Modern/Post-War Photos

Dresden Remembrance Day

De Standaard online

Today the German city of Dresden remembers the victims of the airraids from 13-15 february 1945.In the first decades after the war the numbers of victims was estimated as high as 250.000.This figure is now considered unreasonable.An independent investigation commissioned by the city council in 2010 reported a minimum of 22.700 victims with a maximum total number of fatalities of 25.000.The real number of victims however will never be known for sure and will remain a issue of debate for many years to come.The debate over the justification of these raids also continues to this date.A 1953 USAF report written by Joseph W.Angell defended the operation as the justified bombing of a military and industrial target,which was a major rail transportation and communication centre housing 110 factories and 50.000 workers in support of the Nazi war effort. Against this,several researchers have argued that not all the communications infrastructure,such as the bridges,were in fact targeted,nor were the extensive industrial areas outside the city centre. It has been argued that Dresden was a cultural landmark of little or no military value,a 'Florence on the Elbe'(Elbflorenz),as it was known,and the attacks were indiscriminate area bombing and not proportionate to the commensurate military gains. In comparision with the bombing of Hamburg(50.000 dead) and practically destroying the entire city centre,the bombing raids over Dresden were not the most severe of WW2.However they continue to be recognised as one of the worst examples of civilian suffering. Today at the Cemetary Heide where many of the 25.000 dead are buried there was a remembrance ceremony attended by many civilians,clergy members and politicians. Each year groups of Neo-Nazis grab the opportunity for propaganda of their cause.This year they were granted permission for a demonstration by the Court and so they had the right to be protected by the police against anti-nazi demonstrators.Understand who can .The anti-nazi demonstrators will form a symbolic chain around the old city in protest of the neo-nazi demonstration. Greetz,brummbar