Courageous citizens save Kämpfelsbach from a similar fate as Pforzheim!

Courageous citizens save Kämpfelsbach from a similar fate as Pforzheim!

In the history of the Second World War, the fate of Pforzheim remains an impressive testimony of destruction and humanity. On February 23, 1945, the city experienced one of the most devastating air strikes that ever took place in German space. report the Baden latest news that people in the neighboring districts, such as Bilfingen and Ersingen, were very afraid of a similar fate. In this difficult time, Johann Beihofer and Harald Wolf performed as brave citizens who volunteer in the Association for Homeland and Culture. The declared goal of your initiative is to research the dark past of the region.

The air raid on Pforzheim, carried out by 379 bombers of the Royal Air Force, took a shocking 22 minutes. In this attack, a fifth of the population died, around 17,600 people, and around 98 % of the city area were destroyed. This cruel balance makes Pforzheim one of the most powerful cities affected by air raids in Germany, so the extended information on Wikipedia . In an earlier attack on April 1, 1944, 95 people had already been killed, but the events of February blew up all ideas of destruction.

The inhuman air war

The air strikes on German cities were part of a brutal strategy that should not only weaken the military potential of the enemies, but also to break the will of life of the civilian population. The German Historical Museum emphasizes that the British used systematic bombing from 1942 to break the will to live of the German population. This tactic culminated in massive losses of human life and led to a climate of fear and despair. The numerous air strikes that took place in the last war years meant that many cities, including Pforzheim, were in rubble and ash.

A particularly tragic aspect of the Pforzheim air raid was the chaos and despair, which he triggered. When the water pipes failed, many people tried to flee the rivers and drowned. Over 20,300 people lost their lives through the air raids on Pforzheim, which makes the city for the second among the victims in Hamburg and Dresden.

memory and warning

The city has tried since then that what has happened has not been forgotten. The commemoration day on February 23, which has been officially committed since 2003, is reminiscent of the victims of the air raid. The “Monte Scherbelino” is now a memorial on the Wallberg, where the city's rubble was compiled. Annual torch cattle guards commemorate the dead, even if these events are often controversial.

The work of artists such as Rolf Schweizer and Micalis Avramidis reflect on the destruction and its effects on society. In addition, a city partnership was launched with Gernika in order to commemorate the common fates of war and destruction. The need to learn from history and preserve humanity is accompanied by committed citizens such as Johann Beihofer and Harald Wolf, who are committed to ensuring that the dark past has not been forgotten.