Ancient history

A moving picture of the world, a film from 1900

A moving image of a world that no longer exists… A colorful film from 1900. Amazing, interesting, delightful and sad at the same time. Travel back in time to Berlin and other European cities from the early 20th century.

It seems quite obvious what the world looked like 100 years ago. After all, we have preserved photographs, we also know his image from feature films. But to see a real, authentic movie from that period is something else. And colorful too.

A picture of the world from 1900

All the people shown there are dressed so differently. Much more elegant, stylish and uniform. Children and adults look curiously at the camera lens. A device that was just entering its golden age. Soldiers march, guests in the café browse the menu. Some of the passers-by walk faster along the street in pursuit of everyday matters. When I watched this movie for the first time, the first thing I thought was "they don't know yet ...". They don't all know yet that in a dozen or so years one of the greatest wars in human history will break out. A war that will claim millions of lives, a conflict on a scale previously unheard of in history. A war that will overturn the European order, topple monarchies, give rise to new ideologies, political and social systems. Perhaps some of the men shown in the film will die at the front, and some women will lose their sons, husbands or fathers. They don't all know it yet. For now, they are smiling curiously at the unknown device. They live their own business…

Prussian soldiers - Film from 1900

Cheers!

The 1900 movie appeared on YouTube some time ago, for the first time under the title "Berlin 1900". Indeed, most of the shots come from the German capital, but some of them were taken in other European cities. Here's what we caught.

London Red Buses

Trafalgar Square in London

Munich Feldherrnhalle

Vienna Hofburg Palace

Mariacki Square and Munich Town Hall