Hi! I am new to this site and seeking information about a picture I have found in a deceased war vets’ basement. It is a picture of a butterfly and says “made of the rubbish of the ruins of Berlin” “Summer 1945” It is a picture of a butterfly made of different material on a square piece of plywood. On the back it says:
“When the battle of Berlin was over, they met again, just a small group of friends: some painters and designers, and a woman well acquainted with all kinds of fancy-work.
They looked around and none of them said a word. What should they say, what did they feel facing the deads under blooming lilacs and the smouldering ruins of their beloved town? With the churches burnt out and their old windows beautifully coloured gone into pieces, the bridges fallen down into the river, the rails bent and the trees burst, and with mountains of rubbish barring the streets once full of life.
What should they do looking at a chaos like this that seemed to have put an end at last to a long but wrong way?
Life must go on. It broke the silence. One of them said, they ought to make something of the rubbish that was left. But what?
This is the story of these butterflies: They were made during the summer 1945 in Berlin piece after piece by the clever and patient hands of men and women, who had no paints and brushes to work with and no canvass or paper to work on, but were ready to do most everything.
These butterflies are no precious works of art. But those who made them believe that they are right to say: Nothing is so ugly that it would be impossible to make something good of it. And they sincerely hope that everyone auf (?) these butterflies coming from the ruins of Berlin into the world will have a friendly reception wherever it may go to. For it wants to tell that there are many Germans who will do their best to make good for the terrible and shameful events of the past.
Such is the message you will bring home taking this butterfly number
K045 (handwritten in red pencil) with you - in memory of the summer 1945.”
Does anyone have any more information about these plaques? I have seen another post on another site asking the same…with no results for answers. So I know there are more out there…different number sequence, different colored butterflies. Were they given to the soldiers of the war…my soldier was Canadian. Did they buy them on the street after the war ended before they went home? Is there any monetary value to these plaques? To think that something so intricate could be made with no tools is amazing for 1945. This is a beautiful piece of art made from history. Any information about his piece would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!