Destroyed Bridge in 1945
Remains of the Bridge in 2007 |
The remains of the old bridge across River Elbe in Torgau, in the very east of Germany are the site of one of the most decisive moments of World War II - and one of the most emotional ones too. Imagine a group of GIs, starting out in Camp Shelby, Mississippi, traveling to England and then fighting their way through France and western Germany - and then imagine a group of Russian Soldiers, fighting their way all the way from Stalingrad, through Russia, Belarus, Poland and eastern Germany. Battle-weary soldiers both, they have been fighting German troops for two years, but on April 25, 1945, there was no enemy more between them.
The Torgau bridge over Germany's third largest river marks the point where American and Russian troops first met. There were still more battles to come, but only 13 days after this meeting, Germany surrendered.
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