Identity in transition: Leipzig's cultural downfall 1943-49

Bluemel, Helen 2010. Identity in transition: Leipzig's cultural downfall 1943-49. PhD Thesis, Cardiff University.

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Abstract

In 1945, Leipzig was indeed the place to see the whole world, or at least all facets of the Second World War and its aftermath. The historic town centre of this city in the very heart of Germany had been largely destroyed in the first complete firestorm that the British bombing squads accomplished in December 1943. In total, 38 bombing raids on the city left large parts completely in ruins, including all cultural venues, dozens of churches, more than eighty percent of the trade fair buildings and forty percent of housing. Yet, Leipzig's military production survived intact, and the air armament factories went on producing right until the end of the war with the help of slave labour, namely some 20,000 concentration camp inmates, kept in the vicinity of Leipzig at Abtnaundorf, a satellite camp of Buchenwald.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Status:	Unpublished
Schools:	History, Archaeology and Religion
Subjects:	D History General and Old World > D History (General) > D731 World War II D History General and Old World > D History (General) > D839 Post-war History, 1945 on D History General and Old World > DD Germany
ISBN:	9781303217906
Funders:	AHRC
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	30 March 2016
Last Modified:	09 Jan 2018 21:28
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/54955

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