Foot Soldiers WW1

There are many many many reasons why I adore my boyfriend. One of my favorites is how he gets as excited about history as I do. So, last weekend as we were taking a lovely walk in the lovely spring sun we passed a poster for an exhibition of photographs from anonymous foot soldiers from World War I our faces lit up and we both knew how we'd be spending the next hour.

The photos were touching. I expected to see a lot of photos with young men lined up and posed. However, the bright-eyed young men looking out at me from a time and a place I can hardly fathom were natural and authentic. There were images of camp sites, villages, military drills, coffees with friends as well as the more stark reminders of war such as charred churches and fallen comrades.

The exhibit groups photos according to themes. The opening photos all pertain to the daily life of the foot soldiers. The next grouping was photos of artillery used by the foot soldiers. Slowly, as the exhibit drew in the viewer, the groupings took on darker themes. There were a few "before and after'' photos of villages ravaged by the war.

Each photo was a reminder of how far we humans have come and how incredibly far we still have to go in our growth towards peace, harmony and respect.


www.hrad.cz/en/prague-castle/calendar-of-prague-castle-actions/74.shtml