Historical Photo Archive

Maginot Line at War 1939-1940

| | | | | | | | | |

Historical Photo Archive

"A photograph is usually looked at - seldom looked into."

Ansel Adams (1902-1984), American Photographer

An artillery turret of Fortress Molvange near the city of Thionville

Contemporary photographs are a primary historical source. In the case of Maginot fortifications destroyed after the war, photographs may be the only detailed source of information we have about the combat action.

A remarkable number of photographs were taken by German soldiers during and after the invasion of France. Sometimes it seems as though every German soldier carried a camera. On the French side, photography by the soldiers was discouraged, if not outright forbidden. Therefore, French photo documentation is relatively rare.

Note: Unless stated otherwise, images posted to this web site are scans of photographs from the period 1936-1945. Furthermore, either original negatives or prints are in the possession of Maginot Line at War, or permission was received to use copies of original images held by the other parties. We do not take images from other web sites or copyrighted material without proper permission.

Photographs from the Maginot Line at War Archive

Maginot Line at War has as a collection of more than 5,000 original wartime photographs related to the Maginot Line.

Fortress Hackenberg

Photographs of one of the Maginot Line's largest fortresses.

Photographs of the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration

The U.S. National Archives and Records Adminstration (NARA) has a large collection of captured WWII German and French (captured from the Germans) still photographs. The Maginot Line is well represented in the holdings.

Information not shared is lost! Here is list of the publications to which the maginotlineatwar.com has contributed photographs:

39-45 Magazine (No. 234, May 2006). "La Ligne Maginot livrée aux Allemands." Part 1 of an article about surrender of the Maginot Line to the Germans.

39-45 Magazine (No. 235, June 2006). "La Ligne Maginot livrée aux Allemands." Part 2 of an article about surrender of the Maginot Line to the Germans.

Histoire de Guerre (No. 71, July-August 2006). "A l'assaut du Kerfent." An article about the German assault of Fort Kerfent in June 1940.

De Maginot Linie, Van de Noordzee tot de Rijn by Frank Philippart (Lannoo: Tielt, 2008). A Dutch-language history of the Maginot Line from its inception to combat in 1940.

The German Fortress of Metz, 1870-1944 by Clayton Donnell (Osprey Publishing: Oxford, 2008). A description of German Moselstellung (Moselle Position) of Metz-Thionville which served as a secoundary postion for the Maginot Line and was attacked by General Patton’s Third Army’s in 1944.