Dresden commemorated the victims of World War II and the destruction of the city eight decades ago with several events on Thursday.
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00:00The German city of Dresden marked the 80th anniversary of the Allied bombing in World
00:06War II with various commemorative events.
00:09On the 13th of February, 1945, Allied forces conducted a three-day aerial raid of the city,
00:15which destroyed large parts of it.
00:17Firestorms also swept through the city center, adding to the misery.
00:22As many as 25,000 people were killed in the bombing campaign, and the pain is still felt
00:26to this day.
00:27My grandmother was 10 years old at the time, and she carried her little sister in a stroller
00:34through this firestorm.
00:35She told me so much about that time.
00:43The annual event carries significant importance to not only Dresdeners, but also Germans from
00:48other cities.
00:50We are from Berlin, but we come here every year, and it is very good that so many people
01:01are here.
01:02And we must not forget what happened here.
01:08Prince Edward of the British royal family attended the event in representation of the
01:12king.
01:13He participated in the events and spoke of the grief still felt at the terrible destruction
01:18and loss of life.
01:20He also visited the Dresden Frauenkirche during his stay, an iconic church in the city, which
01:25was completely destroyed during the bombing.
01:29The church, which was rebuilt and opened in 2005, remained in ruins for decades, and served
01:34as a reminder of the Allies' aggression.