Every picture tells a story - this one is 100 years long

About 100 years ago, or perhaps a little longer ago, a young man in Germany pulled out his 35mm camera to photograph his friends romping wildly in nature. The photo was developed; the image was no larger than a postage stamp, measuring only about 3 x 2 centimeters.

The boy grew up; he carried the photo with him when, as a young man, he was drafted into the German Wehrmacht in the final days of WW2. He was taken prisoner after just a few weeks and spent two years in a POW camp in Belgium.

He always carried the photo with him, along with several others of his family and his hometown. He carried it in his wallet; it crumpled, wrinkled, and became soaked with rain, sweat, and probably tears.

In 1947, the young man was released. He was 19 years old, and he took his photo home with him, where his family welcomed him joyfully. What happiness.

When the young boy died as an old man 50 years later, the photo was still in his small leather folder, in a box in an attic, forgotten by everyone.

The attic was cleared out; years had passed again. The box ended up in another attic.

I discovered it a few weeks ago and rediscovered the photo of the wild boys. Here it is. Sorry for the poor quality. It's been ravaged by time. But that's his story.