Bombing of Dresden: The Story Behind the Firestorm

The Bombing of Dresden: The Story Behind the Firestorm (Ep. 83)

September 14, 2026 No Comments

Before Dresden became a symbol of wartime destruction, it was known as the “Florence of the Elbe”, a city of music, art, architecture, industry, and life along the River Elbe.

Then came February 1945.

In Part One of this episode of The Storytelling Podcast, we travel back to Dresden during the final months of the Second World War and explore the events surrounding the bombing of the city on 13–15 February 1945.

In Part Two, we move from the historical record into literature and memory, speaking with Vic Echegoyen, author of Blitz: La destrucción de Dresde, about the people and personal stories behind the ruins.

Watch the Episode Below

Sources

Dresden Historical Commission: Victims of the Air Attacks on 13–15 February 1945
Encyclopaedia Britannica: Bombing of Dresden
History.com: Firebombing of Dresden
BBC: Dresden bombing research supplied for the episode
Truman Library Institute, WWII 80: The Bombing of Dresden
U.S. Air Force Historical Analysis, research on the bombing of Dresden
Peace Palace Library: Dresden 1945: An Allied War Crime?
Kurt Vonnegut’s experience of Dresden, discussed through his literary work Slaughterhouse-Five
Vic Echegoyen book: Blitz: La destrucción de Dresde