A color video of Berlin in 1945 gives a vivid picture of a side of Germany not often seen -- the country left to rebuild from the rubble of World War II. Civilians are seen cycling along damaged city streets and clearing piles of debris. The archive video was posted to YouTube this week, ahead of the 70th anniversary of "Victory in Europe" of VE Day.
On May 8, 1945, German troops laid down their weapons and surrendered to Allied and Soviet troops, ending five years of conflict in Europe. As the capital of Nazi Germany, Berlin was the target of a British bombing campaign among other battles. German civilians were left to pick up the pieces of the country's tattered cities, like Berlin, that had been damaged by aerial strikes and battles throughout the war.