luv your video's ! 👌

Always great content with your vids,we enjoy them so much thank you

Great video. A lot of work to put these together. Really enjoy the then and now videos. Something I always try to do when visiting historical sites is to check old photos.

@WW2Wayfinder

4 ай бұрын

Thank you! It’s always amazing to find these spots and great that you do the same on your travels as it still amazes me how much can still be found in 2024!

Cracking video mate. Thanks 👍

@WW2Wayfinder

4 ай бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it!

Thank you for the 1945 and now images.

@WW2Wayfinder

3 ай бұрын

My pleasure! Glad you enjoyed the episode!

The 157th and the 179th Inf.Regts. were bivouacked here.2 weeks here and 2 weeks in Dachau. My Uncle Joe served in B Co.,179th Infantry regiment,45th Infantry division. Both regiments rotated positions every 2 weeks.My uncle wrote to my father, "No,we didn't capture Dachau,we had a hell of a fight on the outskirts of Munich, the Krauts wouldn't let us in,the 157th took Dachau,but we got there in time to do a little mopping up".

Nice one Jon 👍 Always fascinating.

@WW2Wayfinder

4 ай бұрын

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it. Munich is a great place to spend a day exploring!

Wonderful Thankyou!

Great effort. Love your work! ❤

@WW2Wayfinder

4 ай бұрын

Thank you!

Nice job. I like your take on the story.

@WW2Wayfinder

3 ай бұрын

Thank you!

Love your videos !!!! Interesting !!!!

@WW2Wayfinder

4 ай бұрын

Thank you!

Fantastic then and now photos,as a lot of people i used to get the magazines years ago of different battles with the then and now photos, youve just taken it to a higher level and a new audience well done so interesting. Where do you source your video clips from? It certainly enhances the content, the best bit the Panther with the extra steel road wheel,i wonder what ever happened to it??? Brilliant channel 👏

Great piece of work! Gives me a different view on my home town area. Very interesting and important to be preserved for future generations. Thanks and keep on doing your great work. All the best from 🇩🇪

Another very interesting video Jon. Great stuff and very much appreciated.

@WW2Wayfinder

4 ай бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it! I'll have a part two to this episode out in a few weeks as theres still lots more the city has to offer!

Amazing as always. Haven’t seen any of these before. So interesting. Very well done Jon. 👍🏻

@WW2Wayfinder

4 ай бұрын

Thank you!

Wow absolutely stunning as always,thank you from the bottom of my heart for the time & effort that you put into these,we will never forget them & we shall be eternally greatful ❤️❤️

@WW2Wayfinder

4 ай бұрын

GLad you enjoyed it! I"ll have a part two coming out soon looking at more images from the city!

@zolfodor4835

4 ай бұрын

@WW2Wayfinder thank you I cannot wait.

Love the then and know pictures. Throughly enjoying it

@WW2Wayfinder

4 ай бұрын

Thank you!

This was wonderful. Thank YOU.

@WW2Wayfinder

4 ай бұрын

My pleasure, thank you for taking the time to watch!

Again another excellent episode. Thanks.

@WW2Wayfinder

4 ай бұрын

Thank you!

Thanks again for the excellent job you do.

@WW2Wayfinder

4 ай бұрын

You're most welcome! Glad you enjoyed it!

Excellent Presentation! Thank You!

@WW2Wayfinder

4 ай бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it! I'll have a part two to this episode coming out soon!

I've been there several times. It gives me the creeps, bullet holes in the buildings, Dachau a few miles to the north east.

Awesome content! I’ve spent alot of time in Munich and really enjoyed the content! 🤙🏻

@WW2Wayfinder

4 ай бұрын

Thank you! Munich is a great city isnt it! I'll have a part 2 to this episode out soon as I've still got lots more photo locations to track down!

Really good video. I loved the section with the Panther tank. Thanks for posting this.

@WW2Wayfinder

4 ай бұрын

Thank you! If you look closely you can actually see the Panther parked up in the aerial footage I included in the episode! Really quite something to see it parked there and the building remaining largely as it was 80 years ago. Thanks again for watching.

Brilliant episode Jon, so intresting👍👍👍

@WW2Wayfinder

4 ай бұрын

Thank you Peter! Munich is a fantastic city to visit and no amount of time there feels quite long enough to soak up all the history that’s there!

Awesome thank you

@WW2Wayfinder

4 ай бұрын

You’re most welcome, glad you enjoyed it!

Another great video Jon for highlight sites with then & now pictures. On a side note have you noticed how many FB groups WWII are now copying you style with then & now. Great work you are head & shoulders above the rest on YT👍

@WW2Wayfinder

4 ай бұрын

Oh fantastic! I wonder if that was when the 2nd Armored Living history Group were there to recreate the advance in to the Czech Republic?

Great channel !

@WW2Wayfinder

3 ай бұрын

Thank you so much!

No one does these comparisons better !

@WW2Wayfinder

Ай бұрын

Thank you!

Very well done and very interesting. Thank you.

@WW2Wayfinder

3 ай бұрын

Thank you!

This is a magnificent video! I’m subscribing now 😊

@WW2Wayfinder

3 ай бұрын

Thank you! I’ll have another Then and Now episode from Munich out soon as there’s lots more of the city to show!

Always enjoy the before and after historical shots. Visited Munich in 2016 and was able to be in some of the locations you featured. There is a LOT of WWII history in Munich and you could easily do an extended version of the presentation. Maybe a future visit?

@WW2Wayfinder

4 ай бұрын

Ill have a part two to this episode out in the next few weeks along with a third episode covering another aspect of the city so more to come 😃

More great content Jon , having never been to Munich this gives me the feel of being there and its history . Great photos of the Panther ausf G the last in production . Hoping to visit some day for the history and some good Bavarian beer. Thanks

@WW2Wayfinder

4 ай бұрын

Thank you! It's a great city to visit and so much to see, and plenty of beers to try!!!!

Excellent work on the beer. Video wasn't too shabby either. Thanks

@WW2Wayfinder

4 ай бұрын

haha thank you!

Another great episode

@WW2Wayfinder

4 ай бұрын

Thank you!

Thanks!

@WW2Wayfinder

3 ай бұрын

Thanks so much!

Awesome job as usual Jon. I love history and WWII never gets old no matter which side you were on or which country you were fighting for.

@WW2Wayfinder

4 ай бұрын

Thank you! Part 2 to this episode will be out in a the next 2/3 weeks. I had too many photos to show for just one episode!

Thanks for your great work .. 👍 As a ww2 history buff myself, this is just what one wish to do..but time and funds never meet the ambition, so your work is highly appreciated.. Thanks from a buff in Sweden

@WW2Wayfinder

4 ай бұрын

Thank you! Hope you’re able to take it up yourself one day as exploring these places and documenting them really is a lot of fun

Fantastic !

@WW2Wayfinder

4 ай бұрын

Thank you!

Whenever I view collections of photos of devastated German cities in the aftermath of WW2, i'm reminded of Hitler's boast in September 1933, ""Give me ten years and you won't recognize Germany"". I'm always amazed at how rapidly those cities were made habitable and prosperous, even taking the Marshall Plan into account.

Fabulous.

@WW2Wayfinder

Минут бұрын

Thank you so much!

Great video, loved Munich when I was over there especially the Hofbrauhus.👍

@WW2Wayfinder

2 ай бұрын

Thank you!

great history Mark

@WW2Wayfinder

4 ай бұрын

Thank you! Jon WW2 Wayfinder

Great documentation. As I live in Munich, I have seen these places countless times, but obviously not the state of them back when.

@WW2Wayfinder

4 ай бұрын

Thank you! I have a couple more planned for Munich that will be out in the following weeks so I hope you enjoy those too!

This is a really good video. Both the restoration and the redevelopment of the buildings have been sensitively completed by the authorities. I am also stuck by the cleanliness and tidiness of the Marienplatz - central London is an absolute midden compared with Munich! And I hope you enjoyed that beer, Jon!

@WW2Wayfinder

4 ай бұрын

Thank you! The beer was excellent! The Marienplatz was very clean but from what I've seen of the city and especially when I've visited in the summer it's not too dissimilar from London and the amount of construction work there is insane!

Really interesting. Thank you for all your work. Love the comparison . Looking forward to more. 16:39

@WW2Wayfinder

4 ай бұрын

Thank you! I’ll have another Then and Now from Munich and another episode that covers a different aspect of the cities wartime history!

Great video

@WW2Wayfinder

4 ай бұрын

Thank you!

The last time I was in Munich I stayed in the Hotel Anna where the Panther tank photo was taken. I had no idea it was that location! 😄 Great video, keep up the superb work 👍👍👍

@WW2Wayfinder

4 ай бұрын

Oh nice one! I’ve walked past several times and likewise didn’t know until recently. Amazing what history we walk past every single day! Thank you for watching!

This is fantastic!!!!!

@WW2Wayfinder

4 ай бұрын

Thank you!

Very interesting thank you

@WW2Wayfinder

4 ай бұрын

You're most welcome!

This is a very good past/present video of Old and New Germany. Job well done.

@WW2Wayfinder

3 ай бұрын

Thank you!

@tonymcdonnly6492

3 ай бұрын

@@WW2Wayfinder you're welcome

fun fact: the place where you were standing at 6:20, right opposite of the "Gravis" store used to be a beer hall. there the SA was founded, and an Austrian man with funny beard became a member of a not so nice party

Thank you! Ready to go back!

@WW2Wayfinder

4 ай бұрын

Munich is a great place to visit isn't it!

The German Architecture is quite beautiful.

So cool I just love your videos God bless you brother for sharing pictures and your knowledge of the past!!✌️🇺🇲

@WW2Wayfinder

4 ай бұрын

Thank you! I'll have another T&N episode for Munich as there are so many images I couldn't fit them all into one episode!

Again excellent\ I was glued to screen. Remember HB well back in 1983 when I was a young Naval officer on leave (and could still drink!) . The comparisons are always great even with all the development. Passed through Munched 2 years ago upon completion of an "Easy Company Tour" but by then after two weeks had to head back to the US. Keep up the great work . I am definitely looking forward to your visit to Cassio. I was last there in 1986 while on a Med deployment. Don't know if you can do a split screen for comparisons but what you do now is still fantastic. And of course the detailed research.

@WW2Wayfinder

4 ай бұрын

Thank you! I'll have a second episode looking at more from the city in the next few weeks as well as one all about the battle to capture the city in late April 1945! Glad you've been able to spend some time there yourself and experience it! I bet the BoB tour was excellent too!

I lived in Munich as a child from 1958-62, and I remember whole sections of the inner suburbs were still fenced off as bomb-sites. And when I returned in the late 1980s, the royal palace in the centre had only just been re-opened following the bomb damage.

Was in Munich last October and took the walk of the Third Reich.. this is absolutely incredible.. I then went to Oktoberfest

Super interesting travel..through the time, really good!

@WW2Wayfinder

4 ай бұрын

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it!

Awesome, Jon. I'm an aussie who has lived just outside Munich for the last 4 years - and I am always wondering about what things looked like pre- and post- "that period" - and you have shown a lot of great content here. I also found the old paddock that was used as the first base for US forces in Starnberg - a very short walk from my original home here. Anyway, another great video!

@WW2Wayfinder

4 ай бұрын

Thank you! I'll have another couple of episodes about Munich coming up in the next few weeks so keep an eye out for those. If you can get to Garmish there are some great T&N shots that can be found there too!

Love your youtube. From Thailand

@WW2Wayfinder

4 ай бұрын

Thank you! Very cool to know you’re watching from Thailand 😃

Great Job You’ve Done…. Amazing of the transformation of the city, also sadly amazing for the devastation of War….!

@WW2Wayfinder

4 ай бұрын

Thank you!

Hi Jon Great work mate! It really amazes me how that despite all the devastation that was inflicted during the war, that the reconstruction work since to transform the city back to its semi original former self, is an epic story in itself. The hazard of just removing the amount of debris and coming across so much unexploded ordnance that would have caused so many post war deaths and injuries is mind boggling. Thanks for sharing another great video presentation ❤😊

@WW2Wayfinder

4 ай бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it! Sadly they are still finding UXO to this day and one 2/3 years ago injured one of the work crew that found it I think!

Just wow! These photos and videos were incredible! Great episode-Mind if I watch this twice? 😜

@WW2Wayfinder

4 ай бұрын

Haha more than happy for you to watch a s many times as you need! I’ll have another episode featuring more from the city in the next couple of weeks as well!

@1psychofan

4 ай бұрын

@@WW2Wayfinder I look forward to that!!!!

Thank you

@WW2Wayfinder

4 ай бұрын

My pleasure!

Interesting video, thanks. I lived in Munich in the late '80's, it's a beautiful city.

@WW2Wayfinder

4 ай бұрын

Thank you! Munich really is a fun city to spend a few hours and the food and beer at the end of the day was excellent too!

Brilliantly made, I really love this. Did you finish the beer!!

@WW2Wayfinder

4 ай бұрын

I can promise you there wasn't a drop left!!!! I wouldn't be surprised if it's a crime to leave beer in Germany given how good it tastes!!! Thank you for watching and I'll have another T&N episode from Munich out soon as there's still more photos to show from the city!

That’s why city’s medieval center has such wide roads as really there’s little of the original buildings in existence

Landshut ♡ meine Heimatstadt ♡ "Himmel Landshut" -der frohe Gruß "Tausend Landshut " - die stolze Antwort! ♡♡♡

Great job! My father was in the area in 1945. The people welcomed Americans because they weren't the Russians - and the war was over.

@WW2Wayfinder

4 ай бұрын

Thank you! Do you know what unit your father served with?

@bobjohnston8316

4 ай бұрын

This comment answers my question as to why the citizens of a stronghold of the Nazi party were so welcoming to the Amis. Anything was better than occupation by the Russians. It would not be a cakewalk, of course. Germany was so thoroughly destroyed that food shortages would be endemic, not to mention a lack of basic services, a flood of refugees from the east, few jobs outside of reconstruction and thousands of their own crippled and wounded soldiers straggling home. All a legacy of “Onkel Adolph”.

Brilliant

@WW2Wayfinder

Ай бұрын

Thank you!

It's quite amazing to me how much things have not changed that much in many of the locations of your then and now photos. I was in Normandy last year touring the main landing beaches and sites. So many of the towns in Normandy had not changed much in 80 years. I really enjoy your then and now photos as it's just a reminder how fast time passes for us all. WWII was 80 years ago. I bet that's hard to believe for the remaining WWII vets still alive today.

@WW2Wayfinder

4 ай бұрын

Thank you!And I know what you mean, despite all that Munich has seen, there are still large areas that remain largely as they were. I'll have a part two to this episode out soon as I still have lots more images to show from the city!

Excellent presentation. Look closely at the last photo. A civilian standing in the left crowd has had hand replacements or "hooks". Injured in combat or an air raid?

Great video I've been to Munich it's a great city the re building was done tastefully it was even more beautiful before the insane destruction caused by a catastrophic war but there's not much we can do after the fact other than to hope such madness doesn't occur once more

Thank you very much, my hometown

@WW2Wayfinder

4 ай бұрын

You’re most welcome! It’s a beautiful place!

Awesome video...for those looking for the Panther location, its about 300 meters WEST of Karlsplatz...look for the 'circle' just to the right of the door of Daisy Cave Kitchenclub.

@WW2Wayfinder

4 ай бұрын

Thank you and yea not north as I said. The Marienplatz runs more East-West but I had in my head at the time it was to the north 🤦🏻‍♂️

Also Munich looks a lovely place to visit, ive been to Germany twice but never that far south

@WW2Wayfinder

3 ай бұрын

I highly recommend it if the opportunity is there and you’re able to. It’s crammed full of history from all ages and the bier kellars and bier gartens are a great place to spend an afternoon!

Brillant video, many thanks for sharing. I have had the good fortune to visit family in München several times over the last few years and I love the place, so much history, great bier and Schweinshaxe!! I did make the mistake of referring to the Rathaus being in ‘Marienplatz’ when I should have pronounced it ‘Mar-eenplatz’ ! Luckily, no one was offended!

@WW2Wayfinder

4 ай бұрын

Thank you! I love Munich, especially the food and the bier!!! The English Garten in the summer time is really nice and the Olympic Park by the BMW museum is another great spot to spend an afternoon!