Berlin is the most heavily bombed city in history. During World War II, large parts of Berlin were destroyed in the Allied air raids of 1943–45 and the Battle of Berlin in 1945. The Allies dropped 67,607 tons of bombs on the city, destroying 6,427 acres of built-up area. Around 125,000 civilians were killed.
After the end of the war in Europe in May 1945, Berlin took in a large number of refugees from the eastern provinces. The victorious powers divided the city into four sectors, analogous to the occupation zones into which Germany was divided. The sectors of the Western Allies (USA, Great Britain, and France) formed West Berlin, while the Soviet sector formed East Berlin.
These incredible black and white photos show street scenes of destroyed Berlin in 1945.