Dresden

Dresden 

Dresden 

[135] p. Envelope 5/80 ; microfilm reel 059 ; Frames 6 - 226 

Dresden is the capital city of the Free State of Saxony in Germany. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe, near the Czech border. Dresden has a long history as the capital and royal residence for the Electors and Kings of Saxony, who for centuries furnished the city with cultural and artistic splendour. The city was known as the Jewel Box, because of its baroque and rococo city centre. In the 20th century Dresden was a leading European centre of art, classical music, culture and science until its complete destruction on 13 February 1945. The bombing of Dresden by the Royal Air Force and the United States Army Air Force between 13 and 15 February 1945 remains one of the more controversial Allied actions of the Western European theatre of war -- Wikipedia According to the historians, there was more than one reason for the bombing the city by the Allies: the will to punish Nazi Germany; the existing of factories that produced weapons and equipment for the Nazi war effort on its soil and the intention to show the Russians (though being Allies) the awesome power of the American and English armies and to act as a warning to them not to stray from the agreements they had made at the war conferences -- Ask.com 86 newspaper clippings, 17 photocopies from Der Freiheitskampf- Dresdner Zeitung, 1 photocopy of a page with the number of deaths, 30 P. of testimonies and descriptions of the bombing and destruction of Dresden.