Allied bomb destruction of Nürnberg German boy surveys bomb damage in Nürnberg In December 1944, Germany had lost the decisive Battle of the Bulge and the Allies were preparing for victory, as World War II was coming to an end. By January 1945, the Russian army was in Poland and German troops were in retreat on the Eastern front. American soldiers had landed on the beaches at Normandy in June 1944, and were advancing toward Germany from the west. Although Nürnberg was famous for producing toys and gingerbread cookies, not war materials, it was the ideological center of Nazi Germany, which made the city a target for vindictive Allied bombing. On the night of January 2, 1945, 525 British Lancaster bombers destroyed or damaged most of the old city, including the medieval walls, castle and 13th century Gothic churches. At that point in the war, it was the most devastating air-raid attack on a civilian population and only the bombing of Dresden, a month later, caused more damage and civilian deaths in Germany. When Hitler planned his attack on the Communist Soviet Union in June 1941, the code name for the invasion was Operation Barbarossa. Frederick Barbarossa was the second monarch to occupy the Kaiserburg (Emperor's castle) high upon a sandstone crag above the walled medieval city of Nürnberg. The 13th century castle suffered major damage in the Allied bombing. The two views of the Kaiserburg shown below were taken from the southwest side, using approximately the same tripod holes. The black and white picture was taken by an American photographer, who was covering the Nürnberg war crimes trial in 1945, and the second picture, which is in color, was taken in May 1997, long after the bomb-damaged castle had been restored. The second picture shows a construction crane for work that was still being done. Bomb damage to castle in Nürnberg Same view of castle after reconstruction Nürnberg is famous for its large market square, called the Hauptmarkt, located in the center of the old walled city. This is the site of the annual Christmas market, called Christkindlmarkt, where Christmas tree ornaments and holiday decorations are sold. At other times, the market square is filled with booths and stalls where vendors sell fresh vegetables, Bratwurst and other goods. The first photo below shows the Hauptmarkt in 1945 with a lone customer approaching the one peasant woman who has set up a vegetable stand; this picture was taken by the photographer who was covering the war crimes trial. The Gothic church in the background of the picture is the Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady) which was damaged in the bombing, but has been rebuilt. The original church was completed in 1350. Built as a Catholic Church, it became Protestant after the Reformation, but reverted back to a Catholic Church in 1916. The second photo of the Frauenkirche below was taken in 1946 by the same photographer, who was in Nürnberg covering the war crimes trial. The streets and market square had been cleared of rubble but restoration work had not yet begun on the damaged churches or the medieval castle. The reconstruction period lasted until 1966 and most of the historic churches still show empty pedestals where irreplaceable statues were destroyed in the bombing. Hauptmarkt und Frauenkirche - 1945 Hauptmarkt und Frauenkirche - 1946 The largest and most impressive Christian Church in Nürnberg is St. Lorenz Kirche, an example of pure Gothic architecture, inside and out. Construction on the church began in 1270 and took over 200 years to complete. The first picture below shows how it looked in 1945 when the photographer covering the war crimes trial in Nürnberg recorded the damage done by Allied bombing. The second picture below shows the same church as it looked in May 1997. St. Lorenz Kirche (St. Lawrence Church) was originally built as a Catholic Church but became a Protestant Church after the Reformation started by Martin Luther in the early 16th century. The destroyed buildings to the left of the church were rebuilt as modern store buildings, as shown in the second picture below. The street in front of the old church is now a modern pedestrian shopping mall which extends from the church to Königstrasse, the main shopping street in Nürnberg. St. Lorenz Kirche after bomb damage in 1945 Same view of St. Lorenz Kirche taken in May 1997 Castle Hans Sachs Zeppelin Field Palace of Justice City of Nürnberg Home E-Mail Us