stunde

Stunde Null (German: [ˈʃtʊndə ˈnʊl], "Hour Zero") is a term referring to midnight on 8 May 1945 in Germany. It marked the end of World War II and the start of a new, non-Nazi Germany. It was partly an attempt by Germany to disassociate itself from the Nazis. Denazification was encouraged by the Allied forces occupying Germany.
The term implies "an absolute break with the past and a radical new beginning" or a "sweeping away of old traditions and customs". People at the time were living in a devastated country – roughly 80 percent of its infrastructure was in need of repair or reconstruction – which helped the idea that Germany was entering a new phase of history. Scholars say controversy erupted when families affected by World War II and the Holocaust began to accuse Germany of trying to avoid punishment or guilt after the war.
Stunde Null was used to distance Germany from the Nazi regime in other ways. Over time, the culture of stunde null aimed to create a 'race-less' Germany, in stark contrast with the hyper-racialized society of the Nazis. However, this was ineffective because there were still problems associated with race in Germany, and institutional racism was also widespread in the countries of the occupying forces that were trying to "re-educate" Germans, seen by many as hypocritical.

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