Eighty-seven years ago, a German man captured the horrific moments of the Japanese bombing of Guangzhou in 1938 through his lens. This set of never-before-seen photographs, stored in a basement abroad for decades, was unexpectedly discovered 87 years later by the photographer's descendants, the young German artist Oscar Lebeck.

In July 2025, Oscar Lebeck traveled to Guangzhou at the invitation of Sun Yat-sen University (SYSU). Carrying the historically significant photo album titled "Canton in Trümmern" ("Guangzhou in Ruins"), which contains 365 rare images and represents a deep father-son bond, he formally donated it to the History Museum of SYSU. 

"These photographs are immensely valuable. They serve as a stark reminder for us to remember history and cherish peace," emphasized Professor Zhang Wei, Director of the Office of Humanities and Social Sciences and Chair of the Department of Philosophy at SYSU, during the donation ceremony on July 4th, 2025. He also noted that the album's return was the result of collaborative efforts from multiple parties.

One week later, at SYSU's Xichang Hall, Oscar Lebeck, who had already visited several historical sites in Guangzhou, shared his reflections in an exclusive interview with the Yangcheng Evening News, "Years after these photos were taken, searching for their locations today has opened up a 'unique way of seeing' for me. I see war and peace, the power of time, and, most importantly, the past and present of this heroic city".

87年前日军轰炸广州未公开相册从德国归藏中大

多年以前，一位德国人用镜头定格下1938年日军轰炸广州的惨烈瞬间。这组从未公开、尘封于异国地下室的照片，87年后被拍摄者同胞的后人——德国年轻艺术家奥斯卡·莱贝克（Oscar Lebeck）意外发现。

2025年7月，奥斯卡带着这本承载父子情缘、收录365张罕见照片的相册《Canton in Trümmern》（《废墟中的广州》），应中山大学之邀，不远万里抵穗，并将其郑重捐赠给该校博物馆（校史馆）。

“这组照片十分珍贵，提醒我们铭记历史、珍视和平。”7月4日捐赠仪式上，中山大学人文社科处处长、哲学系主任张伟教授强调。他同时表示，相册回归凝聚了多方努力。

近日，在中山大学锡昌堂，已在广州完成部分历史地点寻访的奥斯卡，在接受羊城晚报专访时表示：“照片诞生多年后，通过对其拍摄地点的现实寻找，我开启了一场‘特殊的看见’——看见战争与和平，看见时间的力量，更看见了这座英雄城市的今昔。”

文｜记者 潘玮倩
视频｜记者 姜雪媛 实习生 肖悦彤
图片｜受访者及中山大学提供（除署名外）
译丨黄宇洁
英文审校丨林佳岱