Group photo at the church

German soldiers posing by the Grote Kerk ( Great Church ) in Dordrecht, sometime between 1940-1945. The church was a popular photo location for German soldiers in Dordrecht. At the beginning of the war, the atmosphere was friendly. German soldiers behaved more like tourists in the city than occupiers. Many German soldiers, in the early stages, went out armed with a camera rather than their rifle. Many prominent spots in the city center were lovingly photographed, including the Grote Kerk. As the war progressed, this changed significantly with increasingly harsh measures against the civilian population and the daily life. The occupation became more grim as a result.