#Story
Air raids on the railway
After the lost Battle of Arnhem (September 1944), the railway and the road over the Zutphen IJssel bridge became vital supply routes for the Germans, enabling them to transport troops and ammunition to the Arnhem front. As a result, Allied forces carried out multiple airstrikes on the railway.
On October 14th 1944, three squadrons of British aircraft attempted to destroy the IJssel bridges. In less than 15 minutes, they dropped their bombs—but the bridges were barely damaged. Instead, most of the bombs fell on the city, causing devastating destruction and killing around 100 people. Zutphen’s beautiful station building was also severely damaged. The current station, built in 1952, is a reconstruction of the original and has since been designated a national monument.
Noorderhaven
During the bombing of October 14th 1944, the area surrounding the station suffered heavy damage. The offices and warehouses of the Reesink & Co. company, located diagonally behind the station, were severely damaged or completely destroyed. During the liberation of Zutphen on April 6th and 7th 1945, fierce fighting took place around the industrial buildings. Even after the German forces had withdrawn to De Hoven, the area continued to be shelled for another week, further damaging the remaining structures.