Berlin is the most heavily bombed city in history. During World War II, large parts of Berlin were destroyed in Allied air raids from 1943 to 1945 and the Battle of Berlin in 1945. The Allies dropped 67,607 tons of bombs on the city, destroying 2,500 hectares of built-up area. Around 125,000 civilians lost their lives.
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 allies divided the city into four sectors, analogous to the occupation zones of Germany. 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.
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