Remembering March 16th, 1945 in Würzburg (2022)

During the last months of the Second World War, the Allied forces bombed hundreds of German cities. Their goal was to demolish the morale of the civilian population. The strategic bombing campaign brought destruction and death to the Third Reich. Thousands of people were killed in the bombings. On March 16^th, 1945, the bombardment of Würzburg took place. Most of the city was burnt down, and many lives were lost. How do individuals and how does a community remember such a devastating experience? How has this remembrance changed over the years? By talking to eyewitnesses, looking at the Monuments of March 16^th in Würzburg, and consulting old newspaper articles, we tried to answer these questions.