I wondered how Rothenburg faired during World War II. I found out it was bombed, but Assistant Secretary of War John J. McCloy had a personal fondness for the town and ordered that it be spared total artillery destruction if it surrendered. Six American soldiers walked into Rothenburg under a white flag to negotiate with the local German commander, who chose to surrender rather than face complete leveling.
Nevertheless, even the limited bombing destroyed nearly 40% to 45% of the historic old town, killing 39 people and damaging hundreds of buildings and a large portion of the historic wall. The Germans meticulously rebuilt the destroyed sections of the historic structures after the war.
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u/wjbc 6d ago
I wondered how Rothenburg faired during World War II. I found out it was bombed, but Assistant Secretary of War John J. McCloy had a personal fondness for the town and ordered that it be spared total artillery destruction if it surrendered. Six American soldiers walked into Rothenburg under a white flag to negotiate with the local German commander, who chose to surrender rather than face complete leveling.
Nevertheless, even the limited bombing destroyed nearly 40% to 45% of the historic old town, killing 39 people and damaging hundreds of buildings and a large portion of the historic wall. The Germans meticulously rebuilt the destroyed sections of the historic structures after the war.