The photoconductivity spectra of BaF/sub 2/:Eu/sup 2+/ shows that the `anomalous' emission usually observed in BaF/sub 2/:Eu/sup 2+/ is due to the fact that all the Eu/sup 2+/ excited states are in the conduction band of the crystal. The red shifted emission is due to an impurity trapped exciton which is the lowest excited state of this system. A model for the photoconductive and luminescence behavior of BaF/sub 2/:Eu/sup 2+/ and SrF/sub 2/:Eu/sup 2+/ is given in terms of configuration coordinate diagrams. A broad blue band is also observed under high energy excitation (>4 eV) and is interpreted as the emission of a perturbed self-trapped exciton.