Victor Klemperer witnessed the Dresden bombings in February 1945 and recorded his experiences in vivid detail, reflecting on the terror and confusion experienced by those present. Scheduled for deportation to a concentration camp, Klemperer's survival was a matter of luck. His diaries reveal the psychological impact of the bombings on civilians and emphasize the moral complexities surrounding the military decisions of the time. Despite the suffering caused, Klemperer's account also highlights the enduring narratives about the war and the inherent guilt of the German Reich under Hitler. His manuscripts are preserved in Dresden's research library.
In front of me lay a large, unrecognizable open space in the middle of it an enormous crater. Bangs, as light as day, explosions. I had no thoughts, I was not even afraid, I was simply tremendously exhausted.
We very soon heard the ever deeper and louder humming of approaching squadrons, the light went out, an explosion nearby. ... Pause in which we caught our breath.
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