Usage Note
damals points to a specific past time, 'back then / at that time', and refers only to the past. Don't confuse it with dann ('then, next') or denn (a flavouring particle in questions). It often opens a nostalgic sentence: Damals war alles anders.
Examples
"Damals war ich noch jung."
Natural Translation
Back then I was still young.
Literal Translation
Back-then was I still young.

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