1930s - Secrets: Elite Skiers, Airship Disaster & Moon Travel

Every time I dive into the process of restoring a film, I am enveloped by a mysterious aura of the past. I wonder where all these scenes once came to life. Who pieced them together so meticulously and with what intention? Could it have been a tavern owner trying to attract more patrons to his establishment with something unusual and exciting? Or perhaps these films lit up the screens of cinemas as the opening acts for the main evening shows? These questions invite me on a fascinating journey through time, where each piece of film carries an untold story, waiting to be rediscovered and appreciated.

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00:00 Comparison original footage vs restored version

00:21 After World War I, Germany was heavily restricted in terms of armaments and military training. As a result, they sought ways to conceal these intentions. This led to the creation of many diverse interest groups, such as a glider club, where some of the greatest aces of the Nazi regime emerged. I don't believe we are observing a recreation by German citizens, but rather the training of one of several elite mountain units. This is just my theory. There are no insignias or hints as to who it might be. But I assume it was not common for someone to order supply replenishments via Morse code, delivered by a Nazi Junker Ju52. Therefore, I think this is another military activity, hidden behind civilian life.

05:40 The Hindenburg disaster occurred on May 6, 1937, marking one of the most catastrophic airship accidents in history. The LZ 129 Hindenburg, a German passenger airship, caught fire and was destroyed during its attempt to dock with its mooring mast at Naval Air Station Lakehurst in Manchester Township, New Jersey, United States. Out of the 97 people on board, 36 passengers and crew were killed, along with one worker on the ground. The disaster was captured on film and broadcast around the world, shocking the public and essentially ending the era of passenger airship travel. The exact cause of the fire has been the subject of much speculation, but the most widely accepted theory is that a static spark ignited hydrogen gas that was leaking from the airship, leading to the rapid destruction of the Hindenburg.

08:34 This short German film from 1937 serves as a captivating testament to how people before World War II imagined traveling to the Moon. Considered one of the first works to deal with space travel, the film reveals the fascination and technical visions of that era. In the 1930s, when rocket technology and theories of space flight were in their infancy, thanks to scientists like Hermann Oberth and Wernher von Braun, humanity began to look at the stars with hope and ambition. Concepts such as liquid-fueled rockets, multi-stage rockets, or even space stations, which we take for granted today, were on the frontier of scientific fantasy at that time.

Therefore, the film not only reflects the technical and scientific knowledge of the time but also shows how far our dreams of space travel could go. Originally about 20 minutes long, this is just a short passage. Unfortunately, that's all that was found on my film reel. Hopefully, in the future, I'll be able to discover an auction where I could bid for the entire gem. Do you really think that the visionaries of the time managed to hit the mark on the future reality of space travel? Their imagination and innovation are proof of the human desire to explore unknown worlds.