Traumatized child from WWII

 This child is named "Tereska," and she was photographed while at a facility for homeless children post war Poland.  She is from Roman Catholic family, father member of underground, tortured by Gestapo  Her family home bombed by Ukranians working with the fascist Germans to put down Warsaw rebellion. The task she was give was to draw a picture of her "home."  Unfortunately things did not improve for Tereska: she remained in mental health facilities (hell holes probably) and died in 1978 after choking on a sausage she stole from another patient. 

She is just one of millions of children whose lives were destroyed in the 20th century.  Children continue to be traumatized in conflict around the world: Iraq, Afghanistan, Sudan, Syrian, West Bank, Gaza, Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania, central American counties, the list is so long....

Dialectical Materialism class in Cluj, Romania 1951. What a happy picture!!!

 This is a college class in dialectical materialism taught by Pavel Apostol at Victor Babes University in Kluj, Romania 1951.  I would think the students would be smiling at the knowledge that history will march forth and create socialist paradise all over the world.  Then again, Romania was recovering from WWII when they sided with Fascist Germany, actually had troops at the battle of Stalingrad fighting the Marxist Leninists.  Then Romania changed sides and fought with the Allies.  Then Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin decided that Romania would be under USSR influence when the war ended. Maybe that is why these students appear to be so depressed.  When I first saw this picture I laughed so hard I almost fell out of my chair!