Rotterdam commemorates 85th anniversary of German bombardment during WW2

Rotterdam commemorated the 85th anniversary of the German Nazi forces' bombing of the city on May 14, 1940, on Wednesday. Just under 900 people lost their lives in the bombing, and 80,000 Rotterdammers lost their homes due to the devastating bombardment.

A two-minute silence was held during the commemoration on Plein 1940 in the city center at 1:27 p.m., the exact time that the bombardment began, which then lasted for around 15 minutes on the fateful day in 1940. Most of the residential areas in Kralingen were hit by the bombs. The wind caused the fires to spread across the city, causing a fire storm.

The city’s mayor, Carola Schouten, laid a wreath at the Destroyed City monument, where the bombing is commemorated every year. The mayor also gave a speech before poems were read by primary school students from the Het Landje school.

"The bombing not only claimed material damage and human lives. Behind it was a lot of silent suffering," Schouten said in a speech. "The invisible pain of the war lingered in the city and stuck to the people themselves.”

Schouten added that little was said about the suffering. Throughout Rotterdam, the faces and names of 711 of the fatal victims were projected on buildings, including the Central Station. “This helps give victims a face. Let us not forget the names and honor them by passing on their stories.”

The German Luftwaffe threatened to destroy Utrecht next if the Dutch resistance did not surrender after the Rotterdam bombing. The Dutch forces surrendered during the late afternoon hours on May 14.