As well as chilling pictures of buildings emblazoned with swastikas, there are scenes of ordinary life as Germans go about their business. They show a child in a sun-drenched square, smiling friends at a train station, a cart selling bananas and a food vendor in a sunny park.
Regal: These rare color photos of Berlin in 1937 give a unique perspective of the capital's pre-war period. The Stadtschloss, or Berlin City Palace, was heavily damaged during bombing and demolished by East German authorities after the war
Devastated: The Stadtschloss after it was gutted by Allied bombs. It was torn down by East German authorities after the war but is currently being rebuilt
Ominous: In 1937 Hitler was at the very peak of his power. Ordinary Germans were content and opposition was being ruthlessly crushed
Smiling: An unknown trio at a train station. It is likely they were friends or colleagues of the photographer
Rally: Soldiers and civilians at a rally on the decorated streets in Berlin. This photo is believed to have been taken on Labour Day (May 1) in 1937
Bustle: A cart sells fruit on a busy Berlin street
Norwegian engineer Thomas Neumann (1901-1978) took the photos while working in Germany. The film he used was the first of its kind, and there are few similar images preserved in Norwegian collections. His coloured pictures gives historians a valuable view of the interwar period.
Echoes of history: This street scene shows the Augustiner Keller, a beer cellar in central Berlin. Few buildings were not festooned with Nazi regalia
Power: Hitler had consolidated his power by the mid-1930s, thanks to widespread disillusionment with the Weimar Republic
Youth: A little boy outside an unknown sunny square in Berlin
Order: This intimidating picture shows troops lining a boulevard festooned with swastikas in anticipation of a parade
Relaxation: Berliners enjoy snacks in a sun-soaked park
Crowds: The pictures were taken by Thomas Neumann, a Norwegian engineer who worked in Germany
Church and state: Swastikas and a maypole outside Berlin Cathedral
Docking: Two men in suits aboard the steamer Preussen, presumably approaching Germany
Quiet moment: A driver leans against a state car and enjoys a cigarette. The photos show candid moments among Berliners
One candid picture shows a Brownshirt (a member of Hitler's paramilitary force) lounging against a state car in front of a building draped with the maligned Nazi symbol.
On 30 January 1933, President Hindenburg, under pressure from Franz von Papen, appointed Hitler as Chancellor of Germany. Shortly after the Fuhrer seized power.
The Nazi government restored prosperity and ended mass unemployment using heavy military spending and a free market economy. Extensive public works were also undertaken, including the construction of the Autobahns, to boost employment.
Just two years later Germany would invade Poland and begin the most destructive war the world has ever seen. An estimated 60 million people lost their lives as a result of the Second World War and the global political landscape changed forever.
Ripple: The 1937 May Day celebration was also a celebration of 700 years of Berlin's history
Grand: The Messe Berlin situated in Berlin-Westend. It was completed in 1937 yet heavily bombed by Allied aircraft
Masses: A lkarge crowd in Berlin, presumably in connection with Labour Day
Force: In this picture we see military personnel father beneath decorations. An officer appears to be inspecting the men
Overseer: A guard in a pristine white uniform looks on at a gathering crowd
Civilians: Walkers on a mystery German street. Eight years later it would have been filled with Russian, British and American troops
Serene: An unknown park in Berlin. The heat of the summer of 1937 meant sprinklers were required to keep the grass verdant
History: Flags snap and flap in the breeze among a throng of Germans celebrating May day
Colourful: Berliners gather to look at a giant maypole outside the Berlin City Cathedral
