The Bombing of Dresden commencing February 13 1945

On the night of February 13 to 14, 1945, approximately 773 British bombers, under the command of Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Arthur Travers Harris (born April 13, 1892 – died April 5, 1984), commonly known as Bomber Harris, attacked the city. The combination of high-explosive and incendiary bombs triggered a devastating firestorm. In the ensuing days, American aircraft intensified the assault. The result was the near-total destruction of the historic old town. Approximately 80,000 apartments were destroyed, and according to reliable historical research, roughly 25,000 people ¹ lost their lives. This figure stands in stark contrast to the propagandistic distortion of Goebbels, who claimed 200,000 deaths—a falsehood still propagated by right-wing circles today. The bombing of Dresden in February 1945 marks one of the most controversial turning points of the Second World War. What was planned as a military measure to support the advance of the Red Army and to strike a vital transport hub evolved into a catastrophe of apocalyptic proportions. The very air burned like the hellish purgatory of Dante’s Inferno.

The Architect of the Bombing Campaign: Sir Arthur (Bomber) Harris

Behind this efficiency stood Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Arthur Travers Harris, a man of murderous resolve. Harris had perfected the strategic bombing of civilian targets by utilizing scientific criteria to select centers that were particularly susceptible to fire. For Harris, bombing was a relatively humane method of warfare, as it accelerated the end of the conflict. However, this ruthlessness demanded not only German casualties but also cost the lives of nearly every second man in the Bomber Command. 55,000 men met their death.

Betrayal by Prime Minister Winston Churchill

Consistent with the functioning of military hierarchies, Harris’s strategy had been the expressed wish of Prime Minister Winston Churchill for years. However, as the scale of the destruction in Dresden sparked international horror, Churchill performed a political about-face. In March 1945, he distanced himself from his erstwhile favorite and questioned whether the destruction of German cities served only to „intensify the terror.“ This sudden withdrawal of support amounted to a classic betrayal of Arthur Harris, who had merely executed the orders of his superior. Consequently, Harris left the service in dispute in 1945 and retired. To this day, the question of his legacy remains unresolved: was he an efficient military strategist, or was the bombing of Dresden, using these means, a war crime? While the city of Dresden commemorates the violence and suffering annually on February 13, the bombing remains a symbol of the cruelty of the European air war—especially when viewed alongside German actions, such as in Coventry and Rotterdam.

Dresden Today: Former UNESCO World Heritage Site (2004–2009)

The removal of the Dresden Elbe Valley from the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2009 was the direct consequence of the construction of the Waldschlößchen Bridge. The cultural landscape of the Elbe Valley, which harmoniously unites the city’s Baroque architecture with the expansive garden estates of the suburbs, had been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site from 2004 to 2009. This protected area extends from Übigau Castle in the north to Pillnitz Castle in the south and encompasses numerous significant monuments and parklands from the 16th to the 20th century. The UNESCO commission criticized the construction of the new road bridge for massively impairing the „exceptional integrity“ and scenic harmony of the Elbe Valley. The primary argument was that the bridge encroached upon a protected cultural landscape, which was characterized by its undisturbed vistas and the integration of nature and Baroque architecture. Because the city of Dresden proceeded with the bridge despite UNESCO’s warnings and the resistance of conservationists, the experts revoked the World Heritage status, as the „outstanding universal value“ of the site had been destroyed by this modern intervention.

Dedicated to:
Marie Luise Niehues, born Thursday, October 9, 1975, in Düsseldorf; departed from life without guilt via suicide at the age of 17 on Saturday, February 13, 1993, in Mayfield, East Sussex, United Kingdom; biological child of:
Dr. iur. Wolfgang Niehues, born January 30, 1940, in Münster, † June 17, 2026, in Düsseldorf.