During the last winter of World War II, the city of Dresden in East Germany suffered severe destruction from air raids. Many people were killed, and an ongoing debate arose about the background and impact of the attack.

Dresden was the capital of the German federal state of Saxony and was picturesquely situated on the Elbe River. Known as a cultural center, the city was often called the “Florence on the Elbe” due to its architecture and art treasures.

The exact population at the time of the attacks can only be estimated, as numerous people from other regions came to the city to escape the fighting. Estimates put the population in Dresden at that time at over 650,000.