1950s: There are very few public exhibits or museums devoted to Germany's role in World War II or its role in the Holocaust.

Today: Several significant museums in Germany are devoted to World War II and the Holocaust, and throughout Germany there are public displays related to various aspects of the war and its victims.

1950s: With the German population decimated by the war and facing severe shortages of trained personnel, laws have been passed to encourage couples to have children. Germany is in the early stages of its economic and social reconstruction. With the assistance of the Marshall Plan, it is attempting to rebuild its once mighty industrial and economic infrastructure.

Today: The German population has long since recovered, and Germany is one of the economic powerhouses of the European Union and is a major producer of many of the world's most popular...