Flight and expulsion – in 1945 millions of German civilians fled to the west escaping from the Russian army or were expelled from eastern German territories, Poland and Czecho-Slovakia.
From Czecho-Slovakia alone over three millions Germans have been expelled, many died on the long trek to the west from hunger, disease or froze to death. But many were also brutally murdered, beaten, shot - in revenge for German occupation.
The crimes against the civilian Germans and the memory of it are still a point of contention between the neighboring countries of Poland, the Czech Republic and Germany. Impressively, Czech TV has recently shown a comprehensive documentary about the murder of the hated occupiers of the time.
Director David Vondracek has presented for the first time images of the shooting of at least 42 Germans on 10 May 1945, just one day after the capitulation, on a main road from Prague, the Kladenska Street, which leads to the airport.
The horrific images have been filmed bythe father of Erin Helena Dvořáčková.
Who shot the Germans, whether Russians or Czechs, can not be inferred from the images. One thing is certain, however. The Czechs were involved in the murders. After the fact, Czech authorities were looking for the camera man to seize the film. But Helena Dvořáčkovás father kept his secret. The family kept the gruesome pictures in the attic. Until now.
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