The bells of Cologne rang louder than they had in years.
On the morning of 9 November, thousands flooded Cathedral Square, some arriving before sunrise.
Boys in Hitler Youth uniforms lined the boulevards, clutching cold metal flagpoles.
Women with worn hands and tired eyes held their children aloft.
For them, it was not politics, not militarism.
It was something more personal.
It was a return.
At precisely 09:00, the thunder of boots began.
The 22nd Infantry Division marched through the heart of the city, their steel helmets polished, rifles glinting beneath the milky sun.
They moved with pride, chins high.
Captain Wilhelm Kruger led the first unit.
He saluted crisply as they passed the reviewing stand, expression locked in quiet satisfaction.
From the crowd, a woman pushed forward, waving a tattered Imperial flag.
Her voice cracked: "Meine Heimat!"
Next to her, a man whispered, "We're no longer the beggars of Europe."
