Nijmegen before and after the war

In this photo taken in the late 1930s, the Grote Markt looking toward Korte Burchtstraat, with streetcars, cabs, bicycle carts and walkers. Market stalls can be seen on the right. Only the protruding V&D building was destroyed in the bombing, the rest was preserved.

Before World War II, Nijmegen is a lively city, in full development. In 1936 the Waal Bridge was opened by Queen Wilhelmina, in the presence of many thousands of interested people. The birth of Princess Beatrix, on January 31, 1938, is exuberantly celebrated in the city. Over a year later, her father, Prince Bernhard, opens the Goffert Park and stadium of the same name.

A pre-war photograph of Nijmegen station, dating from the 19th century. On the right in front of the station we see a kiosk and in the middle in front of the streetcar a waiting house for the streetcar.

The Waalstad has a cozy shopping center, with its many stores and entertainment venues in the streets, alleys and gashes around the Grote Markt and the Stevenskerk. A city center also dominated by churches: the Stevenskerk, the SintAugustinuskerk and Dominicuskerk. In short, a vibrant city center, loved by both Nijmegen residents and people from outside.

During the war years, life there initially goes its usual way, despite the restrictions. Even on Tuesday afternoon, Feb. 22, 1944, a cold but sunny day, the city is bustling. When the air raid alarm sounds around 12:30 a.m. due to American bombers flying overhead, everyone seeks shelter. Only to abandon them again when the signal "safe" is given fifteen minutes later. A few minutes before 1:30 p.m., American pilots dropped their bombs. In about two minutes, a large part of the city center turned to rubble; the fires that followed the bombs did the rest. Nearly 800 people die, the damage is enormous.

Later that year, in September 1944, during Operation Market Garden and the liberation of Nijmegen, there is heavy fighting around the city center and the Waal Bridge. Once again entire streets go up in flames, most of them lit by the Germans.

Nijmegen's city center will never be the same again. After the war, money is available from the state only to restore the Stevenskerk and the Stadhuis to their former glory. The St. Augustine Church and the St. Dominic Church are demolished and, like large parts of the city center, make way for new construction. The reconstruction of the center of Nijmegen takes about 20 years.

The Vroom & Dreesmann building on the Grote Markt, photographed in 1938. In the bombardment of February 22, 1944, it went up in flames.

Cityscape from 1930. View from the Lange Burchtstraat on the Grote Markt and the Stevens Church. [Photo: RAN]

Aerial view of Nijmegen around 1930. The shaded part is largely destroyed by the bombing of Feb. 22, 1944.

'This is how Nijmegen came out of the war!' Map of the Actie-Comité 'Opbouw Nijmegen'. In red the totally destroyed streets and buildings, in pink shaded the heavily damaged areas. The destruction is not only the result of the American bombardment, but also of the battle in September 1944 and the shelling in the period up to April 1945.