Potsdam Marks 80th Anniversary of RAF Bombing with Commemorations and Reflection

The 1945 air raid, part of the Thunderclap-Plan, devastated the city, leaving nearly 1,600 dead and over 60,000 homeless, with new focus on historical understanding and remembrance.

• The Royal Air Force's April 14, 1945 bombing of Potsdam, codenamed 'Operation Crayfish,' destroyed much of the city's historic center within 37 minutes.
• Recent commemorations emphasize updated historical consensus that the main target was the train station, not a symbolic strike against Prussian militarism.
• The attack resulted in approximately 1,600 fatalities, the destruction of 881 buildings, and left over 60,000 residents homeless, reshaping the city for decades.
• Events marking the 80th anniversary include a memorial service, a reading of eyewitness accounts, and a performance of the 'Potsdam Requiem' at the Nikolaikirche.
• The bombing is now understood as part of the broader Thunderclap-Plan, aimed at crippling Nazi Germany's infrastructure and morale in the final weeks of World War II.

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