question how much damage was done to German rail stations in WW2?

[whole diary]

[infoman]

Were many very large German railway stations damaged by the bombers from the allied forces during World war two.

Which lead to them being totally rebuilt or having to be demolished because the had suffered too much damage.

[grahame]

Were many very large German railway stations damaged by the bombers from the allied forces during World war two.

Which lead to them being totally rebuilt or having to be demolished because the had suffered too much damage.

I am going to leave the historians here to answer that one in detail.

I am just back from Germany and have been to so many major stations.  Some are clearly modern, some clearly historic, and some are very much a mixture.  Just what proportion of the "historic" are in reality rebuilds in the old mould, and what proportion of "modern" are actually nothing to do with WWII^▸ (World War 2 - 1939 to 1945) damage, but rather otherwise rebuilds of time-expired or outdated facilities, I would not like to guess.

A hundred years ago, railways were run with steam engines - horrid, dirty, environment polluting and inefficient machined that needed a lot of staff, services, supplies and attention to work and which had really slow and run-around times after each and every run.   There days -take a look at everywhere from Felixstowe to Severn Beach - you can find the best ever / most frequent service ever yet at a tiny piece of infrastructure compared to what it was in the past.   There IS a difference in many parts of Europe - many of the older stations remain - especially those below the "major" level - but in a sad state of decay / repair with new platforms plonked on the old infrastructure.

[Oxonhutch]

I think the Anhalter Bahnhof is possibly the most famous example.

[Chris from Nailsea]

Were many very large German railway stations damaged by the bombers from the allied forces during World war two.

Which lead to them being totally rebuilt or having to be demolished because the had suffered too much damage.

I am going to leave the historians here to answer that one in detail.

As an amateur historian:

During World War Two, Allied strategic bombing and ground combat heavily targeted and destroyed major German railway hubs, marshalling yards, and terminal stations. Iconic casualties included Berlin's opulent Anhalter Bahnhof and Lehrter Bahnhof, as well as severely battered city infrastructure across Frankfurt, Cologne, and Hamburg.

Major Destroyed or Damaged Stations:

Berlin Anhalter Bahnhof: Once a grand terminus and gateway to the south, it was ruined in the final months of the war and later partially demolished in 1960, leaving only a famous portico ruin.

Berlin Lehrter Bahnhof: Heavily hit by Allied air raids, the ruin was eventually demolished in the 1950s; the modern Berlin Hauptbahnhof now occupies the site.

Cologne Central Station (Köln Hbf): Situated next to the Cologne Cathedral, the station and surrounding tracks suffered catastrophic damage from thousands of tons of allied bombs before being rebuilt in the post-war era.

Frankfurt (Main) Hauptbahnhof: The grand train shed and passenger halls suffered severe structural damage from strategic air attacks in 1944 before undergoing extensive reconstruction.

Impact on the Rail Network Systemic Targeting:

The Royal Air Force and U.S. Army Air Forces systematically attacked rail yards to choke off Nazi military logistics and fuel supplies.

Post-War Realities:

Many heavily damaged terminal stations in divided post-war Germany were never rebuilt because traffic patterns shifted or partition rendered them obsolete.

I am sure Coffee Shop member stuving will be able to offer more detail here.

CfN^▸ (Chris from Nailsea, an administrator on this forum). 

[grahame]

Cologne Central Station (Köln Hbf): Situated next to the Cologne Cathedral, the station and surrounding tracks suffered catastrophic damage from thousands of tons of allied bombs before being rebuilt in the post-war era.

Frankfurt (Main) Hauptbahnhof: The grand train shed and passenger halls suffered severe structural damage from strategic air attacks in 1944 before undergoing extensive reconstruction.

I changed trains at both of those on Tuesday.  Some 80+ years later it's kinda hard to work out the relative age of all the bits and pieces.  Pictures are from earlier visits - both changes the other day were "pass though"s with no thought to photograph / rather to get me and Lisa onto the ongoing train/RRB^▸ (Rail Replacement Bus)