German family's donated photos show Japan's 1930s bombing of Guangzhou

Newly discovered photographs collected by German photojournalist Robert Lebeck in the 1930s, documenting Japan's invasion of China, will be displayed at Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong province, at the end of August. The photos, recently donated by Lebeck's son, Oscar Lebeck, offer new evidence of Japan's bombing of the southern metropolis and the devastation it caused.

The collection, which includes images of Japanese military vehicles, displaced children and ravaged streets, had been hidden in a basement for 87 years until Oscar Lebeck accidentally found them while sorting his father's belongings after his death a decade ago. A pink note on the album's cover, written in German, read: "Japan's bombing of Guangzhou".

Oscar Lebeck believes his father collected the photos from another source.

"The photographs show civilian victims without exception," said Oscar Lebeck, a German artist. "Many of the victims were children. Their faces, their bodies, frozen in moments of suffering, make the inhuman dimensions of the war visible."

He noted that the photos underscore the brutality unleashed against civilians during Japan's invasion of China, particularly recalling events such as the Nanjing Massacre.

The exhibition at Sun Yat-sen University will commemorate the 80th anniversary of victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War.

Oscar Lebeck traveled to Guangzhou in July at the university's invitation to formally donate the collection of photographs to the Sun Yat-sen University museum.

Zhang Wei, director of the Office of Humanities and Social Sciences at Sun Yat-sen University, described the photos as crucial historical reminders and symbols of the desire for peace. Wu Chongqing, deputy dean of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, emphasized that the photos highlight Chinese people's resilience and sacrifice during a period of significant national disparity.

Wu Jiahao, a postdoctoral scholar at Sun Yat-sen University, said the authenticity of the photos had been confirmed with an appraisal certificate from the German auction house Galerie Bassenge, following nearly a year of research and cross-time zone communication.

The university plans to use the exhibition as an opportunity to delve deeper into the photos' contents, share the stories they depict and encourage reflection on history and the importance of peace.