Fritz Kühn's Bohnsdorf studio was completely destroyed by British bombing on 23 December 1943. Photographs, drawings and plans were destroyed. War ended in May 1945: over time Kühn was able to reconstruct, and later to extend, his studio-workshop, helped by journeyman labourers who had helped him before the war who were slowly returning from the front line or the prison camps. Once his space was again usable, he focused on contributing to recreating some of Berlin's important buildings, providing new railings for the extensive rebuilding of Berlin's eighteenth century Arsenal building. He also provided new banister railings for the interior and exterior of the Opera House. The eastern half of Berlin had ended the war within the Soviet occupation zone. The slaughter of war had left Germany desperately short of skilled workers which, in the case of the Soviet zone, was exacerbated by massive emigration to the American, British and French zones. In his rebuilt and enlarged studio-workshop Kühn contributed to the search for a solution by employing and training significant numbers of apprentices.