Oliver Hilmes: An end and a beginning

80 years after the end of the war, PhD historian Oliver Hilmes looks back on the "Summer of Freedom": in the four months from May to September 1945, nothing is as it was: the criminal Third Reich is at an end and a time of freedom, but also new conflicts, begins. This brilliantly researched portrait of the summer of 1945 gives a voice to victors and vanquished, victims and perpetrators, prominent contemporaries and complete strangers. In many stories and scenes, Oliver Hilmes captures the unique atmosphere of this time of extremes and creates a gripping historical panorama. Oliver Hilmes is known for his well-researched biographies, which are both elegantly and captivatingly written. His bestseller BERLIN 1936: SIXTEEN DAYS IN AUGUST has been translated into many languages and won international awards.