|
Schweinfurt is a city in the Unterfranken region of Bavaria in Germany.
A famous native of Schweinfurt is Friedrich Rückert, a
notable poet and translator. The Museum Georg Schäfer, founded by Georg Schäfer, shows among others
important pieces of Altdeutschen Malerei.
Economy
Schweinfurt is known for its metal industry, especially ball-bearing plants and bicycle manufacturing. (See also FAG Kugelfischer, ZF Sachs AG and SKF). The pigment Schweinfurter Green, which is extremely toxic, was manufactured here. In World War II, Schweinfurt's ball-bearing plants were targets of at least two major B-17 daylight bombing raids by the United States Army Air Force.
Communal facilities
swimming pool, swimming hall, library, school of music, Fachhochschule Würzburg-Schweinfurt
Information
- City
map (http://www.speedmap-schweinfurt.de/)
- Events (http://www.schweinfurt.info/databases/veranstaltungen/veranstaltungen.php4)
History
In World War II, Schweinfurt was the target of a series of strategic bombing raids by the United States Army Air Force because it held, at that time, the majority of the ball bearing production facilities in the Third Reich. It was hoped that destroying these would cripple Germany's ability to produce new tanks and aircraft.
The Allies bombed Schweinfurt several times, but the first American raid already went down in the annals of the 8th Air Force
as its Battle of the Somme. On August 17th 1943, 60 of 376
aircraft were lost in attacks from German fighter aircraft and
FLAK batteries while trying to hit the ball
bearing factories. Losses of 17% were devasting for the time - losses on raids usually were around the 4% mark. A second attack
on October 14th 1943 resulted in even heavier losses of more than 20% and came to be called Black Thursday. On the German side, dozens of fighter aircraft were lost, and civilian casualties among
Schweinfurt's inhabitants ran in the hundreds.
The attacks did successfully damage or outright destroy many of the traget facilities, which severely threatened Nazi
Germany's military capability. Hitler reacted by declaring the restoration of the ball bearing production a high priority task.
The remaining production capabilities were rationed, and massive efforts undertaken to repair and rebuild the factories,
partially in bomb-proof underground facilities. Furthermore, the strategically
important industry was decentralized and parts of the production moved to different sites all over the country. A sufficient
production of ball bearings was, at great expense, maintained until the collapse of Nazi Germany.
In 1998 German and American veterans and survivors of the raids together erected a
memorial in Schweinfurt in remembrance of those who did not survive.
Population
Historical Population of Schweinfurt:
1939: 49,302
1950: 46,128
1961: 56,923
1970: 58,446
1987: 51,962
2002: 54,670
External links
|
