Overview

• Dresden commemorates the 80th anniversary of the February 1945 bombings that killed approximately 25,000 people, with events including a human chain, concerts, and a peace service.
• Historians and officials stress the importance of acknowledging Dresden's role in the Nazi regime and caution against narratives that portray the city as an innocent victim.
• Cottbus also observes the 80th anniversary of its bombing, which killed around 1,000 people, with events focusing on differing historical perspectives, including those of the Allies and the DDR.
• Efforts to counter the appropriation of WWII bombing commemorations by right-wing groups remain central, with Dresden's human chain symbolizing resistance to extremism.
• Criticism arises over the ritualization of remembrance events, with calls for deeper historical engagement and education to combat revisionist narratives.