Haunting World War II Photos of Paris, Then and Now

— -- One Paris-based artist decided to dive into the romantic city’s history, painstakingly recreating some of the most haunting photos from World War II.

“I'm interested in Paris history and in the story of these few days in August 1944,” Julien Knez wrote to ABC News of the when the Liberation of Paris was fought, which eventually freed Paris from Nazi control.

Knez spent one month searching for old photos of famous Paris landmarks taken during the city’s uprising, then spent another month retracing those photos’ footsteps, recreating each image to capture how much the city has changed in the past 71 years.

“It was a pretty moving experience, a sort of awareness of this historic event,” he wrote on his website describing the passion project. “Imagine the courage of these men and women of all ages, everyone earned by this infinite thirst for freedom finally at hand.”

The 50 photos serve as a time capsule of Parisian history, beautifully capturing how far the city has come.

“My favorite photo is the one on Hotel de Ville with 2 comrades who are found after street fights,” Knez explained. “A beautiful picture, the faces of deliverance.”

Take a look at Knez’s tribute to his beloved city.