List of Polish cities and towns damaged in World War II

As the German army retreated during the later stages of the Second World War, many of the urban areas of what is now Poland were severely damaged as a result of military action between the retreating forces of the German Wehrmacht and advancing ones of the Soviet Red Army. Other cities were deliberately destroyed by the German forces. One of the most famous of these planned destructions was the razing of Warsaw, the capital of Poland. While extensively damaged by the failed Warsaw Ghetto Uprising and Warsaw Uprising, the city later underwent a planned demolition by German forces under order from Adolf Hitler and high officials within the Nazi government. On 17 October 1944, SS chief Heinrich Himmler famously stated, "The city must completely disappear from the surface of the earth and serve only as a transport station for the Wehrmacht." Before they were stopped by the advancing Red Army, 85% of the city had been taken out. Warsaw was far from the worst off after the Nazi retreat; 97% of Jasło and 100% of Polanów were reduced to rubble. Other towns such as Wałcz fared better, with only a quarter of the city being destroyed. Ancient historical buildings in Polish cities were not spared; for example, Trzemeszno's Romanesque basilica of 1130-45 was burnt down in 1945.

Polish name	German name	Pre-war location	coordinates	Damage	Details
Bartoszyce	Bartenstein	Germany	54°15′N 20°49′E / 54.250°N 20.817°E / 54.250; 20.817	50%
Bielsk Podlaski	Bielsk Podlaski	Poland	—	65%
Bobolice	Bublitz	Germany	53°57′N 16°35′E / 53.950°N 16.583°E / 53.950; 16.583	75%
Bolesławiec	Bunzlau	Germany	51°16′N 15°34′E / 51.267°N 15.567°E / 51.267; 15.567	60%
Braniewo	Braunsberg	Germany	54°23′N 19°49′E / 54.383°N 19.817°E / 54.383; 19.817	85%
Brzeg	Brieg	Germany	50°52′N 17°29′E / 50.867°N 17.483°E / 50.867; 17.483	80%
Dębica	Dębica	Poland	50°03′N 21°25′E / 50.050°N 21.417°E / 50.050; 21.417	40%
Dobiegniew	Woldenberg	Germany	52°58′N 15°45′E / 52.967°N 15.750°E / 52.967; 15.750	85%
Dobre Miasto	Guttstadt	Germany	53°59′N 20°24′E / 53.983°N 20.400°E / 53.983; 20.400	65%
Dobrzany	Jakobshagen	Germany	53°21′N 15°26′E / 53.350°N 15.433°E / 53.350; 15.433	60%
Dukla	Dukla	Poland	49°34′N 21°41′E / 49.567°N 21.683°E / 49.567; 21.683	85%
Elbląg	Elbing	Germany	54°10′N 19°24′E / 54.167°N 19.400°E / 54.167; 19.400	60%
Ełk	Lyck	Germany	53°50′N 22°21′E / 53.833°N 22.350°E / 53.833; 22.350	50%
Frombork	Frauenburg	Germany	54°21′25″N 19°40′52″E / 54.357°N 19.681°E / 54.357; 19.681	80%
Garwolin	Garwolin	Poland	51°54′N 21°37′E / 51.900°N 21.617°E / 51.900; 21.617	70%
Gdańsk	Danzig	Danzig	54°21′N 18°40′E / 54.350°N 18.667°E / 54.350; 18.667	50%	old town 80%
Gdynia	Gdingen	Poland	54°30′N 18°33′E / 54.500°N 18.550°E / 54.500; 18.550	66% (Estimate)
Głogów	Glogau	Germany	51°40′N 16°05′E / 51.667°N 16.083°E / 51.667; 16.083	95%	old town completely
Goleniów	Gollnow	Germany	53°34′N 14°49′E / 53.567°N 14.817°E / 53.567; 14.817	60%
Gołdap	Goldap	Germany	54°18′58″N 22°18′34″E / 54.31611°N 22.30944°E / 54.31611; 22.30944	90%
Goniądz	Gonionds	Poland	53°29′N 22°44′E / 53.483°N 22.733°E / 53.483; 22.733	80%
Gryfice	Greifenberg	Germany	53°54′53″N 15°11′55″E / 53.91472°N 15.19861°E / 53.91472; 15.19861	40%
Gryfino	Greifenhagen	Germany	53°15′N 14°29′E / 53.250°N 14.483°E / 53.250; 14.483	70%
Gubin	Guben	Germany	51°57′N 14°43′E / 51.950°N 14.717°E / 51.950; 14.717	90%
Iłża	Iłża	Poland	51°10′0″N 21°15′0″E / 51.16667°N 21.25000°E / 51.16667; 21.25000	—
Inowrocław	Hohensalza	Poland	52°48′N 18°16′E / 52.800°N 18.267°E / 52.800; 18.267	50%
Jasło	Jassel	Poland	49°45′N 21°28′E / 49.750°N 21.467°E / 49.750; 21.467	97%
Kałuszyn	Kałuszyn	Poland	52°12′30″N 21°48′42″E / 52.20833°N 21.81167°E / 52.20833; 21.81167	85%
Kamień Pomorski	Cammin	Germany	53°58′N 14°46′E / 53.967°N 14.767°E / 53.967; 14.767	65%
Kańczuga	Kańczuga	Poland	49°59′02″N 22°24′31″E / 49.98389°N 22.40861°E / 49.98389; 22.40861	50%
Kazimierz Dolny	Kazimierz Dolny	Poland	51°19′N 21°57′E / 51.317°N 21.950°E / 51.317; 21.950	—
Kętrzyn	Rastenburg	Germany	54°05′N 21°23′E / 54.083°N 21.383°E / 54.083; 21.383	50%
Knyszyn	Knyszyn	Poland	53°19′N 22°55′E / 53.317°N 22.917°E / 53.317; 22.917	80%
Kolbuszowa	Kolbuszowa	Poland	50°15′N 21°46′E / 50.250°N 21.767°E / 50.250; 21.767	—
Kołobrzeg	Kolberg	Germany	54°11′N 15°35′E / 54.183°N 15.583°E / 54.183; 15.583	90%
Kostrzyn nad Odrą	Küstrin	Germany	52°35′18″N 14°39′00″E / 52.58833°N 14.65000°E / 52.58833; 14.65000	90%
Koszalin	Köslin	Germany	54°12′N 16°11′E / 54.200°N 16.183°E / 54.200; 16.183	40%
Kożuchów	Freystadt in Schlesien	Germany	51°45′N 15°36′E / 51.750°N 15.600°E / 51.750; 15.600	70%
Krosno Odrzańskie	Crossen an der Oder	Germany	52°03′N 15°05′E / 52.050°N 15.083°E / 52.050; 15.083	65%
Krzepice	Kschepitz	Poland	—	50%
Kuźnia Raciborska	Ratiborhammer	Germany	50°13′N 18°18′E / 50.217°N 18.300°E / 50.217; 18.300	50%
Kwidzyn	Marienwerder	Germany	53°44′N 18°55′E / 53.733°N 18.917°E / 53.733; 18.917	50%
Legnica	Liegnitz	Germany	51°13′N 16°10′E / 51.217°N 16.167°E / 51.217; 16.167	60%
Leśna	Marklissa	Germany	51°01′25″N 15°16′00″E / 51.02361°N 15.26667°E / 51.02361; 15.26667	—
Lubań	Lauban	Germany	51°07′N 15°18′E / 51.117°N 15.300°E / 51.117; 15.300	60%
Lubin	Lüben	Germany	51°24′N 16°12′E / 51.400°N 16.200°E / 51.400; 16.200	70%
Lublin	Lublin	Poland	51°24′N 22°57′E / 51.400°N 22.950°E / 51.400; 22.950	—
Łomża	Lomscha	Poland	53°11′N 22°05′E / 53.183°N 22.083°E / 53.183; 22.083	70%
Malbork	Marienburg in Westpreußen	Germany	54°02′N 19°03′E / 54.033°N 19.050°E / 54.033; 19.050	45%
Nidzica	Neidenburg	Germany	53°22′N 20°26′E / 53.367°N 20.433°E / 53.367; 20.433	40%
Opole	Oppeln	Germany	50°40′N 17°56′E / 50.667°N 17.933°E / 50.667; 17.933	60%
Ostrołęka	Ostrołęka	Poland	53°05′N 21°35′E / 53.083°N 21.583°E / 53.083; 21.583	—
Ostróda	Osterode in Ostpreußen	Germany	53°42′N 19°59′E / 53.700°N 19.983°E / 53.700; 19.983	60% (Estimate)
Piła	Schneidemühl	Germany	53°09′N 16°44′E / 53.150°N 16.733°E / 53.150; 16.733	75%
Polanów	Pollnow	Germany	54°06′N 16°42′E / 54.100°N 16.700°E / 54.100; 16.700	100%
Poznań	Posen	Poland	49°47′10″N 22°46′26″E / 49.78611°N 22.77389°E / 49.78611; 22.77389	55% (Estimate)
Przemyśl	Premissel	Poland	54°15′N 20°49′E / 54.250°N 20.817°E / 54.250; 20.817	—
Rzepin	Reppen	Germany	52°21′N 14°50′E / 52.350°N 14.833°E / 52.350; 14.833	85%
Stargard Szczeciński	Stargard in Pommern	Germany	53°20′N 15°03′E / 53.333°N 15.050°E / 53.333; 15.050	70%
Suwałki	Sudauen	Poland	54°5′N 22°56′E / 54.083°N 22.933°E / 54.083; 22.933	30-35%	about 20% was caused by Soviet forces, remaining 10-15% by German occupation of Suwałki
Szczecin	Stettin	Germany	53°25′N 14°35′E / 53.417°N 14.583°E / 53.417; 14.583	65%	port and industry 95%
Trzemeszno	Tremessen	Poland	52°33′31″N 17°49′09″E / 52.55861°N 17.81917°E / 52.55861; 17.81917	—	Romanesque basilica of 1130-45 burnt down in 1945
Świnoujście	Swinemünde	Germany	53°55′N 14°15′E / 53.917°N 14.250°E / 53.917; 14.250	55%
Wałcz	Deutsch Krone	Germany	53°16′N 16°28′E / 53.267°N 16.467°E / 53.267; 16.467	25%
Warsaw	Warschau	Poland	52°13′48″N 21°00′39″E / 52.23000°N 21.01083°E / 52.23000; 21.01083	85%	See: destruction of Warsaw
Węgorzewo	Angerburg	Germany	54°13′N 21°45′E / 54.217°N 21.750°E / 54.217; 21.750	80%
Wodzisław Śląski	Loslau	Poland	50°00′N 18°27′E / 50.000°N 18.450°E / 50.000; 18.450	80%
Wolin	Wollin	Germany	53°55′N 14°30′E / 53.917°N 14.500°E / 53.917; 14.500	70%
Wolsztyn	Wollstein	Poland	52°07′N 16°07′E / 52.117°N 16.117°E / 52.117; 16.117	—	Classicist castle of 1845 burnt down in 1945
Wrocław	Breslau	Germany	51°07′N 17°02′E / 51.117°N 17.033°E / 51.117; 17.033	70%
Zabłudów	Zabłudów	Poland	53°01′N 23°21′E / 53.017°N 23.350°E / 53.017; 23.350	85% (Estimate)
Żagań	Sagan	Germany	51°37′N 15°19′E / 51.617°N 15.317°E / 51.617; 15.317	60%
Zakroczym	Zakroczym	Poland	52°26′16″N 20°36′43″E / 52.43778°N 20.61194°E / 52.43778; 20.61194	80%
Złoczew	Złoczew	Poland	51°25′N 18°36′E / 51.417°N 18.600°E / 51.417; 18.600	80%
Żary	Sorau	Germany	51°38′N 15°08′E / 51.633°N 15.133°E / 51.633; 15.133	60%
Żelechów	Żelechów	Poland	51°48′N 21°54′E / 51.800°N 21.900°E / 51.800; 21.900	—
Żory	Sohrau	Poland	50°03′N 18°42′E / 50.050°N 18.700°E / 50.050; 18.700	80%
Żychlin	Żychlin	Poland	52°14′43″N 19°37′25″E / 52.24528°N 19.62361°E / 52.24528; 19.62361	40% (Estimate)

References

Notes

Anthony M. Tung (2001). Preserving the world's great cities:The Destruction and Renewal of the Historic Metropolis (2001 ed.). Three Rivers Press. ISBN 0-517-70148-0.
Wituska, Tomaszewski 2006, p. xxii.
^ Free Europe Committee 1970, p. 10.
^ Lisa Chapman (July 7, 2009). "Polish town at odds over Hitler's oak". Austrian Times. Retrieved October 8, 2009.
^ "На карте Польши", библиотечка "Польши" (2)
Terence Neiland (July 23, 1995). "Q and A". The New York Times. Retrieved October 8, 2009.
Nowak 1989, p. 214.
"Zabytki i historia Pomorza - Gdańsk 1945 - "wyzwolenie" i zniszczenia". zdsk.pl. Retrieved 2021-02-19.
"Historia Gdańska". Gdańsk - oficjalny portal miasta (in Polish). Retrieved 2021-02-19.
"HISTORIA WOJSKOWEJ KOMENDY UZUPEŁNIEŃ W SUWAŁKACH". WKU Suwałki. 27 December 2021.

Bibliography

Free Europe Committee. East Europe, Volumes 19-20 (1970 ed.). East Europe Pub.
Nowak, Margaret Collingwood (1989). Two who were there: a biography of Stanley Nowak (1989 ed.). Wayne State University Press. ISBN 0-8143-1883-5. - Total pages: 276
Krystyna Wituska, Irene Tomaszewski (2006). Inside a Gestapo prison: the letters of Krystyna Wituska, 1942-1944 (2006 ed.). Wayne State University Press. ISBN 0-8143-3294-3. - Total pages: 127

World War II

General

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Theaters	Asia and Pacific China South-East Asia Pacific North and Central Pacific South-West Pacific Indian Ocean Europe Western Front Eastern Front Mediterranean and Middle East North Africa East Africa Italy West Africa Atlantic timeline Americas
Aftermath	Chinese Civil War Cold War Decolonization Division of Korea First Indochina War Expulsion of Germans Greek Civil War Indonesian National Revolution Keelhaul Marshall Plan Occupation of Germany Occupation of Japan Osoaviakhim Paperclip Soviet occupations Baltic Hungary Poland Romania Territorial changes of Germany Treaty on the Final Settlement with Respect to Germany United Nations
War crimes	Allied war crimes Soviet war crimes British war crimes United States war crimes German war crimes forced labour Wehrmacht war crimes The Holocaust Aftermath Response Nuremberg trials Italian war crimes Japanese war crimes Nanjing Massacre Unit 731 Prosecution Croatian war crimes Genocide of Serbs Persecution of Jews Romanian war crimes Sexual violence German military brothels Camp brothels Rape during the occupation of Germany / Japan / Poland Rape during the liberation of France / Serbia Sook Ching Comfort women Rape of Manila Marocchinate

Participants

Allies	Algeria Australia Belgium Brazil Bulgaria (from September 1944) Canada China Cuba Czechoslovakia Denmark Ethiopia Eswatini (formerly Swaziland) Finland (from September 1944) France Free France Greece India Italy (from September 1943) Luxembourg Mexico Netherlands Newfoundland New Zealand Norway Philippines Poland Romania (from August 1944) Sierra Leone South Africa Southern Rhodesia Soviet Union Tuva United Kingdom British Empire United States Puerto Rico Yugoslavia
Axis	Albania protectorate Bulgaria (until September 1944) Wang Jingwei regime Independent State of Croatia Finland (until September 1944) German Reich Hungary Azad Hind French Indochina Iraq Italy (until September 1943) Italian Social Republic Empire of Japan Manchukuo Philippines Romania (until August 1944) Slovak Republic Thailand Vichy France Collaboration
Neutral	Afghanistan Andorra Bhutan Ireland Liechtenstein Portugal Spain Sweden Switzerland Tibet Vatican City
Resistance	Albania Austria Belgium Bulgaria Czech lands Denmark Dutch East Indies Estonia Ethiopia France Germany Greece Hong Kong Italy Japan Jews Korea Korean Liberation Army Korean Volunteer Army Latvia Lithuania Luxembourg Malaya Netherlands Northeast China Norway Philippines Poland Romania Thailand Soviet Union Slovakia Western Ukraine Vietnam Quốc dân Đảng Viet Minh Yugoslavia
POWs	Finnish prisoners in the Soviet Union German prisoners Soviet Union Azerbaijan United States United Kingdom Italian prisoners in the Soviet Union Japanese prisoners Soviet Union German atrocities against Polish POWs Soviet prisoners Finland atrocities by Germans Polish prisoners in the Soviet Union Romanian prisoners in the Soviet Union

Timeline

Prelude	Africa Second Italo-Ethiopian War Asia Second Sino-Japanese War Battles of Khalkhin Gol Europe Anschluss Munich Agreement Occupation of Czechoslovakia Operation Himmler Italian invasion of Albania
1939	Invasion of Poland Battle of the Atlantic Phoney War First Battle of Changsha Battle of South Guangxi Winter War 1939–1940 Winter Offensive
1940	Norwegian campaign German invasion of Denmark Battle of Zaoyang–Yichang German invasion of Luxembourg German invasion of the Netherlands German invasion of Belgium Battle of France Dunkirk evacuation Battle of Britain Battle of the Mediterranean North Africa West Africa British Somaliland Hundred Regiments Offensive Baltic states Eastern Romania Japanese invasion of French Indochina Italian invasion of Greece Compass
1941	Battle of South Henan Battle of Shanggao Invasion of Yugoslavia German invasion of Greece Battle of Crete Anglo-Iraqi War Battle of South Shanxi Syria–Lebanon campaign East African campaign Invasion of the Soviet Union Summer War Finland (Silver Fox) Lithuania Battle of Kiev Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran Second Battle of Changsha Siege of Leningrad Battle of Moscow Bombing of Gorky Siege of Sevastopol Attack on Pearl Harbor Japanese invasion of Thailand Fall of Hong Kong Fall of the Philippines Battle of Guam Battle of Wake Island Malayan campaign Battle of Borneo Japanese invasion of Burma Third Battle of Changsha Greek famine of 1941–1944
1942	Fall of Singapore Battle of the Java Sea St Nazaire Raid Battle of Christmas Island Battle of the Coral Sea Battle of Madagascar Zhejiang-Jiangxi campaign Battle of Gazala Battle of Dutch Harbor Battle of Midway Aleutian Islands campaign Kiska Attu Blue First Battle of El Alamein Battle of Stalingrad Kokoda Track campaign Rzhev Jubilee Second Battle of El Alamein Guadalcanal campaign Torch Chinese famine of 1942–1943
1943	Black May Tunisian campaign Battle of West Hubei Battle of Attu Bombing of Gorky Battle of Kursk Allied invasion of Sicily Smolensk Solomon Islands campaign Cottage Battle of the Dnieper Allied invasion of Italy Armistice of Cassibile Burma Northern Burma and Western Yunnan Changde Second Battle of Kiev Gilbert and Marshall Islands campaign Tarawa Makin Bengal famine of 1943
1944	Tempest Monte Cassino / Anzio Korsun–Cherkassy Narva Ichi-Go Overlord Neptune Mariana and Palau Bagration Western Ukraine Second Battle of Guam Tannenberg Line Warsaw Uprising Eastern Romania Liberation of Paris Dragoon Gothic Line Belgrade offensive Lapland Market Garden Estonia Crossbow Pointblank Vietnamese famine of 1944–1945 Philippines (1944–1945) Leyte Syrmian Front Hungary Budapest Burma (1944–1945) Ardennes Bodenplatte Dutch famine of 1944–1945
1945	Vistula–Oder Battle of Manila Battle of Iwo Jima Indochina Vienna offensive Project Hula Western invasion of Germany Bratislava–Brno offensive Battle of Okinawa Second Guangxi campaign West Hunan Italy (Spring 1945) Battle of Berlin Prague offensive Surrender of Germany document Borneo Taipei Naval bombardment of Japan Manchuria Atomic bombings Debate South Sakhalin Kuril Islands Shumshu Surrender of Japan Potsdam Declaration document End of World War II in Asia

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Misplaced Pages

List of Polish cities and towns damaged in World War II

See also

References