Vacation Destination Italy: "German Spoken Here" (1955)

The first major vacation destination for German tourists in the postwar period was Italy, which became popular in the 1950s. The drive south over the Alps in one's very own car – often the first – was exotic, and it also meant finally indulging oneself after all the hard work involved in reconstruction and the realization of the "economic miracle." As can be seen below, Italian innkeepers were ready for their "new" clientele: the sign on the left reads, "German Spoken Here" [“Man spricht Deutsch”]. And the friendly proprietor of the inn on Lake Garda even helps his German guests unload their luggage. Photo by Hanns Hubmann.

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© Bildarchiv Preußischer Kulturbesitz/ Hanns Hubmann