• A. Arnhem
  • B. Nijmegen
  • C. Eindhoven
  • D. Venlo

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This city in Gelderland played a crucial role during Operation Market Garden. The bombing took place months before the actual liberation.

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The correct answer is B. Nijmegen. On February 22, 1944, American bombers made a fatal navigation error. Instead of hitting their targets in Germany, they dropped their payload of bombs over the center of Nijmegen. The result was catastrophic: approximately 800 civilians lost their lives. This makes it one of the deadliest bombings on Dutch soil during the entire Second World War. Tragically, the city would later that year - during the battle for the Waal Bridge in September 1944 - be severely damaged once again.

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It was actually a complete mistake. American bombers from the 8th Air Force flew a mission toward Germany on February 22, 1944. But due to a combination of poor weather and navigation problems, the pilots thought they were flying over German territory. They weren’t - they were over Nijmegen.

The consequences were horrific. Approximately 800 civilians did not survive, and large parts of the historic city center were razed to the ground. Entire streets disappeared in an instant. What makes it especially painful: this was done by the Allies, the liberators that the Netherlands was hoping for.

Half a year later, during Operation Market Garden in September 1944, Nijmegen took another beating. This time it centered on the strategically important Waal Bridge - a story you might know from the film ‘A Bridge Too Far’. After the war, Nijmegen received the nickname ‘Nijmegen Rising’ due to the enormous reconstruction effort. Every year on February 22nd, a silent march through the city is still held in remembrance. Some stories deserve not to be forgotten.