Arnhem before and after WWII

[Joris]

This is a collection of photos of Arnhem before and after WWII. I'll try to take pictures of how the area looks now.

 

After the battle at the Bridge was over the Germans evacuated the entire town and some of the surrounding towns too. Arnhem was then systematicly and metodicaly plundered. Even firemen were not allowed into town so fires could burn freely and destroy even more of the town. Add to this a number of allied bombing runs, 9 months of shelling by the Allies (more shells were fired on Arnhem then were fired during the El Alamein campain) and the second battle for Arnhem in april 1945.

 

The center of Arnhem in it's more glorious days:

http://nieuwint.net/images/cdv/arnhem4045/arnhem1940.jpg[/img]

 

The area at the bridge, this was destroyed in the battle at the Bridge. The area was bombed on october 1st causing further damage.

http://nieuwint.net/images/cdv/arnhem4045/eusebiusbinnensingel1940.jpg[/img]

 

http://nieuwint.net/images/cdv/arnhem4045/eusebiusbinnensingel1945.jpg[/img]

 

The Diaconesse hospital:

http://nieuwint.net/images/cdv/arnhem4045/diaconessezh1940.jpg[/img]

 

http://nieuwint.net/images/cdv/arnhem4045/diaconessezh1945.jpg[/img]

 

The Market square and Eusebius church:

http://nieuwint.net/images/cdv/arnhem4045/markt1940.jpg[/img]

 

http://nieuwint.net/images/cdv/arnhem4045/markt1945.jpg[/img]

 

Palace of Justice, part of one of the columns you see on the right is now a memorial at the foot of the bridge

http://nieuwint.net/images/cdv/arnhem4045/paleisvanjustitie1945.jpg[/img]

 

The market area as seen from the bridge:

http://nieuwint.net/images/cdv/arnhem4045/strijdgebied1945.jpg[/img]

 

The Rijnkade:

http://nieuwint.net/images/cdv/arnhem4045/rijnkade1940.jpg[/img]

 

http://nieuwint.net/images/cdv/arnhem4045/rijnkade1945.jpg[/img]

 

Taken from the bridge towards the area seen in the first Rijnkade shot.

http://nieuwint.net/images/cdv/arnhem4045/rijnkade1945_2.jpg[/img]

 

Trenches on the Rijnkade:

http://nieuwint.net/images/cdv/arnhem4045/rijnkadeloopgraaf1945.jpg[/img]

 

Tramstation, located close to the bridge. After the war, the tram system was disbanded in favour of trolly busses.

 

http://nieuwint.net/images/cdv/arnhem4045/tramremise1940.jpg[/img]

 

http://nieuwint.net/images/cdv/arnhem4045/tramremise1945.jpg[/img]

 

Postal headquarters, this was destroyed by the germans for no reason whatsoever....

http://nieuwint.net/images/cdv/arnhem4045/velperplein1940.jpg[/img]

 

http://nieuwint.net/images/cdv/arnhem4045/velperplein1945.jpg[/img]

 

The Van Limburg Stirumschool on the bridge ramp:

http://nieuwint.net/images/cdv/arnhem4045/valimburgstirumschool1945.jpg[/img]

 

The center of the town with the Eusebius church:

http://nieuwint.net/images/cdv/arnhem4045/langstraat1945.jpg[/img]

 

A sign remembering everbody where they are:

http://nieuwint.net/images/cdv/arnhem4045/hollandremember.jpg[/img]

 

Cafe Royal, on the Willemsplein, set afire by the Germans for no reason:

http://nieuwint.net/images/cdv/arnhem4045/caferoyal1945.jpg[/img]

 

Willemskazerne (barracks), these were bombed on the morning of septemer 17th. These were located close to the Cafe Royal in the center of town:

http://nieuwint.net/images/cdv/arnhem4045/willemskazerne1940.jpg[/img]

 

http://nieuwint.net/images/cdv/arnhem4045/willemskazerne1945.jpg[/img]

 

Heijenoordseweg:

http://nieuwint.net/images/cdv/arnhem4045/heijenoordseweg1945.jpg[/img]

 

Alexanderstraat, with battle damage from Market Garden:

http://nieuwint.net/images/cdv/arnhem4045/alexanderstraat1945.jpg[/img]

 

Pictures of looting germans:

 

http://nieuwint.net/images/cdv/arnhem4045/plunderen_1.jpg[/img]

 

http://nieuwint.net/images/cdv/arnhem4045/plunderen_2.jpg[/img]

 

http://nieuwint.net/images/cdv/arnhem4045/plunderen_3.jpg[/img]

 

http://nieuwint.net/images/cdv/arnhem4045/plunderen_4.jpg[/img]

 

http://nieuwint.net/images/cdv/arnhem4045/plunderen_5.jpg[/img]

 

http://nieuwint.net/images/cdv/arnhem4045/plunderen_6.jpg[/img]

 

[Joris]

And I nearly forgot to add photos of my house, the only one to be destoyed in my block:

 

http://nieuwint.net/images/cdv/huis1945/mini-huis1945_1.jpg[/img]

 

Now:

http://nieuwint.net/images/cdv/huis1945/huis2004_1.jpg[/img]

 

http://nieuwint.net/images/cdv/huis1945/mini-huis1945_2.jpg[/img]

 

Now:

http://nieuwint.net/images/cdv/huis1945/huis2004_2.jpg[/img]

 

http://nieuwint.net/images/cdv/huis1945/mini-huis1945_3.jpg[/img]

 

 

 

[Jack]

WOW Joris that is wonderful!

 

My god your city had the hell kicked out of it, total destruction and that picture of your house is something specail...........it must a strange feeling living there, pretty unique?

[ian2b]

Great pics Joris, I love looking at old black and white pics, very good.

[Joris]

This is what the center of Arnhem looked like after the the rubble was cleared and far to many houses that could be saved were torn down:

 

http://nieuwint.net/images/cdv/centre.jpg[/img]

 

The Bridge area after the bombing run:

http://nieuwint.net/images/cdv/bridge.jpg[/img]

[Enigma]

Great photo's!!

[Mark]

Makes you go quiet :oops:

[Joris]

I'll try and take some photo's of the current situation, THAT will make you go quiet. What they did to Arnhem after the war makes you very, very sad....