Anniversary of bombing raids on Dresden, February 1945

[Bernhard H.Holst]

Hello readers.

Having had the opportunity to visit the still largely undamaged city of Dresden in the Fall of 1944 and then from a distance see the huge fires in the night sky in February, 1945 I feel compelled to post this reminder that 70 years ago this beautiful city was largely destroyed. Allied bombings by night and by day turned Dresden into rubble. 

The human toll is still debated though it appears that the early published numbers of dead have been steadily revised downward.

My reading of " Dresden im Luftkrieg" by Goetz Bergander, 1998 and "Dresden Tuesday, February 13, 1945" by Frederick Taylor, 2004, certainly put a quite different meaning on the entire subject. These two books are largely based on official sources, of both sides. The widely beheld thinking that Dresden was not at all involved in war related industries can no longer be justified.

Nevertheless the losses in cultural treasures and human lives were huge and so sad to contemplate.

I believe a subject worth to be reminded of.

Bernhard H. Holst

Evacuated as a youth to Saxony 1944 to 1945

Edited February 14, 2015 by Bernhard H.Holst

[Brian Wolfe]

Hello Bernhard,

 

Thank you for bringing this sad anniversary to our attention. 

Looking back on events with calmer and clearer minds it is hard to imagine why such events took place.

 

Regards

Brian