The independence of the city was lost when the absolutist Welf rulers moved their place of residence in 1753 back from Wolfenbüttel to Braunschweig, but soon trade and culture recommenced and the Dukes formed a college in 1745 and a bank in 1765 to promote the economy. The dukes also promoted science, art, music and theater, turning the city into a glistening cultural center in the Enlightenment. The dukes maintained law and order, and ran their duchies like tight ships. All would vanish within less than an hour.

On the fifth British raid on Braunschweig by the RAF, October 15, 1944, 240 bombers dropped their lethal load which produced an intentional fire storm that completely destroyed the old city center within the moat, and other large areas. In what was called “sector bombing,” the RAF used the cathedral as a reckoning point for the master bomber in the lead plane who dropped a green marker on the cathedral dome to guide the aimers in the following aircraft, who then flew over it from various directions in a fan-shaped formation and dropped their deadly loads.

The first of the 200,000 phosphorus and incendiary bombs to fall on the city were 12,000 “Blockbuster” explosive bombs. These were typically laid in “carpets” on the historical centers of old timber-frame towns to efficiently expose the town’s guts for an injection of fire and the intended firestorm and Braunschweig’s medieval houses were perfect fuel. The blasts blew off the old wooden houses’ roofs and windows, then split the house’s interior walls open so as to receive their death by fire. After the explosive bombs, the phosphorus and incendiary bombs were dropped.

Their job was to ignite the firestorm. The British perfected this technique after careful research done in conjunction with the US in places like Dugway. The bombers were long gone when the firestorm reached its peak in the core of the city. In a scene reminiscent of the eruption of Vesuvius, sparks and embers rained in a lethal deluge over the blazing inner city, making it nearly impossible for rescue vehicles and fire engines to reach into the fire and try to save people. The city had a well planned system of bunkers for shelters, but some were made inaccessible to rescue crews by flames. Rescue and fire personnel screamed into the burning city from all surrounding areas to help and an amazing and courageous rescue of 23,000 trapped people was carried out, although 100 people in one shelter suffocated and could not be saved. 1,000 were killed, but 2,905 more died later from after effects and UXB’s. The hideous glow of the incinerating city could be seen for miles and miles. It was so bad that even the next morning when British reconnaissance flew overhead to take pictures of their handiwork, they had to turn back because the smoke was still too thick. They were satisfied none the less, for they only lost a single Lancaster bomber to anti-aircraft fire that night.

The fires raged for 2½ days, in the case of Braunschweig about 200,000 phosphorus and incendiary bombs. Within the 24 hours of “Operation Hurricane,” the RAF dropped over 10,000 tons of bombs on Duisburg and Braunschweig alone, the greatest bomb load dropped on any one day in the war. There were 202,284 city citizens before the war, and only 149,641 by the war’s end. The city also lost 15,000 men during the war years. The lovely ancient city is but a small shred of her former self. A woman prays at the site of children killed in the bombing, below.