Page "Halle, Saxony-Anhalt" Paragraph 10

Near the end of World War II, there were two bombing raids carried out against the town: the first on 31 March 1945, the second a few days later.

The first attack took place between the railway station and the centre of the city and the second bombing was in the southern district.

It killed over 1, 000 inhabitants ; 3, 600 buildings were destroyed and many heavily damaged.

Among them, the Market Church, St. George Church, the Old Town Hall, the City Theatre, historic buildings on Bruederstrasse and on Grosse Steinstrasse, and the city cemetery.

On 17 April 1945 Halle was occupied by American troops, and the red tower was set on fire by artillery and destroyed.

Also, the Market Church and the Church of St. George received more hits.

However, the city did not sustain further damage because a planned aerial bombardment was canceled, after a former Commander of the First World War, Count Felix von Luckner and the city's Mayor negotiated the surrender of the city to the American army.

In July, the Americans withdrew and the city was occupied by the Red Army.