As the German army retreated during the later stages of the Second World War, many of the urban areas of what is now Poland were severely damaged as a result of military action between the retreating forces of the German Wehrmacht and advancing ones of the Soviet Red Army. Other cities were deliberately destroyed by the German forces. One of the most famous of these planned destructions was the razing of Warsaw, the capital of Poland. While extensively damaged by the failed Warsaw Ghetto Uprising and Warsaw Uprising, the city later underwent a planned demolition by German forces under order from Adolf Hitler and high officials within the Nazi government. On 17 October 1944, SS chief Heinrich Himmler famously stated, "The city must completely disappear from the surface of the earth and serve only as a transport station for the Wehrmacht."Wituska, Tomaszewski 2006, p. xxii. Before they were stopped by the advancing Red Army, 85% of the city had been taken out. Warsaw was far from the worst off after the German retreat; 97% of Jasło and nearly 100% of Polanów were reduced to rubble. Other towns such as Wałcz fared better, with only a quarter of the city being destroyed. Various ancient historical buildings in Polish cities were not spared; for example, Trzemeszno's Romanesque basilica of 1130–1145 was burnt down in 1945.
Polish name German name Pre-war location coordinates Damage DetailsAugustów Poland 70%BartoszyceBartenstein Germany50%"На карте Польши", библиотечка "Польши" (2)Białystok Bialystok Poland 70%Bielsk Podlaski Bielsk Podlaski Poland— 65%BisztynekBischofsteinGermany 20% of residential buildings, 15% of public buildings, 18% of industrial buildings destroyedBobolice Bublitz Germany 75%Bolesławiec Bunzlau Germany 60%BraniewoBraunsberg Germany 85%BrzegBrieg Germany70%–80%Bytom Beuthen Germany 12%Bytów Bütow Germany 70%Częstochowa TschenstochauPoland 10%DębicaDębica Poland 40%Dobiegniew Woldenberg Germany 85%Dobre Miasto Guttstadt Germany 65%Dobrzany Jakobshagen Germany 60%Dukla Dukla Poland 85%Elbląg Elbing Germany 60%–65%Ełk Lyck Germany50%Frombork Frauenburg Germany 80%Garwolin Garwolin Poland70%Gdańsk Danzig Danzig 65% old town 80%Gdynia Gdingen Poland66% (Estimate)Nowak 1989, p. 214.Gliwice Gleiwitz Germany 15%Głogów Glogau Germany90%–95% old town completelyGoleniów Gollnow Germany 60%Gołdap Goldap Germany 90%Goniądz Gonionds Poland 80%Gorzów Wielkopolski Landsberg an der Warthe Germany 50%Grudziądz Graudenz Poland 70%Gryfice Greifenberg Germany 40%Gryfino Greifenhagen Germany 70%Gubin Guben Germany 90%Iłża Iłża Poland—Inowrocław Hohensalza Poland 50%Jasło Jassel Poland97%JezioranySeeburgGermany 60% of residential buildings, 15% of public buildings, 21% of industrial buildings damaged or destroyedKałuszyn Kałuszyn Poland 85%Kamień Pomorski Cammin Germany65%Kańczuga Kańczuga Poland50%Kazimierz Dolny Kazimierz Dolny Poland—KętrzynRastenburg Germany 50%Knyszyn Knyszyn Poland80%Kolbuszowa Kolbuszowa Poland—Kołobrzeg Kolberg Germany 80%–90%Kostrzyn nad Odrą Küstrin Germany 90%Koszalin Köslin Germany 40%Kożuchów Freystadt in Schlesien Germany 70%Krosno OdrzańskieCrossen an der Oder Germany 65%KrzepiceKschepitz Poland— 50%Kuźnia Raciborska Ratiborhammer Germany50%Kwidzyn Marienwerder Germany 50%Legnica Liegnitz Germany 60%Leśna Marklissa Germany—Lidzbark Warmiński HeilsbergGermany 45%LubańLauban Germany 60%Lubin Lüben Germany 70%Lublin Lublin Poland —Łomża Lomscha Poland70%ŁódźLodzPoland 40% of industry destroyedMalbork Marienburg in Westpreußen Germany 45%Namysłów Namslau Germany 50%Nidzica Neidenburg Germany 40%Oleśnica Oels Germany 80%Olsztyn Allenstein Germany 50%Opole Oppeln Germany 50%–60%Ostrołęka Ostrolenka Poland—Ostróda Osterode in Ostpreußen Germany 60% (Estimate)Piła Schneidemühl Germany 75%Pisz JohannisburgGermany 70%Polanów Pollnow Germany90%–100%Poznań Posen Poland55% (Estimate)Przemyśl Premissel Poland40%PułtuskPultuskPoland 70%RacibórzRatiborGermany 60%ReszelRößelGermany 20% of residential and industrial buildings, 14% of public buildings destroyedRybnik Rybnik Poland 25%Rzepin Reppen Germany 85%Siedlce Poland 50%Skarżysko-Kamienna Poland 60% of industry destroyedSłupskStolpGermany 35%Stargard Stargard in Pommern Germany 70%SuszRosenberg in WestpreußenGermany 60% of residential buildings, 33% of public buildings, 21% of industrial buildings destroyedSuwałki SudauenPoland 30–35%about 20% was caused by Soviet forces, remaining 10–15% by German occupation of SuwałkiSyców Groß WartenbergGermany 50%Szczecin Stettin Germany 63%–65% port and industry 95%Szczytno Ortelsburg Germany 43%–47%most significant historic buildings survivedŚwidnicaSchweidnitzGermany 50% of industry destroyedŚwinoujście Swinemünde Germany 55%Tomaszów Mazowiecki Poland 25%Trzemeszno Tremessen Poland—Romanesque basilica of 1130–45 burnt down in 1945Wałcz Deutsch Krone Germany 25%Warsaw Warschau Poland85%Free Europe Committee 1970, p. 10.See: destruction of WarsawWęgorzewo Angerburg Germany 80%Wodzisław Śląski Loslau Poland80%Wolin Wollin Germany70%Wolsztyn Wollstein Poland—Classicist castle of 1845 burnt down in 1945Wrocław Breslau Germany 70%Zabłudów Zabłudów Poland 85% (Estimate)Zakroczym Zakroczym Poland 80%Złoczew Złoczew Poland 80%Złotów Flatow Germany 30%Żagań Sagan Germany55%–60%ŻarySorau Germany 60%Żelechów Żelechów Poland—Żory Sohrau Poland 80%Żychlin Żychlin Poland 40% (Estimate)
Gallery
See also List of former cities of Poland Planned destruction of Warsaw Strategic bombing during World War II Bombing of Wiener Neustadt in World War II
References Notes
Bibliography
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