An exhibition by the Paderborn City and District Archives. In the Foyer of the City Administration, Bahnhofstr. 28/30, Paderborn
- 8 May - 11 July 2025
- Monday to Thursday 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
- Friday 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
17 exhibition panels show nearly 80 largely previously unpublished photographs of the destruction and harsh life in the immediate post war period. The city, littered with rubble, lacked everything: food and clothing, heating fuel and electricity, and housing.
Yet, as early as 1945, the first steps toward improvement began. Clearing the rubble began, with the rubble railways beginning in September. A panoramic view from the cathedral in 1945/46 not only reveals the extent of the destruction, but also provides evidence of a slow improvement and the beginnings of reconstruction.
The bombing raids on Paderborn began in 1940, initially isolated and targeted at military installations and the railway network. Civilian facilities and residential buildings were hit, albeit on a significant scale, by misdirected bombs or inaccurate targeting.
This changed on January 17, 1945. On that day, Paderborn experienced its first serious area raid, followed by the last on March 27, which led to the almost complete destruction of the city.