Flying – the oldest dream of mankind. While Icarus and Leonardo da Vinci still had failed, flight pioneers like Otto Lilienthal and the Wright brothers finally turned this dream into reality. Charles Lindbergh set a further milestone in the history of aviation in 1927 by crossing the Atlantic from New York to Paris in a nonstop flight. But also female aviators such as Elly Beinhorn, Amelia Earhart, Hanna Reitsch or Marga von Etzdorf were in no way inferior to male pilots considering their talent and contributions to the field.
The advancement in aviation technology enabled the development of increasingly sophisticated and safer aircrafts: From Zeppelin and flying boat, to the Douglas DC-4 and Lockheed Constellation, to modern passenger jets such as the Concorde or the Airbus A380. Flying has long become a part of the daily routines of many people.
History
Shaped by the Concert of Europe in the Age of Imperialism and the resulting "Great War", shattered by the Second World War as a result of the dark chapter of National Socialism, characterized by the Cold War and the division of Germany – historical world constellations as well as people's living conditions have often and seriously changed in the turbulent 20th century.
Here you will find photo dossiers on the various historical phases and events of the past century in Germany and around the world. In addition to major politics, the focus is on changes in the "zeitgeist": people's everyday experiences in the individual decades, changes in culture and fashion, and progress in technology and science.