Throughout the war there was nothing like the fanatical and dramatic battles that took place in Breslau, where the fighting surpassed all previous ones in its ferocity and disregard for death.

“January 20, 1945 was the day,” said Otto Rogalla, a former Breslau police officer, “when it seemed that God had turned his back on this world. It was snowing heavily. The wind blew through the streets, blowing high snowdrifts against the walls of the houses. A thick layer of almost black clouds hung over the city, and even by noon it did not become lighter.

Since Christmas we have lived in constant combat readiness. Employees in Breslau did not go home after the end of the working day. Moreover, this concerned not only the police, but also the administration and a number of other services. Personally, as a qualified signalman, at the beginning of the war I was seconded to the police, where I served in a communications platoon.

Since Christmas, we've all been living in the basement of police headquarters and waiting. I didn’t want to admit what exactly we were waiting for. And yet we understood: with bated breath we await the approach of Russian tank forces.

What we saw at the city station during service hours made us break out in a cold sweat. Ever since Christmas, people have been driven by an almost endless stream of human misfortune. They seemed to have already overwhelmed the city, but they continued to arrive. They were traveling from the banks of the Warta and from Upper Silesia, with backpacks on their backs, children in their arms and despair on their faces.

Some had nothing. They lost their backpacks on the way, and the children were no longer with them. I saw people carrying dead children in their arms who had frozen to death on the way.

They didn't just come by train. They came along the highway leading into the city, dragging wheelbarrows and carts behind them. Lowing cattle roamed the city. Children called their mothers, mothers looked for their children.

We hadn't slept for three days, but we didn't complain. And we could still ease their suffering a little. We directed the flow of refugees, resettled them, registered them and returned children to their mothers.

We are all numb from human grief. Our capabilities were small, but we did our best. We lived with both anxiety and hope. For we felt that this cup would not pass us either.

As we drove through the city, we heard a voice coming from a loudspeaker: “Women and children, leave the city immediately. Continue in the direction Opperau – Kant. Transport is already ready for you there. Women and children, leave the city."

People hurried to the suburbs and turned onto the highway going to Kant. It was very cold. There was a lot of snow, and I felt very sorry for the children who had to wade through the snowdrifts with their mothers.

We helped in every way we could. We stopped a military truck and asked the driver to put the women and children in. But we didn't just ask. When necessary, we acted firmly and decisively.

Not only women and children walked along the highway to Kant. We also detained strong men, quite capable of holding weapons in their hands, who, with heavy suitcases in their hands, were in a hurry to get to safety.

I remember one of them especially well. He was a well-known manufacturer in Breslau, one of the leading representatives of the defense industry, who in the old days gladly sported the uniform of political leaders. Now he was in civilian clothes and carried two pigskin suitcases with jewelry, wads of money and good winter clothes. He yelled at me and claimed that he was carrying out an important task, that he had to urgently arrive in Berlin by order from above. But he was unable to present the order and very quickly changed his position. Now he was offering me money and gold to let me through.

I handed him over to the criminal police patrol, who took him back to Breslau. I had done my duty, and yet I felt somehow uneasy. Everything happened to us too suddenly. Just recently there was peace here.”

Until then, Breslau was an oasis of peace. There were no air raids here, and there were no food shortages. Anyone who had money could buy anything they wanted from the peasants in the vicinity of Breslau. And in the evenings, townspeople often sat in the pub over a glass of beer, while in the west of the Reich the population spent the same hours in a bomb shelter.

But now everything has changed.

Early in the morning of January 12, 1945, Soviet troops, after heavy artillery bombardment, went on the offensive from the Baranowice bridgehead. The German defenses were destroyed by hurricane fire. Soviet formations poured through large gaps in the German front line and rushed towards the Oder. The city of Breslau was declared a fortress.

One of the few who managed to survive the chaos of Breslau was General von Alphen. He, his staff officer and a small battle group had barely retreated from their positions on the Vistula when Soviet tanks broke through and overran the area.

General von Alphen, even overwhelmed by the red tide, retained his presence of mind. He fought his way through a mass of Soviet tanks and led his men to Breslau, where he reported his arrival to higher command on 17 January and remained awaiting further orders.

The chief of the higher command was General Krause, who was not only the commander of the units of the XII Army Corps stationed in Breslau, but was also responsible for the security and fortification of the city.

After the disaster in Baranowitz, he began hastily preparing the all-round defense of Breslau.

During these initial preparatory defensive measures, the germ of disastrous discord was laid, which later significantly hampered the defense of the city.

In order to be able to take up a perimeter defense around the city at all, it was necessary to form militia units from the male population of Breslau.

It may seem strange, but the Gauleiter of Lower Silesia Karl Ganke and General Krause both commanded these detachments. They both gave orders, they both signed orders - independently of each other or together.

There was, of course, no doubt about the issuance of military orders concerning the defense of the city. General Krause was responsible for the defense of Breslau.

However, the defense was poorly prepared. The defensive structures were located approximately thirty kilometers from the city outskirts and surrounded the city in a ring. This in itself was not bad, since in a perimeter defense it is important that the positions are located as far as possible from the defended object. However, there were no combat-ready troops that could hold these positions.

An evil fate befell the city on the night of January 22, 1945. Soviet tank forces under the command of General Konev reached the Oder in the Brig area, east of Breslau, and in the Steinau area, north of Breslau. In Steinau, a cadet of the non-commissioned officer school, Jauer, organized a heroic resistance, trying to stop the Russians on the Oder at any cost. But the efforts of his squad were in vain. The Russians still crossed the Oder in the Brig area. Konev's tanks rolled north and east of Breslau into the rear areas. The city faced the threat of encirclement.

In this situation, something difficult to explain happened. General Krause and most of his staff disappeared from Breslau. To this day it is unknown whether Krause left the threatened city on his own initiative or in obedience to orders. In any case, the decisive person who was responsible for the defense, controlled the situation and thoroughly knew the possibilities for securing the city was no longer there.

This fact must not be ignored in order to correctly assess the behavior of the Gauleiter and Reich Commissioner for Defense Karl Ganke. For the Gauleiter still remained where the general had fled. But first, General Krause transferred command authority over the Wehrmacht units located in Breslau to Major General von Alphen.

Von Alphen found himself in a very difficult situation. The troops subordinate to him consisted of the remnants of three divisions, which arrived in the city pretty battered. In addition, he could have detachments of Luftwaffe ground personnel, air reconnaissance, reserves and some individual units, totaling about 45,000 people.

However, von Alphen did not have the opportunity to familiarize himself with the existing defensive structures. With great haste he was given responsibility for a city of 250,000 people.

Meanwhile, Soviet General Konev sent his 4th Panzer Army between Glogau and Breslau. In Sprottau and Sagan, the German battle groups defended themselves with the despair of the doomed. Nevertheless, the Russians broke through to Lausitz, and endless columns of refugees moved in front of them.

On February 12, Glogau was surrounded. A weak garrison under the command of Oberst Count Eulenburg held the defense on all sides.

On February 16, a difficult time came for Major General von Alphen, as the ring around Breslau closed. By order of Hitler, Gauleiter Ganke assumed command power.

Ganke's military training was more than meager. He was a candidate officer during the Polish Campaign and a lieutenant and commissioned officer in Rommel's "phantom division" in the French Campaign. His military knowledge did not extend beyond this.

In contrast to the contradictions in the high command, the mood of the city population was not too bad. Food was improved, since the cattle that came to the city with the refugees provided people with meat for a month. In addition, there were a number of stocked warehouses in Breslau, created specifically to supply areas threatened by air raids. These warehouses were also used to supply the city's population.

In addition, the troops and the population were convinced that defending the city made sense. If Breslau can be held, then at least the highways along which columns of refugees marched west will remain safe.

This, of course, was the motivating reason, but not the overarching idea. And the party leadership of Breslau, apparently, understood this. To strengthen the will to resist of the city's defenders and the courage of the urban population, cars with loudspeakers drove through the streets. Residents were told that differences of opinion between the Western allies had become so intense that a truce could be expected soon. As a result, troops will be freed up and deployed to strengthen the Eastern Front. After this, a powerful German counter-offensive in the east is planned, so that the complete liberation of Breslau is not far off.

The people in the surrounded city had to believe these messages. Which they did quite willingly.

When planning defense, the security of the important Breslau-Gandau airfields was primarily discussed. Ju-52 transport aircraft carrying critical supply cargo could land at these airfields. Transport vehicles of this type were clearly not enough, so it was necessary to use combat vehicles to deliver supplies as well. Due to their high ground speed, these types of aircraft required longer runways. As a necessary measure, military cargo was first dropped there by parachute. However, air supply was soon restored again, as many parachutes were blown away by the wind, and the cargo fell into the hands of the Russians.

Given this situation, the creation of a large airfield became a top priority. Therefore, already in the first days of February, construction of extended landing strips on Friesenwiese began. At the end of February, Major General von Alphen received an order from Hitler to begin construction of another airfield in the city.

To this, Alphen explained that the construction of an airfield in the city was not necessary, since the alternate airfield at Friesenwiese was almost ready.

With this, the airfield issue was resolved for Alphen, but not for Gauleiter Ganke. He immediately prepared, in accordance with the Fuehrer's order, to build a new airfield. To implement this plan, he ordered the bombing of an entire residential area, and to level the territory, he rounded up women and children.

This construction caused the first skirmish between Gauleiter Hanke and Major General von Alphen.

The basis for further disagreements was that Ganke simultaneously began to actively interfere in the military command of the Breslau fortress. He did it cleverly, but extremely incorrectly.

He explained to Major General von Alphen that the regional office had at its disposal a powerful short-wave transmitter that had direct communication with the Reich Chancellery radio station. In other words, it is possible to maintain direct contact with the Fuhrer. The major general should not miss this benefit. If he has urgent wishes, he must communicate them to the regional office, which will transmit them to Berlin on his behalf.

Von Alphen considered this courtesy acceptable and agreed to the proposal. And Ganke began to weave behind-the-scenes intrigues. Although he sent von Alphen’s radiograms to Berlin, he did so not on behalf of the commandant of the fortress, but on behalf of the regional administration. Thus, the impression was created that all the initiative came from Gauleiter Ganke.

In the last days of February, another controversial issue arose. To strengthen the garrison of the fortress, Gauleiter Ganke requested a battalion of paratroopers, who soon after arrived in Breslau on transport planes. Ganke wanted to use this battalion to attempt a breakthrough. The paratroopers were supposed to break through Russian positions south of Breslau and establish contact with the troops of Field Marshal von Scherner in Zobten.

However, the soldiers who arrived to reinforce them were not actually paratroopers. They were the victim of "General Heldenklau", who visited the airfields where the bomber squadrons were based and personally freed the aircrew for use in ground forces.

These often highly decorated pilots were combined with the now unemployed technical personnel into ground combat formations when the absolute Allied air supremacy over the Western European theater of operations had long ago made the use of bombers unrealistic.

In addition, the battalion of paratroopers transferred to Breslau was poorly equipped. He had only pistols, rifles and hand grenades.

Major General von Alphen first placed the battalion in reserve and equipped it with machine guns and heavy artillery. He was also against the use of people completely inexperienced in ground combat for the sortie Ganke planned.

But Gauleiter continued to insist on his breakthrough plan. He even contacted Field Marshal Scherner, who was holding the front south of Breslau in the Münsterberg-Strehlen area. Ganke managed to mislead Scherner by instilling in him untrue information regarding his paratroopers.

Therefore, quite soon Scherner sent a telegram to Major General von Alphen with the following content: “The paratrooper battalion is good. I expect high activity from you."

Field Marshal Scherner subsequently also became a victim of Ganke's sophisticated games. The field marshal had no idea about the relationship between the leaders of Breslau. According to the current state of affairs, the impression was created that only the regional administration was interested in the defense of the city - the commandant of the fortress only occasionally made himself known. Therefore, Scherner could well have formed the belief that von Alphen was commanding the battles around Breslau in a completely different way than his duty dictated.

Meanwhile, Russian troops managed to firmly establish themselves in the southern part of the city. The Soviets advanced from South Park towards Hindenburgplatz.

One of the participants in these battles was Luftwaffe Corporal Herbert Richter. He described the events of those days as follows:

“It took the Russians eleven days to cover the distance of approximately two kilometers from South Park to Hindenburgplatz. This shows how persistent the street fighting was here.

We held the house, punched through loopholes and monitored the windows of the house located opposite, where Russian snipers had settled. As soon as one of us moved, a shot rang out. And often the shot was followed by a scream.

I remember a sixteen-year-old boy from among the Luftwaffe volunteers who was attached to our unit. The young man quickly got used to the apartment we occupied and in the kitchen he found a cupboard filled to the brim with food. He crawled on his stomach to the closet, opened the doors and stood up, hiding behind them, to get a can of canned food. But the can slipped out of his hands. The guy tried to catch her and for a few moments found himself in plain sight. Immediately a shot rang out from the window of the house opposite. The young man screamed and fell. He was dead. A Russian sniper's bullet hit him right in the forehead.

But for the Russians, the battles in Breslau were not at all an easy walk. One day we managed to capture a whole group that had holed up in the basement of a neighboring house. The company liaison heard their voices and warned us of the danger.

Our commander took a bunch of hand grenades and called for a volunteer. I became such a volunteer.

Under the protection of the falling dusk, we got out of the house and, bending down, ran along the wall to the neighboring building. Soon after this we heard the voices of the Russians. There were at least ten people there. They chose this basement for shelter. My heart was beating so hard that it seemed to move somewhere in my throat. And then everything went very quickly. The commander jumped forward and threw two grenades through the basement window. I did the same, after which we both fell to the ground.

It seemed to me that the seconds stretched out, turning into an eternity. Suddenly everything became quiet again. The voices in the basement fell silent. After the explosions, only groans were heard.

Having cleared the house, we immediately set it on fire. This was the order - to set fire to houses in order to prevent the Russians from occupying them. But the Russians had fire troops who put out fires very quickly. In such cases, we immediately launched a counterattack, with the sole purpose of setting the house on fire again. Then the Russians went on the offensive and put it out again.

So with my own eyes I saw with all clarity the terrible absurdity of the war...”

In the first days of March, fighting broke out again on a hitherto relatively calm section of the front north of Breslau. Russian shock troops tried to enter the northern part of the city. Major General Alfen managed to repel the Russian onslaught.

While von Alphen was busy defending Breslau, the fate of the encircled city was being decided outside its borders. Field Marshal Scherner was firmly convinced that von Alphen was neglecting his military duty. But Breslau had to be held at all costs. And this required a commander who would direct all his forces to accomplish this task.

Gauleiter Ganke finally managed to checkmate his opponent von Alphen.

Scherner was looking for a new commandant of the Breslau fortress. And he found it in the person of Lieutenant General Hermann Niehoff. Of course, it was argued that this choice had its behind-the-scenes side.

Niehoff then commanded the 371st Infantry Division, which achieved impressive successes against the Russians in the Klein-Elgut area on March 1, 1945. The Field Marshal had no reason to be dissatisfied with Niehoff and look for a “hot position” for him. He did this because it was not the lieutenant general, but one of his staff officers who had fallen out of favor with Scherner. Then word spread about the blatant tactlessness of a well-known officer on Niehoff's staff. After this, Scherner immediately went to Niehoff's command post and told him the story. The lieutenant general was not informed of the incident and ignored Scherner's reproach. The Field Marshal became angry. Niehoff was sent to Moravian Ostrava, where he was to await further orders. He didn't have to wait long. Soon he received the following telegram:

"Army Headquarters"

Mr. Lieutenant General Niehoff.

By order of the High Command, I bring to the attention of Mr. General that Mr. General, at the suggestion of Field Marshal Scherner, is scheduled to be assigned to a difficult place. The importance of this command authority extends far beyond the functions of the ordinary commander. The decision on this proposal will be agreed upon with the highest authorities tonight. Mister General is asked to be ready to leave on the morning of March 2nd.

The original is signed by the 1st adjutant."

Lieutenant General Niehoff understood what was hidden behind the phrase “in a difficult place.” And I didn’t want to be deceived.

Scherner said in a telephone conversation that the Fuhrer had appointed him commandant of the Breslau fortress. Therefore, he is obliged to immediately fly to the capital of Silesia and replace Major General von Alphen.

The lieutenant general knew that he was being appointed to command a suicide unit. This is evidenced by a letter he wrote the day before to his wife and five children.

"My lovely!

At the most difficult moment of my life, I send you and our children my sincere wishes. God, give me strength to stand! I know what is expected of me. Live happily!

(Your father".)

Breslau and its defenders were drawn into a plan that would split the flanks of the main Russian forces advancing on Berlin. For this purpose, Scherner concentrated a strong shock army in the Münsterberg-Strehlen area, with which he wanted to launch a counterattack in the direction of Breslau. After the siege was lifted from the city, the fortress garrison had to go on the offensive.

Lieutenant General Niehoff learned all this from a conversation with the commander of the 17th Army, General Schultz, which took place on March 3, 1945 in Waldenburg. Schultz said: "...if you can hold Breslau for fourteen days, then Scherner will be with you and you can move on..."

Lieutenant General Niehoff was ready to fly to Breslau. The airfield from which the transport plane took off was located approximately forty-five kilometers from the surrounded city. Even before the flight began, the pilot told the general that there was a possibility of heavy Soviet anti-aircraft fire when approaching Breslau. In addition, there is no parachute for the general on board the plane.

Niehoff came aboard anyway. The Ju-52 very soon found itself in the crosshairs of Soviet searchlights. When the general was already seeing through the window the lights of the fires raging in the surrounded city, the plane was shot down by Soviet anti-aircraft guns.

The pilot, a young lieutenant, reported engine damage. He put the plane on a collision course and after some time, with great difficulty, landed the heavily damaged plane at an alternate airfield.

In a telephone conversation with the headquarters of the 17th Army, Niehoff received assurances that he would be immediately provided with another vehicle.

The plane arrived at three o'clock in the morning.

But this plane was also under a clearly unlucky star. He again came under heavy anti-aircraft fire. On approach to Breslau, the pilot was also forced to turn back and land the plane at the same airfield from which it took off. After landing, the pilot explained that due to icing on the steering control, he could not land in Breslau.

The third pilot, who was supposed to take Niehoff to Breslau, turned out to be a sergeant major awarded the Knight's Cross. He first raised the car to a high altitude, then, approaching the airfield, switched the engines to idle mode and glided to the ground. After a safe landing, the crew of the transport plane came under fire. The general and his escort managed to reach the edge of the airfield, where they were met by the instructor. And on the airfield at that time there was a real hell. The instructor, a lieutenant from the headquarters of the fortress commandant named Fischer, escorted the general to the motorcycle. On the way, he explained to Niehoff that the Russians were attacking Breslau airfield.

The motorcycle with the general on the back seat raced through heavy artillery fire. Here and there the darkness was broken by bright flashes of explosions. Machine gun fire sounded.

Nevertheless, General Niehoff arrived unharmed at the command post in Liebiggoch, set up in an abandoned beer cellar. There, under the damp vaults, he was met by Major General von Alphen.

The commandant of the fortress looked tired. Trying to be heard above the roar of artillery, Niehoff explained that he had orders to take the post of commandant of the fortress. Major General von Alphen is to take the next plane to Zossen and report to the personnel office.

The Major General was deceived about the deep meaning of this order. And he briefly brought Niehoff up to speed.

At this time, von Alphen already understood well what role Gauleiter Hanke actually played. Since he could only leave Breslau once the enemy had been pushed back from the airfield, he had plenty of time to write a memo regarding the situation in Breslau. Niehoff studied it and was left with the impression that Major General von Alphen had fulfilled his military duty in every respect and had used every opportunity to defend the fortress. Therefore, it was not difficult for him to confirm the correctness of all the measures taken by von Alphen.

While the two generals were conferring in the basement at Liebiggoch, Russian loudspeakers were heard in front of the German lines: “Don’t rely on Niehoff before Hanke hangs...”

The night after his arrival, the new commandant of the fortress went to Ganke's command post in Neumarkt.

Entering the bomb-proof basement, Niehoff was amazed at the comfortable interior of the Gauleiter bunker. Ganke had at his disposal a shower room, a wood-paneled bedroom, a kitchen with tiled walls and a cozy study, in the center of which stood a massive desk.

The Gauleiter of Lower Silesia Hanke himself was sitting at the table. Niehoff saw a tall young man of impressive build, dressed in a brown uniform with red and gold buttonholes.

The conversation began in a very polite, courteous tone. Having slightly tested the waters, Ganke decided that he could afford more, and stated that he considered the former commandant of the fortress, von Alphen, to be a failure who had failed in his duties. He further expressed his joy that in Niehoff he had finally found a good commandant of the fortress.

Niehoff listened carefully to his interlocutor before approaching the matter from a completely different angle... And his very first words could not help but alarm Ganke.

“Gauleiter,” said the general, “I am here on the orders of the Fuhrer.” In accordance with this order, I am to hold the city until the siege is lifted by outside forces.

Ganke hinted at the possibility of a compromise:

- I think we can agree.

The general was not impressed:

– Gauleiter, here in Breslau I have commanding power. In everything that concerns military operations and the defense of the city, I alone give orders. And I won't let you interfere in my affairs.

Ganke leaned on the desk, stood up and stared at the general.

– Do you want to push me aside?

– In everything that concerns the conduct of hostilities in Breslau, yes.

General Niehoff saw his first task as bringing clarity to the question of the intentions of his Russian opponents.

He found that Soviet Lieutenant General Gluzdovsky made many mistakes. One of them, according to Niehoff, was that the Russian commander attacked the city mainly from the south. He would have achieved more significant success if he had simultaneously organized an offensive from the west. In this case, Niehoff would have to disperse his reserves. In the meantime, he could concentrate them at the most important point.

The resistance of the Breslau defenders was somewhat alleviated by the fact that the Russians, as a matter of principle, sent their radiograms in clear text. Therefore, the Germans in many cases knew in advance where to expect the next assault.

Niehoff's first measures were expressed in an order: weaken the defensive ring around the city and echelon the defense in depth. Although this strategic concept of the fortress commandant was based on logical consistency, this measure encountered strong resistance from military commanders. It is clear that neither of them wanted to give in and thereby weaken their own position. The resistance of the commanders turned into open protest when the general transferred the two strongest battalions from the front to the city for use as “fire brigades.”

How correct Niehoff's plans were was shown by the first major Russian attack. Immediately after the invasion of the Russian shock units, Niehoff threw his rear reserves into battle. The gap in the front line was closed before the enemy managed to gain a foothold.

The Red Army units, apart from the breakthrough on Easter days, failed to achieve decisive successes.

At this time, the issue of ammunition supply became extremely acute. The airfield near Breslau could no longer be used to provide supplies, so urgently needed ammunition had to be dropped in special containers with parachutes over the surrounded city. But at the same time, a significant part of the containers ended up in the hands of the Russians.

Providing ammunition proved so difficult at times that even Russian captured ammunition was used. There were days when the Breslau artillery did not have a single shell. A constant shortage of ammunition forced the city's defenders to resort to tricks. In particular, they built a catapult, as they did in the Middle Ages, with the help of which they threw hand grenades and explosives at Russian positions.

The situation could only be corrected by the appearance of a full-fledged airfield in Breslau. It was determined that the Friesenwiese alternate airfield was unsuitable for low-flying aircraft due to the damp soil. Many transport vehicles got stuck and crashed when landing on loose soil.

At least some of Ganke's earlier plans were now recognized as correct. The construction of an airfield in the city center, ordered by Hitler, desired by Hanke and rejected by von Alphen, was now taken seriously. The entire population aged 14 to 65 years was recruited to serve labor and was used for the construction of the airfield. Subsequently, mostly girls and women worked in construction.

Frau Helga Schlipkorte, who was evacuated to Breslau from Düsseldorf, said the following about those days:

“Sappers blew up an entire city block with residential buildings, streets, squares, alleys and monuments.

Our job was to level the area in such a way as to create a level airfield. We were all recruited to serve labor duties, but our work was considered “honorable service.” People reacted to this name with nothing less than a sarcastic grin. For every lateness, every absenteeism, every prolonged break and every violation of the rules was punishable by draconian punishments. So our labor was more servile than honorable. But from the watchtowers everything looks completely different, as from the hatches of the command bunker. And yet, each worker did everything that depended on him, since no one wanted to think that Breslau could be abandoned. We were all convinced that Scherner would come and free us.

We loaded the carts with fragments of stones. Full carts were taken to the edge of the field and overturned there. Construction waste was then used for leveling.

We were often subjected to Soviet artillery fire. But we had already gained some experience and were able to assess the proximity of shells, so we only rarely went for cover.

Soviet fighter-bombers were much more dangerous. As soon as one of the security guards noticed such a car, he would sound the alarm, after which everyone working would start looking for cover.

Often the alarm was announced too late. I once saw how six young girls came under fire from an aircraft’s onboard gun at once - it’s unlikely that at least one of them was over eighteen.

At least once a day, Soviet bombers flew in, and the carefully leveled surfaces were again covered with craters. Shortly before Easter, a large group of workers were buried in a shelter. We worked non-stop for sixteen hours to clear the rubble, but it was too late. They all suffocated.

Between Fürstenfeldbrücke and Kaiserbrücke, where the airfield was being built, many people died. None of the plaques bear their names. They fell nameless. Perhaps many of them are still waiting for their relatives and friends..."

The Russians, meanwhile, changed their offensive tactics. They now began to storm the defensive ring around the city from the east.

Niehoff controlled the situation, however, remained in his previous positions. Disregarding the existing risk, he removed all combat-ready units from other positions around Breslau and threw them to the west, where the Russians were preparing an offensive in the area of ​​​​Pilznitz, Kosel, Gandau, Mochburn and Schmiedefeld. These units were subordinate to Oberst-Lieutenant Mohr. The reinforcements sent by Model had not yet taken up positions when the Russians launched a powerful offensive. Former staff corporal Theo Klose said: “The sun was so hot that I took off my overcoat. I rode my motorcycle past the city hall, which is still intact.

And then it all began. A squadron of Soviet bombers arrived. The air was filled with the roar of explosions. A cloud of dust covered the sky. A piercing howl was immediately heard. Soviet artillery and “Stalinist organs” opened fire.

I overturned my motorcycle and blindly rushed into the nearest gateway. While I was feeling for the steps, an explosion occurred nearby. I fell head over heels down the steps and found myself between moaning, screaming people.

It's impossible to describe. The pressure created by the exploding shells pressed on the eardrums. Children screamed, women cried. The basement walls seemed to be shaking. Cement fell from the ceiling and dust hung in the air. A shell hit the house and it was on fire. But people were in no hurry to get out. I found the steps of the stairs again and walked up to the door. My motorcycle turned into a pile of scrap metal. I ran along the wall, confident that I would not get out of this hell alive. The whole street was on fire. Long tongues of flame burst out of houses that had been spared by the war until now. I don't know how many times I fell to the ground. I just know that I broke my whole face. Eventually I saw a bomb shelter. Screams and crying were also heard here.

The hurricane fire lasted until the evening of the second day of Easter. The entire city turned into a blazing fire. There were corpses in the streets. Finally I saw the soldiers doing firefighting. It was the most terrible assault I have ever experienced...”

But that wasn't all. In the midst of a massive raid, a spark of new hope appeared. An entire squadron of German warplanes appeared in the skies over Breslau.

People breathed a sigh of relief. But they were destined to be cruelly deceived in their hopes. German vehicles were captured by the Russians. Soviet pilots were put in them, loaded with German bombs and sent against Breslau.

The Russian assault was accompanied by hurricane fire. Their battle cry thundered over the German lines. The rifles had bayonets attached.

The men of Mora's regiment waited in their rifle trenches. The attackers were met by concentrated defensive fire. Anti-aircraft and artillery guns located in Breslau also took part in the battle.

General Niehoff immediately went to the dangerous part of the front. Together with Oberst-Lieutenant Mohr, he took all necessary measures to strengthen the defense. It was decided to send seven battalions to the western sector of the front around Breslau. Two battle groups were left near Gandau airfield as a reserve. They had the task, in the event of a Russian breakthrough, to stop and push back the enemy.

The Russians advanced with approximately a twelvefold superiority in strength. They were supported by heavy gunfire and tanks.

A fierce battle ensued. The German defenders defended themselves with the courage of the doomed. It often came down to close combat, during which only bayonets and sapper blades were used as weapons.

General Niehoff and Oberst-Lieutenant Mohr watched the battle from close proximity. In the western sector, the Soviet strike group, up to a company strength, managed to carry out a local breakthrough. The German soldiers opposing them desperately defended themselves, but the forces were unequal.

As evening fell on the dying city, the battle of this bloody Easter Saturday finally came to an end. Mora's units lost 73 percent of their manpower. In some companies only a dozen and a half people remained alive.

The peaceful respite did not last long. Already at six o'clock in the morning, Soviet artillery again opened hurricane fire. Russian guns fired for six hours.

At about twelve o'clock, Soviet tanks went on the offensive. Soviet tanks also appeared near Niehoff’s command post, set up in a shelter for the blind. Despite the terrible fire and superior enemy strength, this massive offensive was also repulsed.

At Pöpelwitz station there was also a bloody battle. Despite strong resistance, the Russians still managed to break through and found themselves in the rear of a German combat formation with a company strength. During the subsequent battle, the company commander discovered a gap in the Russian ring. His people managed to penetrate through it and reach their own front line of defense.

On that Easter Sunday, the fate of the defenders of Breslau was on a knife's edge. However, chance gave them a trophy that was of great importance. Breslau police chief Hermann Duschau said the following about these events: “It was Easter Sunday when we managed to disable a Soviet armored car near Gnesenerstrasse. The crew - two Red Army soldiers and a Soviet senior lieutenant - surrendered. The Soviet officer had with him a large tablet, the top side of which was cellophane. I took the tablet and saw under the cellophane a map of Breslau covered with a coordinate grid.”

The map, which ended up in the hands of Breslau police chief Hermann Duschau, was truly priceless. It showed the movement of troops throughout the entire theater of operations around Breslau.

Now German radio operators could provide valuable messages regarding the enemy's tactical plans. When, for example, a Soviet radiogram was intercepted containing the text “Makarov’s tank company is redeploying from B 1 to G 3,” one glance at the captured map was enough to establish the new positions of the unit in question.

In the evening hours of that memorable Easter Sunday, the Soviet onslaught became weaker. Meanwhile, the Red Army soldiers reached the Oder. Thanks to this, three battalions in the Kozel area were surrounded. General Niehoff took immediate measures to relieve the encircled troops.

The planned attempt to break out of the encirclement was successful. Under cover of darkness, the three battalions at the Ramsener locks withdrew across the Oder and returned by roundabout routes back to the western sector of the front. How timely their approach turned out to be became obvious very quickly. Already on the night of Easter Monday, soldiers of these battalions clashed with the Russians, taking part in repelling a concentrated attack by Soviet troops.

On Easter Monday the battle around Breslau began to intensify again. At about eight o'clock in the morning, Soviet General Gluzdovsky again launched his troops into an attack on German positions. It was also supported by heavy artillery fire. During the battle, Soviet planes appeared in the sky above the city. During the air attack, 22 bombs fell on the building alone, which housed Gauleiter Ganke’s command post.

By this time, Soviet tanks had approached the slaughterhouse area. A militia detachment, consisting mainly of railway workers, managed to stop the Russians. During the battle, this combat formation was reinforced by a police battalion. Soviet troops suffered heavy losses.

But only the Russian reserves seemed inexhaustible. More and more ranks of Red Army soldiers went on the attack on German positions. And gradually the German forces began to decline. And the Russians continued to advance. Soviet tanks rolled forward, Red Army soldiers ran behind the steel colossi. Russian shock troops reached the Pöpelwitz railway embankment and broke into the “Schroeder gardens”, located on the so-called pasture. Due to the great superiority of the enemy forces, the two SS battalions of Zitzmann and Rogge were forced to abandon their previously firmly defended positions. And Major Tilgner’s battalion was also no longer able to hold back the enemy onslaught.

The situation was becoming critical. Almost all reserves had already been thrown into battle.

The command had at its disposal the only combat group of militias - the last reserve. It consisted of sixteen-year-old teenagers. General Niehoff had to make a difficult decision - to throw children into battle. But he had no choice.

What these children were doing is beyond comprehension. They attacked Soviet tanks with hand grenades and Faust cartridges. They used Molotov cocktails and other improvised means. Breslau resident Gerhard Schmoller, who was appointed platoon commander in this boyish detachment, single-handedly destroyed four Russian tanks within two hours.

The Breslau youths then went on the offensive. Already during the first assault they broke through the Russian lines. Despite heavy losses, they did not stop. These teenagers from Breslau managed to liberate the Schröder Gardens area in the pasture from the enemy! By evening, the Pöpelwitz railway embankment was in their hands.

Two battalions from the Breslau Hitler Youth managed to change the fate of their city once again on that Easter Monday 1945.

At night, only isolated machine-gun bursts were heard over the battlefield. Sometimes rifle shots were heard. After the orgy of battle of the previous day, silence reigned over the field flooded with ghostly moonlight.

By this time, the strength of the Soviet attacking units also began to decrease. Given the heavy losses, General Gluzdovsky suspended further attempts at a breakthrough.

The Soviet military leader decided to starve out the garrison and the civilian population of the city. The battles that took place subsequently were only local in nature.

By this time, many weak points had formed in the defensive ring around Breslau. One of them was a small wooden bridge over the Oder, which was 600 meters from the Russian forward lines. The Russians used this bridge to deliver reinforcements to the front. This river bridge was a real thorn in the side of Breslau's defensive front.

The headquarters of the commandant of the fortress had long been thinking about how best to destroy this bridge. Sending a strike group to the bridge to set off an explosion seemed impossible due to the unprecedented security measures taken by the Russians. The easiest way was to destroy it with an air attack.

General Niehoff contacted the 17th Army and requested air support.

Two days later, flight ^-111 flew to the target. The planes came under severe anti-aircraft fire. The bombs intended to hit the target fell approximately three hundred meters from the bridge. The attack by dive bombers also did not bring the desired result. Although the bombs fell closer to the target, the bridge still remained undamaged.

These days, a young girl from the telephone exchange came to Niehoff's headquarters and expressed a desire to talk with the general. She explained to the officers that while working on the switchboard, she learned that the wooden bridge over the Oder was giving the general a lot of trouble. The general asked the girl why she was interested in this.

The girl - she called herself Ursula - gave a stunning answer. He said he wanted to blow up the bridge. She said that she knew the area very well and only needed instructions regarding the actual blasting operations. To accomplish this task, the girl planned to sail to the bridge in a folding boat.

Niehoff declined her offer. He said that he had already found a way to destroy the bridge.

The telephone operator left the command post. The general never saw her again.

However, the girl from Breslau had very serious intentions. They said that soon after this she met a sapper sergeant major who taught her what to do.

Where the girl subsequently obtained the necessary explosives, no one ever found out. But one day a young resident of Breslau decided to make her intention come true. Two friends helped her.

There were no witnesses to this reckless enterprise.

And the bridge flew up into the air.

No one ever heard from the three girls again.

The fighting around the surrounded Breslau continued. The situation worsened day by day. The suffering of the population is difficult to even imagine. There was no electricity, water supply was provided with long interruptions. There was also no way to bury the dead in a timely manner, and the air was filled with the stench of decaying flesh.

Every day and every night, Soviet bombers and fighters appeared over the city. The artillery shelling did not subside. Despite the heavy burden, the morale of the defenders and the population was not broken. People continued to hope for the liberation of the city by German troops. When the last sparks of hope began to fade, people began to console themselves with the thought of being able to escape from the encirclement. They believed that they could strike south, break through the encirclement and then reach Field Marshal Scherner's front line.

General Niehoff struggled desperately with his conscience. On the one hand, he received orders to defend the city to the last bullet, on the other hand, he realized that the situation was hopeless. For the Russians were already at the gates of Berlin.

No one knew what kind of thoughts the commandant of the Breslau fortress indulged in in those days. But one idea could well have come to his mind when he was thinking about a plan to break out of the encirclement. This idea was based on the fact that a breakthrough could only be achieved by abandoning the civilian population.

Moreover, there was only the possibility of capitulation. The general was not worried about his own fate. The command transported the Fieseler-Storch to Breslau so that the general could ensure his safety if he had no other choice.

The plane was waiting, hidden in the hangar. But only Niehoff thought least of all about saving his own life.

In those April days of 1945, Niehoff learned from a professor from Breslau that an underground passage began at the Church of St. Dorothea, which follows along Schweidnitzerstrasse and goes beyond the city limits. Old maps confirmed this statement.

The general immediately sent a company of sappers to reconnaissance, and the passage was indeed discovered. However, hope faded as quickly as it arose. A large amount of work was required to make this passage passable for a large number of people.

This tiny chance also disappeared.

By many signs, the general understood that the civilian population and troops had exhausted all their strength.

Only on May 1, after information about Hitler’s suicide and the fall of the imperial capital reached Breslau, did Niehoff decide to capitulate. The general was determined to achieve acceptable conditions for the population. This could only be achieved by temporarily continuing to hold positions around the fortress, thereby demonstrating one’s strength to the enemy.

After the fall of Berlin, the struggle continued. In the first days of May, a high-ranking dignitary of the Catholic and Protestant churches came to General Niehoff.

Vicar Ferge, who, under incessant enemy fire, appeared at the commandant's office in full church vestments, on behalf of the two religious communities appealed to the general with a request to stop the fight. But Niehoff could only hint to the clergy that he was ready to surrender. He assured that he would make a final decision in the coming hours.

Gauleiter Ganke also inquired about Niehoff’s readiness to surrender. He arrived at the command post shortly after the clergyman and demanded an explanation.

Niehoff did not deny it. Yes, he is really ready to surrender.

Ganke was excited.

- General, I will order you to be arrested immediately!

Niehoff shrugged it off contemptuously and made it clear to the Gauleiter that all this no longer mattered.

After this, Ganke broke down. He apologized for his threats and asked the general for advice on what to do now.

Niehoff said:

“Perhaps you will choose suicide?”

- No! - Ganke exclaimed. “I haven’t fulfilled my life’s destiny yet!” General, I beg you, help!

Then the general invited him to mingle with the soldiers, having obtained a fake soldier's book. Ganke refused. He was probably afraid that he would be recognized and lynched by his own compatriots.

Finally, Niehoff suggested that he put a bandage on his head and join the wounded. But this advice also seemed unacceptable to Ganka.

Then the general expressed his readiness to lead the Gauleiter at night through the Russian ring to the rear. And there he can decide for himself what to do next.

The Gauleiter happily agreed to this and immediately said goodbye, saying that at nightfall he would return to the command post.

But he never came. Gauleiter took care of his own salvation.

The Fieseler-Storch, prepared for General Niehoff, stood in the hangar unharmed and ready for takeoff.

The pilot, a young sergeant major, was nervous. He came to the general every day and reminded him of the car that was ready for takeoff. But the general only waved him off. The question of flying away from the doomed city did not arise for him.

However, the pilot had a passionate desire to escape the hell of Breslau. And he went to Gauleiter Hanke. He told him that in the new imperial government he had been appointed Reichsführer of the SS and chief of the German police and, in addition, minister of the interior. Therefore, he must immediately fly from Breslau to take up new posts.

This was very convenient for the pilot. Thus, he could leave Breslau without fear of accusations of cowardice. After all, he has orders from the new Reichsführer of the SS, the new chief of the German police and the Minister of the Interior!

And under the cover of darkness, a small plane took off from Breslau. Before departure, Ganke donned the uniform of an SS Oberscharführer.

But over the city, “Storch” came under fire from Soviet anti-aircraft guns. The fuel tank was damaged by shrapnel. The fuel has leaked. Therefore, between Klein Wierau and Schweidnitz the pilot was forced to make an emergency landing.

Sergeant Major Abratis, who was at that time the senior officer of the Wehrmacht, now living in Braunschweig, noticed the Fieseler-Storch and demanded documents from the SS Oberscharführer, who was nervously running around the plane. He soon realized that in front of him was Ganke himself. Gauleiter explained to Feldwebel Abratis that he must immediately fly to Field Marshal Scherner in order to organize the release of Breslau with him. After the tank was repaired and refilled, the plane took off again and headed for Schweidnitz.

Gank was last seen in Schweidnitz. There were rumors that he had been killed in Czechoslovakia or that his plane had been shot down by the Russians. Nobody knows exactly where he went.

Meanwhile, the final act of the drama began for the Breslau fortress.

On May 5, General Niehoff gathered the commanders of the battle groups. He thanked them for their courage and sacrifice, released them from military duty and only asked them to remain with their people at the hour of surrender.

The oldest of the commanders, General Ruoff, walked up to Niehoff and extended his hand.

The commanders of the combat groups left the command post of the fortress commandant in silence. One of the officers turned behind the ruins of an old house. A few moments later a shot was fired. SS-Obergruppenführer Herzog, one of Breslau's bravest commanders, shot himself.

A little later, a loudspeaker was installed on the German positions of the southern sector of the front around Breslau, through which the Sonderführer, who knew Russian, said again and again that General Niehoff was proposing the surrender of the Breslau fortress.

The Russians responded, also using a loudspeaker. After short negotiations, a truce was agreed upon at 8 a.m. on May 6.

At noon on May 6, three German officers marched across a strip of no man's land to Russian positions. They were met by guards at the guard post and taken to army headquarters, where the officers conveyed the offer of surrender.

A few hours later, two Soviet officers appeared in front of the German positions with a white flag of envoys. One was with the rank of colonel, the other - major.

The Soviet officers were escorted to General Niehoff, who received them at his command post. The Russian colonel handed over a letter from General Gluzdovsky, in which he recognized the courage of the fortress garrison and promised him honorable treatment. But General Niehoff was not satisfied with the promises. He wanted to have a signed agreement with guarantees for the city and people.

Both Russian officers did not have the authority to conduct such negotiations. They said goodbye, and General Niehoff decided to meet General Gluzdovsky in person.

Niehoff went to the southern sector of the front. There he got out of the trench closest to the front line and walked along with his orderly and translator to the Russian positions. The barrel of a Russian machine gun was pointed at a group of Germans, but no shot was fired.

The general jumped into the nearest Russian trench. An officer immediately appeared. In greeting, he put his hand to his steel helmet and led the German general through the trenches.

The trip was short. General Niehoff was met by a short man with a sickly yellowish face. He introduced himself: General Gluzdovsky.

Cool greeting. Attentive eyes. Evaluative glances. Discreet cough.

No hatred, no arrogance, no celebration of the winners on the part of the Russians.

Niehoff explained to Gluzdovsky that when his conditions were met, he was ready to surrender the city and fortress of Breslau.

A Soviet captain named Kaufman, a Volga German, acted as a translator.

Gluzdovsky expressed his readiness to fulfill Niehoff’s conditions. Everything was already set out in writing; the general only had to check the documents.

Niehoff carefully read the terms of surrender of the fortress. Gluzdovsky guaranteed the military correct treatment in captivity and return to their homeland after the end of the war. The civilian population was guaranteed living conditions.

Niehoff breathed a sigh of relief. But he was very worried about one more question. What will happen to the Waffen SS units located in Breslau, who were also soldiers and fulfilled their military duty?

He asked General Gluzdovsky to extend guarantees not only to regular Wehrmacht units, but also to Waffen SS units. Gluzdovsky agreed, and a corresponding addition was made to the agreement.

Niehoff could now feel content. General Gluzdovsky signed the document. Niehoff too.

The fortress of Breslau capitulated.

On May 6, 1945, at exactly 21:00, Soviet troops entered Breslau. The German garrison gathered at the appointed place and surrendered to the Russians.

The Russians rushed into the city. They drank, bawled something, and sang. They combed the ruins and rolled into the basements. All evening the screams of women and girls could be heard from everywhere. Houses that survived the siege were set on fire. The prisoners were hit with rifle butts.

The guarantees readily given by General Gluzdovsky to General Niehoff were not even worth the paper they were written on.

General Niehoff and many of his officers were transferred from one prisoner of war camp to another several times. Only eleven years after the end of the war he returned home to his family waiting for him in Düsseldorf.

He first saw his youngest son in 1956.

Commandants of the Breslau Fortress

German troops

Despite the fact that Breslau was declared a “festung” (fortress) already on September 25, 1944, the formation of its garrison accelerated only at the beginning of 1945, after the successful start of the Vistula-Oder operation of the Soviet troops. On January 26, the 609th Special Purpose Division (three infantry, an artillery regiment and a tank company) was formed, and the active formation of Volkssturm battalions began. By the beginning of the defense, the 269th Infantry Division was in the city, but it mostly managed to leave Breslau before the encirclement.

As a result, the garrison surrounded by German troops consisted of

The Breslau fortress had a large combat-ready reserve, consisting of much less combat-ready Volkssturm soldiers, specialists from military factories and enterprises, as well as members of National Socialist structures and organizations fit for military service, united in Volkssturm battalions, of which, according to the list, there were 38 battalions (15,000 people) .

During the siege, small reinforcements arrived in the fortress by air. On February 25, units of the 1st battalion of the 26th parachute regiment were transferred, and on March 6, a battalion of the special purpose parachute regiment was transferred.

The commandants of the Breslau fortress garrison were Major General Hans von Alphen (from November 3, 1944 to March 7, 1945) and Infantry General Hermann Niehof (until the surrender on May 6). Political power in the fortress was exercised by Gauleiter Karl Hanke, who was endowed with high official powers and was the commander of the Volkssturm units stationed in Breslau.

Walled City

National Socialist leadership

By order of the Reich Commissioner for Defense and Minister of Propaganda Joseph Goebbels, Gauleiter Karl Hanke introduced branches of the National Socialist leadership as a political body in all parts of the Wehrmacht. Von Bürk was appointed to command the fortress as an officer of the National Socialist leadership (NSLF, Nationalsozialistischer Führungsoffizier) with corresponding special powers. The main task of this department was primarily to control the Wehrmacht information service, raise morale through propaganda, and also test the political worldview of the soldiers.

Evacuation

On January 20, 1945, Gauleiter Karl Hanke ordered all the population unfit for military service to immediately leave the city, which was declared to be under siege. It was a cold, harsh winter and Breslau was full of people, many of whom had come there with columns of refugees during the last week from towns and villages on the right of the upper Oder. Many of the inhabitants of this western region of the Reich lived here during the last years of the war and were still spared from enemy bombing. All of them had to leave the fortified city as soon as possible. However, the evacuation of the city was not prepared at all. Already on the first day there was panic at the stations. The trains could not accommodate the huge masses of people. Therefore, Gauleiter Hanke ordered the march of women and children on foot towards the villages of Kostenblut (Kostomłoty) and Kant located to the southwest of the city outskirts. During the stampede in the cold and snow, children and old people died in the thousands. After these events, many residents of Breslau now refused to leave the city. Approximately 200,000 unfit men remained in the city, as well as women, girls and members of the Hitler Youth.

The northern and eastern suburbs of Breslau were forcibly evacuated, as the first onslaught of Soviet troops was expected here. The abandoned houses almost immediately housed the Wehrmacht and Volkssturm. Political power was concentrated in the hands of party bodies headed by the Gauleiter. In accordance with the order to evacuate the civilian population, the Gauleiter ordered the evacuation of all authorities and institutions whose participation in the defense of the fortress was not required to other areas of the Reich. Many students and teachers of educational institutions also left the city: the university, university clinics, technical school, botanical institute; museum institutions were also evacuated. Even the clergy were asked to leave the city.

Preparation

Brief chronicle of the siege of Breslau

January 1945

January 20th. Order from the Gauleiter's office that women and children urgently leave Breslau.

January 20-22. Columns of refugees stretch from Breslau towards the Silesian Mountains.

January 21 - "Black Sunday". Fearing a breakthrough of advanced Soviet tank units into the city, all bridges across the Oder are hastily mined and prepared for destruction. In the afternoon, an order from the Gauleiter's office that women with children should leave the city and go to Opperau or in the direction of Kant is broadcast through loudspeakers. During the flight to the west and southwest into the cold, many young children die (mass graves in South Park and near New Market).

January 22. The provincial authorities cease their activities and leave the city. The departments and teaching staff of the Technical University of Breslau are transferred to Dresden. The Evangelical Consistory moves its headquarters to Görlitz. Approximately 250 thousand residents remain in the city. Refugees are arriving from rural areas.

January 23. Wehrmacht units are stationed in the building of the mother's house " Betanin" The management of the institution orders that all medical personnel be placed on high alert. "In the territory east of Oppeln, and between Namslau and Jols, the Bolsheviks launched powerful counterattacks, supported by tanks".

January 24. “Opposite the Oder, between Kozel and Brig, the enemy onslaught intensified. Fierce fighting is taking place in this sector of the front, especially near Gleiwitz and Oppeln. In the combat area east of Breslau, decisive counterattacks launched by our forces were able to drive the Bolsheviks out of some areas.".

The 25th of January. The Gauleiter's office issues an order that all women, as well as men under 16 and over 60, must leave the city. Negotiations between Catholic and Evangelical clergy with the commandant of the fortress, Major General Krause (German: Johannes Krause): the commandant makes a request that the clergy provide assistance to the civilian population and care for the wounded in military hospitals.

“Advanced enemy units are approaching Breslau from the southeast. To the east of the city, all enemy attacks ended in failure.".

January 26. Red Army units outflank the Brig, after which they begin to create a bridgehead in Steinau.

“Between Kosel and Breslau, our forces were able to prevent numerous attempts by the Soviets to cross the Oder. The enemy is creating a defensive line east and northeast of Breslau.”.

January 27. “Yesterday the enemy made unsuccessful attempts to break through the Breslau defense line. Fierce fighting is taking place northwest of Breslau. In some sectors of the front the enemy is launching counterattacks.".

28 January. At 6 o'clock in the morning, on the orders of Gauleiter Hanke, the second burgomaster, Dr. Spielhaten. The population is frightened by posters announcing the execution.

“Our defense forces along the Oder, in which several Volkssturm units take part, prevented the further formation of an enemy bridgehead between Kosel and Glogau. Bloody battles are going on with varying degrees of success. Several Bolshevik attacks were repulsed. The enemy offensive on the “northern” front seemed unsuccessful; it was unable to break through our defense line in Breslau.”.

January 29. “Numerous Bolshevik attacks continue along the Oder between Kosel and Breslau. Several enemy bridgeheads have been eliminated or significantly reduced. Despite the courageous resistance in Steinau, the enemy was able to gain a foothold on the western bank of the Oder."

January 30. The team from the military school suffers heavy losses during the battles in the east of the city. An SS officer hands over to an evangelical priest Ernst Hornig order from Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler that all clergy must leave the city within 24 hours. Hornig declares it impossible to carry out this order.

“From the bridgehead in Olau, the enemy is trying to advance further to the west. In the Steinau area, our units defeated larger enemy forces and restored contact with the soldiers stubbornly defending in this place.".

January 31st. The Catholic priests meet with Gauleiter Hanke, who states that he knows nothing of Himmler's order and recommends that they seek clarification from the Gestapo.

“At Olau and on both sides of Steinau, during our counterattack, the Bolsheviks were intercepted as they tried to advance from their bridgehead near the Oder.”.

February 1945

“In the combat area of ​​​​Breslau - Liegnitz - Glogau, the Soviets threw large forces into battle. Despite the fierce resistance of our units, they were able to advance to the west.".

February 11-13. Soviet tank units strike on both sides of the highway in the direction of Kant. The encirclement of Breslau begins from the west. The railway connection with Breslau on the branch leading to Hirschberg was interrupted.

12th of February. “The battle for Lower Silesia is intensifying. West of Breslau, our forces, which launched a counterattack, were able to push back south to the Kant-Kostenbult area from the enemy, thereby preventing his unification with the enemy forces, which are located northwest of Breslau on the bridgehead in Brig..

February 13. “In Lower Silesia, our units launched a counterattack, thwarting the Soviet attempt to cut off the Breslau fortress from the main German forces. On a small section of the front southwest of the city, the enemy lost about 60 tanks in battle.". On the morning of February 13, the first closure of the encirclement around the city took place: the 7th Mechanized Corps of the 6th Army met with the advanced detachments of the 5th Guards Army in the Rotsurben area.

February 12-14. The ambulance train awaiting its departure at the Freiburg station cannot leave the city to head to Hirschberg.

The 14th of February. The Wehrmacht High Command reports that the encirclement of Soviet troops around Breslau has closed. It is still possible to deliver ammunition to the city from the southern direction and transport the wounded. Units of the 269th Infantry Division manage to break through the loose blockade ring from the inside, while the 19th Panzer Division was attacked towards them. the infantry division was largely withdrawn from the city. In the resulting breakthrough, a significant number of civilians manage to escape over the next two days.

February 14-16. Refugees from surrounding villages seek shelter in Breslau.

February, 15. Major General von Alphen announces the blockade of Breslau. Call to the civilian population: “You can’t lose your courage!” “Defensive lines have been re-erected in Lower Silesia. Near Breslau and Glogau, our units in a bloody struggle were able to repulse all the attacks of the Bolsheviks.".

February 16-17. The first Soviet propaganda leaflets were dropped on the city, addressed to both soldiers and civilians.

February 16. “Powerful enemy attacks southwest of Breslau and west of Bunzau, as well as on both sides of the Corral, were a complete failure.”.

February 17. A new attempt by Soviet troops to take the city from the south. The military hospital located in South Park is urgently evacuated. The chief doctor dies during the evacuation Gubrich.

18th of Febuary. “Fierce fighting is taking place on the southern and southwestern front of Breslau. The enemy is suffering heavy losses.".

February 19. “The Breslau garrison, well entrenched in the south and west, is successfully defending itself against a battle-weary enemy.”.

February 20th. “The defenders of Breslau were able to repulse enemy attacks on the southwestern and eastern fronts”.

February 21. The largest medical institution in Breslau, the All Saints Hospital, finds itself in the shelling zone, but continues its work.

February 24-25. Soviet troops reach the cuirassier barracks building. 25th anniversary of the adoption of the NSDAP party program. Hitler and Gauleiter Hanke exchange congratulatory radiograms. Air supply to Breslau begins with 18 aircraft.

February 23. “The enemy was able to penetrate to an insignificant depth from the south into certain quarters of Breslau”.

February 26. Red Army units occupy the Duerrgoy gas plant. Fierce street fighting in the southern quarters of the city ceases.

February 26. “The garrisons of Breslau and Glogau are engaged in fierce street fighting. The enemy failed to achieve any significant successes."

The flow of refugees from the southern districts of the city to the northern quarters or areas bordering the Oder.

March 1945

2nd of March. Transmission of a false message on the wave of German radio " The hour of your liberation has come!”. An attempt to misinform German soldiers and civilians. General Niehof is appointed as the successor to Major General von Alphen as commandant of the fortress. Von Alphen prepares to hand over matters.

March, 3rd. Radio message from Gauleiter Hanke. Enactment of Counter-Proliferation Order "enemy rumors".

March, 6. Destruction of neighborhoods near the Kaiser Bridge in order to build an “internal airfield” in the future.

March 7. Order of the fortress commandant General Niehof and Gauleiter Hanke: “Labor service for everyone”. Death penalties for non-compliance with this order.

March 8. Wehrmacht units, with the help of city councilor for construction issues Kurt Liebig, take measures regarding the city sewerage system.

General Niehof conveys in parts the message of Colonel General Schörner that he will release Breslau at all costs.

March 12. “The defenders of the Breslau fortress hold their positions in fierce street battles. In weeks-long battles, the enemy unsuccessfully tries to break into the southern part of the city. In the period from February 10 to 28, 41 enemy tanks and 239 enemy guns were destroyed in these battles. The enemy suffers huge losses, which amount to about 6,700 people killed.".

March 15th. Of the 55 aircraft with ammunition, only half manage to land at the airfield in Gandau. Supplying the city via the "air bridge" becomes difficult due to the effective measures of Soviet anti-aircraft artillery. Burials of the dead are carried out exclusively in mass graves.

“The Breslau fortress is successfully defended. The garrison repels attacks launched by the advancing enemy from the north and south.".

March 16. A powerful air raid on the Nikolaevsky suburb. The target is FAMO enterprises. During the bombing, the church in the name of St. Nicholas was destroyed.

March 19. “Breslau and Glogau are a role model for cooperation between the fighting units of the Wehrmacht, the Volkssturm and civilian structures, which makes it possible to successfully repel the enemy’s onslaught”.

March 22. Three large groups of residents are evacuated from the east to the north, to the Elbing area.

12th of April. “The Soviets continue to try to break through the defenses from the south and west with massive bombing. Local breakthroughs in positions are eliminated in fierce battles.".

April 13. Rumors spread in Breslau about the death of President Roosevelt.

14th of April. The emergence of new rumors about the possible release of the city. Hundreds of women are building the runway.

April 15. “The brave defenders of Breslau repelled all attacks launched on the fortress from the west”.

April 16. All girls and women between the ages of 16 and 35 must become "assistants of the Wehrmacht".

April 18th. Bombing and shelling of various areas of the city. Fights for the Odertor quarters. Soviet troops are trying to break through from west to north.

April 18-19. The Germans are fighting defensive battles in the western areas of the city. Soviet troops take control of the railway dam near Pöpelwitz station. During the offensive, 25 Soviet tanks were lost. The Germans are suffering heavy losses.

“The brave defenders of Breslau repelled the renewed attacks of the Russians on the southern and western fronts”.

April 20-22. Battles for the bunker at Striegauerplatz. At the last moment, a military hospital is removed from the bunker.

25th of April. Evacuation of residents from Striegauerplatz to other areas of the city. There is a clear shortage of housing.

April 29. Reports that Goering has been removed from command of the Luftwaffe forces for health reasons.

Rumors about the death of Hitler, Himmler's autocratic rule and possible negotiations with the Western powers.

May 1945

1st of May. Message about the death of Hitler, who supposedly fell "the death of the brave in the fight against Bolshevism." Order of the commandant of the fortress, General Niehof, in parts "I remain in charge of you".

May 3. Powerful artillery shelling of the city center. Meeting of Catholic and Evangelical clergy.

May 4th. Meeting of the clergy with General Niehof. An attempt by the Germans to send envoys to Soviet positions.

5 May. Resumption of bombing and artillery bombardment of Breslau.

Rumors spread that General Niehof refused to accept the terms of surrender presented by the Soviet side.

the 6th of May. Early morning flight of Gauleiter Hanke. Meeting of General Niehof with General Gluzdovsky.

Late in the evening, Soviet troops enter the city.

May 7. Disarmament of Wehrmacht units. Most of the German prisoners of war are sent to the camp in Hundsfeld.

9th May. Message from the Wehrmacht High Command about the fall of Breslau.

“The defenders of Breslau, who had been repelling Soviet attacks for more than two months, succumbed at the last moment to superior enemy forces.”.

May 10. Poles are beginning to actively move to Silesia and establish their own authorities. The Polish police carry out terror against German civilians [ ] .

Battle rating

Modern researchers identify the following reasons for the relatively successful defense of Breslau:

• Underestimation of the forces of the garrison by the Soviet command, whose strength at the beginning of the siege was estimated at only 18,000 people of low combat effectiveness, so initially relatively few troops were allocated to storm the city. In fact, initially the number of assault troops was less than the garrison. In addition, the 6th Army received very few reinforcements, including artillery and armored vehicles. As they were drawn into the fighting, the estimate of the size of the garrison increased first to 30,000, then to 45,000, but the Soviet command, before the capture of Berlin, could no longer ensure the transfer of sufficient reinforcements to Breslau.
• Improving German defense tactics, which were brought to perfection after the arrival of a new leader in Breslau. Good knowledge of the terrain, flexible maneuver of reserves to threatened areas, and competent use of artillery significantly slowed down the advance into the city center. A successful solution was to move the line of resistance inside the neighborhoods (the so-called “Niehof line”), which made it possible to reduce the effectiveness of the actions of the Soviet assault groups.
• The secondary importance of the Silesian direction for the Soviet High Command and the command of the 2nd Ukrainian Front, which were occupied by the Berlin direction. As a result, the 6th Army actually stormed the fortress on its own. In fact, the fall of Berlin predetermined the surrender of Breslau before the surrender of Germany, since the leadership of the garrison was clear that the troops released from Berlin would now dramatically change the balance of forces near Breslau, predetermining the rapid capture of the fortress.

Nevertheless, the stubborn defense of the city went down in the history of the final period of the war as the “miracle of Breslau.” ABOUT "The miracle of Breslau" began to be spoken in Germany back in 1945. After the war, a lot was written about this in German historiography. But almost not a word was devoted to this plot in Soviet historiography. At the same time, in Germany, under "the miracle of Breslau" many researchers meant something of their own. But almost all researchers relied on a few simple facts:

1. Firstly, for three months, poorly armed German troops managed to resist at least three times superior forces of the Red Army.
2. Secondly, the surrender of the city, which took place on May 6, 1945, was not the result of the capture of Breslau.
3. Thirdly, at the time of the surrender, German troops continued to control most of the city. Only a few areas in the south and west of Breslau were in the hands of the Red Army. At the same time, Wehrmacht units continued to hold the areas from Weida to the mouth of the Oder, and in the east to the Gunther Bridge.

The origins of the "Miracle of Breslau"

After the publication of excerpts from General Niehof's memoirs, a debate broke out in German society. The reason for it was an open letter from Professor Joachim Conrad, who was a resident of Breslau. In 1956, this letter was rewritten as the article “The End of Breslau.” I. Conrad noted that the “miracle of Breslau” was actually a tragedy. There was also criticism directed at General Niehof himself.

“After reading the reports of General Niehof, one may get the impression that the defense of Breslau was an exemplary strategic operation, when complete unity of army units and civilians was achieved to protect the city from the Russians. Perhaps the events that took place in the fortress looked exactly like these images from the headquarters. But this point of view is not true. General Niehof emphasizes that he allowed Gauleiter Hanke not to have the slightest influence on the course of military operations. But the civilian population has a different point of view.”

Results of the siege of Breslau

Gunter Grundmann's book on the history of Silesia stated:

“The surrender of the bloodless and almost completely destroyed fortress on Sunday, May 6, brought the remaining 100 thousand civilians in the city not the expected peace and tranquility, but looting, violence and new fires, in which the city castle of Frederick the Great, which survived the battles, burned down.” .

Perhaps there was some truth in these words, but the number of civilians who survived the siege was much larger. Hornig in his memoirs mentions at least 200 thousand inhabitants.

Losses

In the period from May 6 to May 11, the troops of the 6th Army captured 44,848 enemy soldiers and officers, including 6,678 wounded. The trophies included 46,608 rifles and machine guns, 4,864 machine guns, 559 guns, 534 mortars, 36 tanks, and about 7,000 vehicles of all types.

If we talk about the garrison of the fortress, which held Breslau for three months, it consisted of 35,000 Wehrmacht employees and 10 thousand conscripts into the Volkssturm. By the end of March, about 6 thousand wounded were transported from the city via the “air bridge”. In Breslau itself, about 5 thousand wounded remained (as of early May 1945). That is, the garrison lost about 11-12 thousand people wounded during the fighting.

If we talk about the number of dead soldiers, German sources put the figure at 6 thousand people. At the same time, the civilian population lost about 10,000 people killed and the same number wounded during the fighting.

The total losses of the Soviet army in the assault on Breslau were 7,177 killed and 24,427 wounded. . The losses of the rifle formations that directly stormed the fortress amounted to 2,727 killed, 37 missing and 8,758 wounded from March 1 to April 1, and from April 1 to May 1, 1945, they amounted to 3,037 killed and 10,741 wounded.

The commandant of the fortress, General Niehof himself, cited slightly different figures in his memoirs. In his opinion, about 50 thousand Wehrmacht and Volkssturm soldiers took part in the defense of Breslau, of whom 6 thousand were killed and another 29 thousand were wounded. That is, the total losses of the German garrison amounted to 29 thousand people, which leaves about 58% of the total number of the German group. If this figure is correct, then this is a very large proportion of military casualties. He estimated civilian casualties at 80 thousand people. When Niehof talks about Soviet losses, he bases himself on the figure of 30-40 thousand killed, citing Soviet sources that he does not name.

In any case, Breslau managed to pin down the actions of about 12 Soviet divisions, seven of which were on the front line, and another 5 were used as operational reserves.

The question of the need for battles

In historical literature the question is quite rightly asked: Was the defense of Breslau necessary and did it make sense for German units to hold the city for such a long period?

It seems quite logical to refer to the conclusions of the historian of the Second World War, General Kurt von Tippelskirch. He's in his "Stories of the Second World War" expressed the idea that for Germany the war was finally lost when, under the onslaught of superior forces of the Red Army, the German front along the Vistula collapsed in 1945, that is, in January and February. At this point, the fighting for Breslau could pin down the advancing Soviet divisions, which, in turn, could allow the German command to create a new front line that would stretch from Lower Silesia to the Sudeten foothills.

In addition, the defense of the fortress was justified from the point of view that it made it possible to ensure the retreat of columns of refugees to the Silesian Mountains or westward to Saxony and Thuringia. But in fact, these tactical tasks exhaust the need for the defense of Breslau at Tippelskirch.

By the beginning of April, the Red Army was able to achieve all the tasks assigned to it, despite the fact that Breslau continued to constrain the actions of several Soviet divisions. After February 1945, the defense of Breslau made no strategic sense.

The most logical date for the surrender of Breslau should have been the time of relative stabilization of the Sudeten Front. That is, the city could be surrendered to Soviet troops without any damage to the Wehrmacht in the second half of February, or at the latest in early March. But this time was marked by only one change: General Alfen was replaced as commandant of the fortress by General Niehof. And it was from this period that the defense of Breslau entered a new phase, which entailed enormous losses in manpower. By and large, after this date the battles for Breslau lost all meaning. It can be assumed that even the Wehrmacht High Command itself did not expect that the city would be able to withstand the Soviet onslaught for so long. But nevertheless, despite all the considerations expressed, Tippelskirch proclaimed the defense of Breslau "one of the most glorious pages in the history of the German people". This circumstance, after the war, allowed Ernst Hornig to talk about “the meaning and meaninglessness of city defense”.

On the morning of February 8, after a 50-minute artillery preparation, the troops of the right wing of the 1st Ukrainian Front began the Lower Silesian offensive operation. By February 15, 1945, Soviet troops surrounded the city of Breslau, which the German command turned into a fortified area. The assault on this fortress continued until May 6, 1945, when, in front of the troops of the 6th Army, Lieutenant General V.A. Gluzdovsky capitulated the last parts of the German garrison.

In the city of Breslau, according to Soviet military intelligence, the following enemy group was surrounded: units of the 20th Panzer Division. 236th brigade of assault guns, combined tank special company "Breslau". artillery and anti-aircraft units, as well as 38 Volkssturm battalions. According to the testimony of prisoners in the first line of defense, the enemy had: 25,710 people. 1443 machine guns, 1885 faust cartridges, 101 mortars. 68 guns of various calibers, about 20 tanks and self-propelled guns. In total, 30,980 people defended the city with the support of 1,645 machine guns, 2,335 faust cartridges, and 174 mortars. 124 guns of various calibers, 50 tanks and self-propelled guns.
The main enemy forces were in the southern and western parts of the city, since the southeastern, eastern and northern sides of the city of Breslau had natural barriers inaccessible to tanks: the Weide River, the canals of the Oder River, the Ole River with wide floodplains. The northern side was a swampy area or sticky soil, which prevented Soviet tanks from massively attacking the suburbs of Breslau from this direction.

T-34-85 tanks on the approaches to Breslau. 226th separate tank regiment of Colonel Korobeinikov. Upper Silesia, February 1945. The assault on the city of Breslau by the Red Army in 1945.

The above advantages were used by the Germans to create a strong defense, especially in anti-tank terms. Stone buildings, gardens and parks made it possible to secretly deploy fire weapons and provide good camouflage from ground and air surveillance. The enemy blocked the roads in advance with ditches and barricades, mined possible passages, created rubble and kept them under artillery fire. Streets and alleys allowed the use of tanks and self-propelled guns only in a decentralized manner, in groups of 2-3 vehicles, which could hardly maneuver in narrow blocks. On the other hand, Breslau and its suburbs had a good network of excellent roads, which allowed the city’s defense command to transfer German tanks and self-propelled guns from one “problem” area to another. The enemy's armored vehicles were in the reserve of the garrison commandant and in small groups (1-2 tanks, 1-3 self-propelled guns) operated in more active sectors of the defense, supporting the infantry with fire.
Be that as it may, the 6th Army of the Soviet troops had to take the city. It was not 1941 or even 1942 outside. A powerful army of experienced veterans, who knew how to competently destroy the troops of the “thousand-year Reich,” advanced across Germany. Preparations began for a systematic assault on the city.

A Soviet artillery division of 152-mm cannons under the command of Major Murzin fires at the Germans. The assault on the city of Breslau by the Red Army in 1945.

On February 18, the 349th Red Banner Guards Heavy Self-Propelled Artillery Regiment (8 ISU-152) arrived in 6A. Each regiment from the rifle divisions of the 6th Army allocated an assault group (combined battalion) for combat operations in the city. In addition, assault battalions of engineer brigades were involved in fighting in the city (in Breslau - the 62nd separate engineer brigade), whose fighters and commanders (1st and 2nd battalions of each brigade) were specially trained for fighting in the city and the capture of powerful long-term enemy fortifications. The personnel of these units had protective metal armor, ROKS flamethrowers, portable machines for launching PC shells and captured faust cartridges, and most importantly, they were well acquainted with the skills of demolition.
The combat operations of the assault groups took place from February 18 to May 1, 1945 (April 30, waiting for the end of the war, Soviet troops went on the defensive) mainly in the southern and western parts of the city of Breslau.
The offensive proceeded unevenly: it was either active or died out for a certain period - the troops regrouped, were replenished with manpower, ammunition and struck in a new direction, storming block by block
The first battles for the capture of the city began in the southern part of Breslau on the night of February 22, 1945. After artillery preparation, the regiment went out battery by battery to accompany the assault groups in their attack on German positions and immediately met stubborn resistance.

Destroyed German 150 mm gun. South of Breslau. The assault on the city of Breslau by the Red Army in 1945.

When accompanying assault groups, self-propelled guns moved 100-150 m behind the main core of the group along the streets from south to north, at the request of the infantry, destroying enemy shadow points that impeded the advance of the infantry. As a rule, self-propelled guns moved at some distance from each other, clinging to the walls of houses, which provided fire support and assistance to each other.
A tactical confrontation quickly began between the opponents. As you know, the Germans are strong in the strict implementation of complex plans and schemes, while the Russians are distinguished by high creativity and unconventional thinking.
Soviet sappers began to actively use directed explosions, using water supply manhole covers as reflectors. Then flamethrowers directed their fiery jets into the punched holes in the barricades and walls of houses. So that the miners could act calmly, the crews of self-propelled guns continuously fired harassing or aimed fire at the upper floors of the buildings, one by one “jumping out” to the firing position. The vehicles located in the shelter were monitoring their partner in readiness to support him with fire. Unfortunately, serious mistakes were also made. Failure to implement the elementary fundamentals of the above urban combat tactics resulted in the loss of two ISU-152s at once (02/22/1945), which in pairs broke ahead of the infantry and were hit by enemy "faustniks".

Sappers from the 55th engineer brigade (Colonel Efremenko) are building a bridge across the Oder River. February 1945, south of Breslau. The assault on the city of Breslau by the Red Army in 1945.

In early March, the 222nd Red Banner Separate Order of Kutuzov, 3rd Class Tank Regiment, consisting of: 5 T-34s, arrived as part of the BT and MB of the 6th Army. 2 IS-2. 1 ISU-122 and 4 SU-122, as well as the 87th Red Banner Guards Order of Suvorov 3rd class heavy tank regiment with 11 combat-ready IS-2s. It became easier to “breathe”, the fighting resumed with renewed vigor.
As before, tanks and self-propelled guns moved behind the assault groups at a distance of 20-30 m, serving as mobile firing points.
At first, the infantry line was indicated, as a rule, by a green or white rocket, the direction of fire for tanks and self-propelled guns was indicated by a red rocket. However, based on the experience of the six-month battles at the beginning of March, the following signal began to be used - the commanders established that the tank or self-propelled gun would fire, for example, 5 shots at the attacked object, the last one, that is, the 5th shot, would be the signal for the infantry to launch an attack. The assault group, taking advantage of the moment when the object was shrouded in smoke and dust from the explosion of shells, and the enemy was in shelters and was not firing, burst into the house and destroyed the surviving enemy soldiers and officers. This method was successfully carried out by the 87th Guards Tank Regiment, which, in cooperation with the infantry, occupied four houses in one throw.

Unloading boxes of shells in the artillery division of Major Murzin. February 1945. The assault on the city of Breslau by the Red Army in 1945.

The destruction of buildings and other structures was carried out using direct fire.
To avoid unnecessary losses, tanks and self-propelled guns changed their firing positions only when all buildings, floors, basements and attics were “cleared” by our infantry from the enemy’s “faustniks”. Firing positions were also changed in order to deprive the enemy of the opportunity to fire their guns at our tanks and self-propelled guns and proceed to defeat.
As soon as the assault groups and our armored vehicles supporting them advanced to the intersection of streets, they immediately destroyed the firing points of the corner buildings, which immediately disrupted the enemy’s fire system and made it possible, under the cover of fire and smoke, to break into houses and clear them of the enemy.
During battles on the streets of Breslau, tanks and self-propelled guns often served as battering rams, making passages in fences and barricades. With the fire of their cannons, our armored vehicles destroyed the strong brick walls of houses and fences, allowing infantrymen and artillerymen to infiltrate the attacked objects and conduct close combat with the enemy.
In the best Russian traditions, our tank crews invented an original way of removing rubble and barricades using river anchors. The tank and self-propelled guns, complete with a requisitioned cable with an anchor, approached the rubble under the cover of another combat vehicle or artillery gun.
The sappers hooked the anchor to the logs or beams of the blockage, the tank backed up and pulled the barricade apart. The anchor was returning to its place, to the borg of the combat vehicle.

An anti-tank artillery unit on the march. Lend-Lease Dodges towing Soviet 57-mm guns

In some cases, a tank landing was also used - a tank or self-propelled gun fired at the target intended for capture, another tank with a landing party, under the cover of fire from the first tank or self-propelled gun, rushed at high speed towards the intended target and stopped at the window or door of the entrance. The landing force penetrated the building and began close combat, and the combat vehicle retreated to its original positions and supported the infantry with distracting fire.
349 Guards Tsap (which received reinforcements - it included 29 ISU-152) operated on the flanks of the strike group of the 6th Army, mainly on the right, but did not win any special laurels. For the entire March, there was little success only in the center, where our assault groups managed to advance from Hindenburg Square in a northern direction by four blocks, in other areas by 1-2 blocks. The fighting was stubborn and fierce. The enemy, despite heavy losses, stubbornly defended every house, floor, and basement.
222nd Regiment had greater success, fighting west of Hindenburg Square and then eliminating the German bridgehead across the Loz River.
87 Guards The TTP fought north of Breslau in March. in a rather marshy area. Our sappers could not quickly clear all the rubble made by the Germans, and an attempt to launch heavy IS-2s off the roads led to jams and heavy losses. After the failure of our tankers, no more active operations were carried out in the northern part of the city.

Commander of the artillery battalion of 152-mm howitzer guns, Major Murzin. The assault on the city of Breslau by the Red Army in 1945.

As a result of month-long battles, the armored and self-propelled artillery units of the 6th Army inflicted the following losses on the enemy: 2 tanks were destroyed, 36 guns of various calibers, 22 mortars, 82 heavy machine guns, 210 light machine guns, 7 bunkers and bunkers, enemy soldiers and officers - 3750 people. Captured: 3 guns, 6 mortars, 5 heavy machine guns, 3 motorcycles, 52 bicycles. 123 people were captured.
During the month of fighting, the tank and self-propelled units that were part of the 6th Army suffered the following losses. The enemy burned 5 IS-2, 6 T-34, 3 SU-122, and one ISU-152 tanks. 3 ISU-152s and 7 IS-2s were shot down. Mines hit: 4 T-34s and 2 SU-122s. The total loss of materiel was: 3 ISU-152. 13 IS-2.6 T-34. 3 SU-122. as well as 154 killed and wounded personnel.
In April 1945, active hostilities took place in the southern and western parts of the city of Breslau.
On April 6, by decision of the commander of the 22nd Rifle Corps, Major General F.V. Zakharov, 6 ISU-152s were deployed to provide fire support for the 1st Battalion of the 97th Infantry Regiment of the 273rd Infantry Division, which was supposed to launch a surprise attack on the southern and the southwestern outskirts of Ottwitz and the eastern outskirts of the village of Neuhaus.
The terrain in front of the enemy was open, and very poor camouflage and slowness in concentrating forces allowed the enemy to bring up reserves. In addition to all the troubles, our self-propelled guns could only advance along one road. Therefore, at first only 2 ISU-152 were able to enter the battle. the rest fired from the spot. Only on April 12 was enemy resistance in this area broken.

German captured soldiers captured at the Oder bridgehead. February 1945. The assault on the city of Breslau by the Red Army in 1945.

The next offensive in the southern sector began only on April 25, 1945. 6 ISU-152s supported the advance of the 112th Infantry Division with direct fire from open positions. This battle lasted until April 30, when our troops went on the defensive.
In general, during the month of April, the main battles took place in the western part of the city of Breslau. therefore, all tank and self-propelled regiments were subordinate to the commander of the 74th sk, Major General A.B. Vorozhishchev. The 222nd regiment acted together with the 359th infantry regiment until April 8, then was transferred to reserve, and from April 23 supported the infantry of the 181st and 135th infantry divisions.
349 Guards Tsap on the night of April 13-14, consisting of 15 ISU-152, having completed the march, was distributed among the rifle divisions in the following composition: 5 ISU-152 - 309 infantry division, 5 ISU-152 - 359 infantry division, 4 ISU-152 - 218 infantry division . On April 18, after three hours of training, self-propelled guns with armored troops went on the offensive with the task of supporting the fighters on the western bank of the Oder River with fire. Three days later the task was completed.
In further battles until April 30, 1945, batteries of our self-propelled guns from the 349th self-propelled artillery regiment acted as mobile infantry escort firing points.
The 87th Guards Heavy Tank Regiment, consisting of 5 IS-2 tanks, supported the infantry of the 112th and 359th infantry divisions from April 1 to 7. During 7 days of fighting, our troops advanced only a few blocks. More active actions 87 Guards. did not drive gtr.
On April 3, 1945, by order of the commander of the 1st Ukrainian Front, the 374th Guards Heavy Self-Propelled Artillery Regiment was transferred to the operational subordination of the 6th Army with the task, in cooperation with the 294th Infantry Division, to reach the right bank of the Oder River. By April 15, despite strong enemy resistance, the task was completed, but only partially. Since April 18, the regiment performed the same task, supporting only the assault units of the 112th Rifle Division.
It was planned that one battery with a landing party of 50 people would overtake the main formations of the 112th Infantry Division and the 374th TsAP, reach the western bank of the Oder River, capture it and hold it until the main forces of our infantry arrived.
The three-hour preparation ended only at 10.00 (18.04.45), but the attack began only at 11.00, because the passages for the self-propelled guns through the railway embankment were not completed. However, with the start of the attack, the batteries, breaking through the enemy’s defenses, entered the shooting range area.
The landing party of 50 people was partially destroyed, and the remnants, in order not to be shot, jumped over the embankment.
The rest of the infantry from the 112th Rifle Division (battalion), which participated in the attack, lay behind the embankment and did not support the self-propelled guns. Meanwhile, the German "Faustniks" burned 13 ISU-152 out of 15. The two surviving self-propelled guns took up ambush positions on the eastern edge of Eichenpark with the task of guarding the railway bridge.
From April 23 to April 26, 374 Guards. A tsap consisting of three ISU-152s accompanied the 135th Infantry Division with fire and achieved the capture of several blocks.
On April 30, all Soviet troops, including tank units, went on the defensive, awaiting the general surrender of the German army. On May 6, the German garrison in Breslau capitulated.
In total, the following formations and units of the 6th Army took part in the assault on the city: 22 sk (273. 112, 181, 135 sd), 74 sk (294. 359. 309, 218 sd), 77 UR, 87 dept. Guards TTP, 222 dept. TP, 349 Guards. tsap. 374 Guards tsap. 31 adp (187 labr. 191 gabr. 194 tgabr. 164 gabr BM, 38 guards minbr, 35 minbr, 52 tminbr). 3rd Guards mind (15 Guards Minbr, 18 Guards Minbr, 32 Guards Minbr), 25 Gabr BM, 3 adp, 159 apabr, 71 zenad. 62 dept. isbr.
The article was compiled based on documents from the field department of the 6th Army (TsAMO. f. 334, op. 5288. d. 67, 68).

Soldiers from the 55th Assault Engineer Brigade after the battle. The assault on the city of Breslau by the Red Army in 1945.

Russian military engineers inspect a self-propelled gun abandoned by the Germans."

Fighting on the streets of Breslau. The crew of a 122-mm howitzer fires at German fortifications. The assault on the city of Breslau by the Red Army in 1945.

Soviet assault groups are fighting on the streets of Breslau. The assault on the city of Breslau by the Red Army in 1945.

Soviet assault groups from the 6th Army are fighting their way to the center of Breslau. The assault on the city of Breslau by the Red Army in 1945.

Burning neighborhoods of the surrounded city of Breslau. The assault on the city of Breslau by the Red Army in 1945.

A mortar crew fires at German positions. Crew: junior sergeant Shugov, senior sergeant Vorobiev and sergeant Nikitin. The assault on the city of Breslau by the Red Army in 1945.

German cars destroyed by Soviet artillery. The assault on the city of Breslau by the Red Army in 1945.

Destroyed German cars. The assault on the city of Breslau by the Red Army in 1945.

Between battles, mortar guards lined up on the streets of Breslau to receive orders on the 27th anniversary of the Red Army. The assault on the city of Breslau by the Red Army in 1945.

On February 23, the commander of the Katyusha rocket mortar regiment, Major Kabulnikov, gathered the best officers and soldiers of the Red Army for a small celebration. February 1945. The assault on the city of Breslau by the Red Army in 1945.

The results of the work of Soviet sappers. The unit commander is Major Atamas. The assault on the city of Breslau by the Red Army in 1945.

The command post of the sapper unit was located in the surviving room of the destroyed house. The commander of the 62nd engineer brigade, Colonel Pukhtin sets a combat mission. The assault on the city of Breslau by the Red Army in 1945.

MYTHS LEGENDS HISTORY
Poland. Lower Silesia. Legnica Northern Group of Forces 1945 – 1993

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Fortress city of Breslau, Germany 1945

Special information. Cemetery of Soviet soldiers in Wroclaw, Skowronia Góra

“I will go to the cemetery and light a candle, because Soviet soldiers fought for the right cause, including ours. Everything must be done to reconcile Poles and Russians. Especially now, when the Russians are in solidarity with us in the tragedy, but at the same time the voices of those who want to quarrel us are heard” - Andrzej Wajda. Poland

Fortress Breslau – 1945. One day after Breslau's surrender
the streets were littered with corpses.

Siege and assault on the Breslau fortress

The battle for Breslau (fortress city) was fought between the troops of the German Army Group Center under the command of Ferdinand Schörner and units of the 1st Ukrainian Front under the command of Marshal Konev. At the same time, on both sides of the front confronted the 17th German Army (under the command of Friedrich Schultz, and later Wilhelm Hase) and the Soviet 3rd Guards Tank (under the command of Pavel Rybalko) and the 6th Army (under the command of General V. Gluzdovsky). Breslau was defended only by the remnants of the 269th Infantry Division, which had long been no longer a full-fledged division, but consisted only of combat groups. Result: Surrender of the German garrison.
The Breslau fortress had a combat-ready reserve of at least 45,000 people, consisting of much less combat-ready Volkssturm soldiers, specialists from military factories and enterprises, as well as members of National Socialist structures and organizations fit for military service. The more combat-ready units included units of the Wehrmacht (mainly vacationers from the front and soldiers of reserve companies) and SS troops.
The commandants of the Breslau fortress garrison were Major General Hans von Alphen (from November 3, 1944 to March 7, 1945) and Infantry General Hermann Niehof (until the surrender on May 6). Political power in the fortress was exercised by Gauleiter Karl Hanke, who was endowed with high official powers and was the commander of the Volkssturm units stationed in Breslau.

In Roclaw - (Polish Wroclaw), the old Russian name is Breslavl; German Breslau; strength Wroclow; sil.-German Brassel; lat. Vratislavia, Wratislavia) is the historical capital of Silesia, a city with the rights of a powiat, one of the largest (the fourth most populous in Poland after Warsaw, Lodz and Krakow) and oldest cities in Poland, located on both banks of the middle Odra, in the Silesian Lowland. Population – 633 thousand people. (according to 2010 data).
5 rivers flow through the city: the Odra and 4 of its tributaries. Before the Second World War, there were 303 bridges in the city, now there are about 220 of them. Currently, Wroclaw is the capital of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship, and the center of the Wroclaw County, which also includes 9 communes: Czernica, Długoleka, Jordanów Śląski, Konty Wrocławskie, Kobierzyce, Metkow, Sobutka, Siechnice, Zhurawina. Wroclaw consists of six districts: Pse Pole, Szczrudmieszcze, Stare Miasto, Krzyki, Fabryczna and Biskupin.
European Capital of Culture 2016. The city hosted the European Football Championship Euro 2012. The World Games 2017 will be held.

The composition of the Red Army units that took part in the siege and storming of the fortress

Red Army units lost 162 tanks in the first two weeks
and self-propelled guns, mostly destroyed on city streets...

22nd Rifle Corps (22 sk), consisting of:

112 “Rylsko-Korosten” Rifle Division (112 Infantry Division)
135 "Krakow" Rifle Division (135 Infantry Division)
181 "Stalingrad" Rifle Division (181st Infantry Division)
273 "Bezhitskaya" Infantry Division (273 Infantry Division)

74th Rifle Corps (74 sk), consisting of:

218 "Romodano-Kyiv" Rifle Division (218 Infantry Division)
294 "Cherkasy" Rifle Division (294 Infantry Division)
309 "Piryatinskaya" Rifle Division (309 Infantry Division)
359 "Yartsevskaya" Rifle Division (359 Infantry Division)

Flamethrower parts:

322 Separate flamethrower battalion (22 special units)
325 Separate flamethrower battalion (25 general units)
337 Separate battalion of backpack flamethrowers (37 units)
346 Separate battalion of backpack flamethrowers (46 units)
347 “Keletsky” Separate battalion of backpack flamethrowers (47 units)

Engineering units:

362 “Nikopolskaya” Separate engineer-sapper brigade (62nd brigade)
3240 "Kievsko-Keletsky" Engineer Battalion (240 ISB (53 ISB))
334 Separate battalion of electric barriers (34 obez)

Tank units, consisting of:

387 “Bobruisk” Separate Guards Heavy Tank Regiment (87 Guards Tank Regiment)
3222 "Ropshinsky" Separate tank regiment (222 detachment)
3349 "Lvov" Guards heavy self-propelled artillery regiment (349 Guards TsAP)
3374 "Ostropolsky" Guards heavy self-propelled artillery regiment (374 Guards TsAP)

The list does not include artillery, air defense and RGK artillery units.

Fortress Breslau – 1945, Germany. Gauleiter Karl Hanke.

Special information. Fighting for Wroclaw

As part of the Lower Silesian offensive operation, the battles for Wroclaw, in 1945 it was called Breslau and was the capital of Lower Saxony, were very difficult for the Red Army. Fortifications around the city had been built since 1943, and in the fall of 1944, direct preparations for the all-round defense of Breslau began, since the Nazis did not intend to surrender the city. Hitler planned to turn Breslau into the German “Stalingrad” in order to delay the Red Army on the borders of the Reich, and Breslau was solemnly proclaimed a “fortress”!
It so happened that until the winter of 1944, Breslau was almost never exposed to Allied air strikes and was considered a reliable “bomb shelter of the Reich.” Numerous industrial enterprises continued to operate there. producing military products, administrative institutions of the Reich were evacuated there from other parts of Germany. The soul of Breslau's defense was the energetic Gauleiter Hanke. Suffice it to say that it was he who was appointed by Hitler as Reichsfbrehrer of the SS after his removal of Himmler.
When preparing the defense of Breslau, the Germans took into account the experience of previous urban battles and battles. The main emphasis was placed on preventing tank landings from breaking through into the city with the subsequent dismemberment of the defense into isolated sectors. The Breslau garrison numbered about 100 thousand people and was well armed and equipped, including with various anti-tank weapons. Hanke not only maintained discipline in the fortress, but also successfully convinced the garrison that the German reserve units would soon come to the rescue. Breslau was defended by fully combat-ready units of the Wehrmacht ground forces, and not by children and old people from the Hitler Youth and Volkssturm, as was later claimed.
The first offensive of units of the 1st Ukrainian Front, which began on February 16, 1945, did not end as expected with the quick capture of the city, but instead bloody battles began.

So, in the first two weeks, Red Army units lost 162 tanks and self-propelled guns, mostly destroyed on city streets, and about 4 thousand Red Army soldiers (in total, about 200 Soviet tanks and self-propelled guns were knocked out by the Germans during the assault).
The Nazis even managed to transport several battalions of reinforcements by air to the encircled Breslau before the airfield was bombed by Soviet aircraft. After the failure of the assault "on the move", the Soviet command organized assault groups, which included not only tanks and infantry, but also sappers with mines and flamethrowers. The fighters actively used captured Faust cartridges. The city itself was divided into sectors, after which systematic combat work began to clear Breslau with the support of attack aircraft and heavy artillery.

Winter chaos in the streets of Breslau in 1945
Cows and people trying to flee west.

Notes from the Colonel's Memoirs

17.02.45 - Zabshau, castle. Breslau is surrounded. We are on the southwestern outskirts. Everyone in the city from 15 to 60 years old is armed. They resist to the death. When will the allies budge?

18.02.45 – Klötendorf, suburb of Breslau. Breslau is protected from young to old. Our soldiers take revenge mercilessly. An order was given: not to shoot prisoners and civilians, but it doesn’t help. We need to take urgent action, we must not become barbarians.

27.02.45 – Krittern, suburb of Breslau. We gnaw around the block like toothless nuts. Big losses, especially among the command staff. There are not enough shells. The resistance is fierce.

11.03.45 – Breslau, southern part, quarter. 665. Things are bad. The losses were heavy, and only 1/4 of the city was taken. Time plays into the pr-ka's hands. And he snaps. So he knocked and chopped off Striegau. What the hell, it will hit Breslau - help out. The city is destroyed to smithereens.

15.03.45 – Breslau, block 665, Kleinburg street. Depression with great losses in people. In my fourth year I learned what war is like in big cities. Budapest and Breslau are shining examples for our statutes, which will still be written after the war. The destruction is staggering. In the West, the Allies are still “expanding” bridgeheads and outlying fortifications. Obviously, the operational pause will last at least a month. But Hitler foreshadows a “decisive turning point,” and he still has many fools who listen and believe... I received a postcard from my daughter.

27.03.45 – Breslau, Hohenzollern street. No success. Reasons: there is little infantry, there is no interaction with aviation, no artillery can take basements, and there is no way to use it in street battles. The Germans are strong with faustpatrons and cellars. They stand to death. It seems that the allies have begun to move. Went 2 and 3 Ukrainian. fronts. In the regions of Koenigsberg and Danzig there are hopes to finish the matter soon (two fronts would be freed at once). Almost 2 months have passed since 01/31/45—my crossing of the German border in the region of the village of Elgut-Rippin. There was an unbearable desire to end the war as soon as possible. I want it because I saw the end of all this.

10.04.45 – Brokkau, a suburb of Breslau. I’ll tell posterity how we took Breslau, how we fought with the Volkssturm: until you blow up a basement, an apartment, an entrance or an entire house, these Volkssturm fight to the death. And behind them, behind them, “es-es.” But hurray! Koenigsberg fell.

19.04.45 - Breslau. The 1st Belorussian and 1st Ukrainian began their offensive. Between these fronts and the Allied fronts there remained a gap of no more than 100 km. They will connect soon. How will this affect the overall situation? Will Berlin seriously resist? Will the war end soon? I can't believe it. What then? Japanese? If only I could take a break for a year or two, see my family, live with my little wife... But we got along with Breslava. And God knows how difficult it was that brought us here! We do not have sufficient forces for a decisive assault. Stalwart infantry with Faustpatrons in such a large city is irresistible...

23.04.45 – Criterne, 10:15 p.m. The radio has just announced something that has long been the property of us, the bosses: a) a breakthrough of the front of the avenue on the river. Neisse, exit to the Elbe north-west. Dresden; b) our troops broke into Berlin from the south. Until now, nothing has been heard about Zhukov, but he is also in Berlin. The denouement is approaching. The radio announced that an important message would be broadcast at 23:15. Perhaps a repetition of the breakthrough of the 1st Ukrainian Army. front. Or maybe about Zhukov? (I hear our anti-aircraft guns barking: German transport workers are throwing ammunition to the surrounded garrison, and our little ones are “spitting” at them.) No... This is about the 4th Ukrainian. front: his troops captured the territory. Czechosl. mountains Opava. And that's money. "The indestructible union of free republics!.."

From Colonel Chichin's letter home: “My dear, dear daughters! The war with Nazi Germany ended in our complete victory. And the first people I want to greet these days are you, my family. I warmly congratulate you on Victory Day, now we are happier than ever! Fate has preserved me, I am destined to continue to live - for my family and my Motherland, to whom my humble life belongs. Be healthy, dear ones, and see you soon! Your dad, son and husband. Breslau, 9.05.45".
- “A warrior and a dreamer,” “a philosopher in uniform” (as he calls himself in his notes), he wrote surprisingly tender letters to his family. But even the most touching of them were written by a professional soldier.

Fortress Breslau – 1945. The defenders of Festung Breslau
included teenagers from Hitlerjugend.

The German garrison capitulated on May 6, 1945 after the fall of Berlin, two days after Gauleiter Hanke left the city on a plane (he obviously intimidated everyone). Colonel Chikin, a participant in the assault, described the surrender of Breslau as follows: “Yesterday, I, Major Yakhyaev and translator Lebedev went to the fortress with authority on the issue of unconditional surrender. We went twice. I was in charge. The first time I brought with me the commandant of the fortress, Infantry General von Nygoff, the second once - he brought the entire headquarters of the fortress to our location (about 40 people with adjutants and orderlies). For the first time in my life I played the role of envoy. There was something to fear - it seemed that the Germans were ready to tear us to pieces. But I behaved worthy of a winner (although I squinted my eyes in all four sides). And - a wonderful story! We, three Russian officers, are leading a dozen and a half vehicles with officers from the fortress headquarters through the enemy’s battle formations, through the front line, like prisoners, to our side. And at this time, columns of German troops are forming, to lay down your arms."
During the battles for Breslau, the Germans lost about 7 thousand military personnel killed, the irretrievable losses of the Red Army amounted to about 9 thousand people, and high losses were among the Soviet officers. The city itself was half destroyed, the civilian casualties amounted to about 80 thousand people, including the Volkssturm and Hitler Youth units that participated in the defense.
The large losses among civilians were explained by the fact that Hanke prohibited the evacuation of civilians from Breslau before the approach of the Red Army, in order to prevent panic, when the city was encircled, there was nowhere to run...

Sources: Heroes of the Fatherland. Moscow, 2004., Heroes of the Soviet Union. Brief biographical dictionary. T.2. M., 1988. Rumyantsev.N.M. People of legendary feat. Saratov, 1968., Notes from the memoirs of Colonel Chichin.

Sections and links: Cemetery of Soviet soldiers in Wroclaw, Skowroniej Gora (Polish: Cmentarz Zolnierzy Radzieckich na Skowroniej Gorze) is a cemetery in Wroclaw where about 7.5 thousand Red Army soldiers are buried, who died in 1945 during the storming of the fortress city. In old documents, the cemetery is located at the address: “Poland, Wroclaw Voivodeship, Wroclaw, Krzyki district, st. Chervona's Army." The cemetery was founded in 1945 as one of eight temporary burial sites for fallen soldiers. Later, in 1947–1948, remains from other seven similar temporary cemeteries were transferred here. The cemetery consists of four fields, divided into 30 smaller ones. The cemetery for Soviet officers is located in another part of the city.

Cemetery of Soviet soldiers in Wroclaw. Cmentarz Zolnierzy Radzieckich na Skowroniej Gorze,
Location of the Skowronia Góra cemetery on the map of Wroclaw,
Photos of the Skowronia Góra cemetery in Wroclaw (Russian),
Photos of the Skowronia Góra cemetery in Wroclaw (Polish).

MyLegnica © Travel notes about Poland, guidebook, reviews, travel, attractions, architecture, monuments
Poland. Cemetery of Soviet soldiers in Wroclaw. Grade:
Elen UKOLOVA. Russian, Moscow

Cemetery of Soviet soldiers in Legnica – Polska. Legnica ul. Wroclawska
Military topographic map of the Republic of Poland 1:50000. Download a set of maps 1975-1989 of the General Staff of the Polish People's Army

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Wroclaw (Poland) - the most detailed information about the city with photos. The main attractions of Wroclaw with descriptions, guides and maps.

City of Wroclaw (Poland)

Maps of Wroclaw with interesting routes and attractions

We will tell you about the most interesting tourist routes of the city with marks on the map.

Embankment of the Odra River

Embankment of the Odra River

A route along the Odra embankment, during which you can enjoy the architecture of Wroclaw, parks, bridges.

Old Wroclaw

The most ancient places in Wroclaw can be seen along the route below.

Sights of Wroclaw

Tumsky Island

Ostrom Tumski is the oldest part of Wroclaw. A unique ancient place, whose history began in the 14th century. On the way to the center of the island and its dominant feature - the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, you can admire the ancient buildings in the Renaissance style, the Church of St. Bartholomew (Holy Cross), palaces of bishops.

Cathedral of St. John the Baptist is a magnificent masterpiece of Gothic architecture and one of the largest churches in Silesia. The history of the temple began 10 centuries ago. The cathedral suffered destruction after fires and wars, but each time it was restored in a form no worse than before. Inside the cathedral you can admire ancient frescoes and sculptures. Climbing the cathedral tower you can enjoy a magnificent panorama of Old Wroclaw. Near the cathedral there is a Gothic sarcophagus chapel, ancient towers, and a small old church.

If you like museums, then you can visit the Archbishop's Museum, which contains several interesting exhibitions such as Etruscan jewelry, Egyptian mummy, and Greek amphorae.

Then you can cross the Tumsky Bridge to the small ancient island of Sand.

Here you can look at the old Gothic church built 600 years ago, a mill, and a university library. After crossing the bridge over the Odra, you can go along Boulevard X. Dunikowskiego through the park to the observation deck of the former defensive bastion. From here a beautiful panorama of Tumsky Island opens.

A little further away is Gondol Bay, where you can rent a boat and go on a trip around the Odra. Also here are the remains of the old moat, the Racławice Panorama - a panorama painting depicting the Battle of Racławice during the Polish national liberation uprising of Kościuszko.

On the street Crozdka you can go to the University building, look at the Baroque Church of the Holy Name of Jesus and go to the old slaughterhouses (Jatki). These are ancient rows formed in the 14th century for the meat trade. Now artists and various art galleries have found refuge here.

Nearby is one of the largest basilicas of the medieval city, dedicated to St. Elizabeth. And at the intersection with the street. Świętego Mikołaja there is an old arsenal. Built in 1459, this building is the oldest building of its kind in this part of Europe.

The next notable attraction is the royal palace, built in the 18th century, which now houses the regional museum.

Mythical Wroclaw

The residents themselves often joke that Wroclaw has 1000 years of history and 50 years of tradition, but in fact, traces of old stories and legends can also be found here. Residents created their own urban legends about the underground city, gnomes, eccentric and strange characters. We present the most mystical places in Wroclaw.

• The main train station includes legends and stories about tunnels, Nazi bunkers with secret weapons, treasures taken from other countries. Some of the tunnels are now flooded or collapsed.
• The Dwarven Fountain on Theater Square is dedicated to stories about gnomes who, according to legend, live underground in the capital of Lower Silesia.
• Hotel Monopoly, built in Art Nouveau style, is a legendary hotel where many famous personalities lived - Adolf Hitler, Picasso, etc.
• Basilica of St. Elizabeth is a Gothic cathedral built on the ruins of an ancient temple. In the 16th century it was one of the tallest churches in Europe. According to legend, the master of the crusaders lost it at cards and handed it over to the Protestants.
• Mill Bridge (Most Młyński Południowy) - the water test was carried out on this bridge during the Inquisition. Women accused of witchcraft were wrapped in a red cloak and thrown into the waters of the Odra.
• Church of St. Bartholomew on Tumsky Island is another legendary place. This is an unusual two-level church. According to legend, the Duke, the owner of these places, after reconciliation with the bishop, decided to build a church and name it in honor of St. Bartholomew. During the construction of the foundation, a strange stone in the shape of a cross was discovered here. This was taken as a sign that the church should be named after St. Cross. But the Duke, not wanting to break his promise, named the church in honor of Bartholomew. Then he ordered to build another level and name it in honor of St. Cross. This is how it turned out to be a church with two levels and names.
• Cathedral of St. John the Baptist is probably the most legendary place in Wroclaw. The most famous legend is related to the stone head. The story goes that a young apprentice fell in love with the daughter of a jeweler. But, since he was not rich, his father did not approve of this marriage. The young man began to steal and rob. Having become rich, he proposed again, but the jeweler realized where his wealth came from and drove him away. In rage and revenge, he set fire to the goldsmith's house, watching the fire from a small window in the cathedral tower. Kara overtook him here. The walls of the cathedral closed around his neck, and his head turned to stone, becoming a warning to all who would follow his path. Another well-known legend is about the head of a lion without a mane. According to legend, the stonecutter who carved the sculpture, having not received money for his work, decided to destroy it. But he only cut off the lion's mane. This was seen as a sign, and the sculpture became a symbol of stinginess.

In conclusion, I would like to say that Wroclaw is an amazing city, a city of ancient streets, churches with its own amazing history and atmosphere. We highly recommend visiting here.

Video - city of Wroclaw