TAMH: Trading Ports

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Königsberg in the 20th century

(Kaliningrad, Russia (Kaliningrad Oblast))

The battle for Königsberg in WWII was fierce. Much of the city was destroyed by RAF bombing in August 1944. As the end came in April 1945, General Otto von Lasch was ordered to defend Königsberg to the last man. He surrendered after a three day battle which left 40,000 German soldiers, 60,000 Soviets and an unknown number of civilans dead. Only 9% of the buildings were standing.

The cathedral has now been restored: the photographs show it in 1994 and, instead of the deserted vessels lying on the Pregel (Pregolya) river, there is now a maritime museum featuring the research ship Witjas, the cruise ship Viktor Patsajew and U-Boat B413.

The castle is completely gone and, in its place, stands the grotesque unfinished House of Soviets.

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Königsberg: On the Pregel, late 1920s
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Königsberg: On the Pregel, late 1920s Königsberg: University and Castle, ca 1930 Königsberg: After bombing in 1944 Königsberg: University and Cathedral, 1945 Kaliningrad: On the Pregel (Pregolya), 1994 Kaliningrad: Cathedral, 1994 Kaliningrad: House of Soviets, 1994 Kaliningrad: Naval Memorial, 1994

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