Approximately 40% to 45% of Rothenburg ob der Tauber was destroyed during a U.S. Army air raid on March 31, 1945. The bombing destroyed 306 houses, 6 public buildings, and over 600 meters of the city wall, causing 37 deaths. Despite this, the core medieval Old Town survived mostly intact, and the destroyed areas were faithfully rebuilt.
However, in WWII, Rothenburg was devastated when 40% of the town was reduced to rubble by bombs. Amazingly, the center of the Altstadt endured and endured well. For historical charm and romantic enchantment, no other Romantic Road town comes close.
The destruction of Warsaw was practically unparalleled in the Second World War, with it being noted that "Perhaps no city suffered more than Warsaw during World War II", with historian Alexandra Richie stating that "The destruction of Warsaw was unique even in the terrible history of the Second World War".
Filming was done in Rothenburg for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 (2010) and Part 2 (2011), but didn't make it into the final version of the movies.
What percentage of all German land was taken away?
In sum, Germany forfeited 13 percent of its European territory (more than 27,000 square miles) and one-tenth of its population (between 6.5 and 7 million people).
Yes, hundreds of thousands of German soldiers surrendered in massive encirclements, notably over 300,000 in the Ruhr Pocket in April 1945, the largest single surrender in Western Europe, and nearly 300,000 at Stalingrad in early 1943, marking major turning points in World War II, with huge numbers surrendering to both Western Allies and Soviets as the war ended.
Yes, Germany was required to pay reparations after World War I, and the amount was set at £6.6 billion (or 132 billion gold marks) by the Treaty of Versailles, though this figure was later adjusted and eventually suspended, with Germany making its final payment in 2010. This massive sum, intended to cover war damages, placed huge economic strain on the Weimar Republic, leading to hyperinflation and instability, and was a major point of resentment for many Germans.
In the Middle Ages, when Berlin and Munich were just wide spots in the road, Rothenburg was Germany's second-largest city, with a whopping population of 6,000. Today, it's the country's most exciting medieval town, enjoying tremendous popularity with tourists without losing its charm.
Hardwick Hall in Derbyshire was used to film the exterior scenes of Malfoy Manor, family home of Harry Potter's nemesis Draco, of Slytherin house. It features in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, with help from some CGI effects.
Across Europe, in forests, fields and beneath old farmland, the remains of German soldiers are still being found, exhumed and reburied by teams from a nonprofit organization called the Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge, or German War Graves Commission, which has been doing this work for decades.
Leningrad, along with Moscow and Kiev, was one of the major objectives of the German offensive launched on 21 June 1941, but the city was not taken during the attack.
The most catastrophic battle was Stalingrad (August 1942 - February 1943). By comparison, estimates for Leningrad generally accumulate around 1 million with about 650,000 civilian deaths according to Soviet registration records.
There isn't one single "deadliest" German tank, but the Sturmgeschütz (StuG) III assault gun was arguably the most effective and prolific tank killer, responsible for more Allied tank kills than Tigers or Panthers combined due to its low profile, powerful gun, and high production numbers, while the Tiger I and Panther tanks were feared for their superior firepower and armor, making them dominant in head-on engagements but complex and costly to produce. The ultimate combination of firepower and armor was the Jagdtiger, the heaviest armored fighting vehicle of WWII, but few were built, notes The National Interest and the Imperial War Museums.
The Marshall Plan (1948-1951) An American initiative that provided over $12 billion in economic assistance to help rebuild Western European economies after WWII.
Yes, Rothenberg is Protestant and most of the impressive old churches were built Catholic, but taken over after Reformation, this church is central and interesting.
And Old Town Rothenburg was so quaint—the quintessential Bavarian town. This town has been the backdrop for the motion pictures Pinocchio, Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
For example, Stellmacher meaning “cartwright” (wagon maker) is an authentic German surname that is less common now, since not many people were carriage-makers. Another example is Bärenfänger, literally “bear catcher,” likely originating as a nickname for someone who trapped bears – a rare and adventurous occupation!
A fleeting scene that many people believe is a location in Rothenburg appears in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1. In fact, the shot is from Bernkastel-Kues elsewhere in Germany. Rothenburg appears in the film credits because of aerial filming in the area which was not used (or digitally altered).
In the first edition of Charlie (1964), the Oompa-Loompas are black pygmies who Wonka imports from “the deepest and darkest part of the African jungle” and enslaves in his factory. In this latest stage production, the Oompa-Loompas are transformed into “humanettes” (living dolls that are part human, part puppet).
Some of these loans were only paid off in the early 21st century. On 31 December 2006, Britain made a final payments of about $83m (£45.5m) to the US and about $23.6m to Canada. By the end of World War II Britain had amassed an immense debt of £21 billion.
Following WWII, Germany faced additional reparations estimated between $20-300 billion. The Allies took a different approach after WWII, extracting reparations directly from their occupation zones. The 1952 London Agreement set final WWII reparations at $3 billion, though Germany has yet to complete these payments.
And less than ten years after the war people already were talking about the German economic miracle. What caused the so-called miracle? The two main factors were currency reform and the elimination of price controls, both of which happened over a period of weeks in 1948.
