Dresden – Merrilyn Thomas

Remembering Dresden reconciliation

Posted on February 14, 2020 by Merrilyn ThomasMay 29, 2020

Dresden Anniversary Fifty-five years ago, when the world was divided into East and West, communism and capitalism, I went to the city of Dresden with a group of other young people from Britain. We were full of idealism about a peaceful world, a world where people of all countries could live in harmony with one another. We were doing our bit against chauvinism and hate – even if those thoughts were poorly formulated in our young minds at that time. We went there to help rebuild a church hospital which had been partially destroyed during the bombing raid of February … Read more …

Peace and Reconciliation – How Far Have We Come?

Posted on July 5, 2018 by Merrilyn ThomasJuly 5, 2018

Young people’s desire for peace and reconciliation remains as strong as it did sixty years ago when the German organisation Aktion Sühnezeichen was founded. At that time the aim was to send young volunteers to work in countries that had suffered during the Second World War. Today the organisation sends volunteers around the world and has broadened its mission to include fighting racism, discrimination and social exclusion.

Dresden Bombing Anniversary

Posted on February 12, 2018 by Merrilyn ThomasMarch 1, 2018

This week marks the 73rd anniversary of the British and US Second World War bombing raid on the German city of Dresden. The attack was controversial at the time and has remained so throughout the decades. Thousands of civilians died in a firestorm. There are questions about the morality of targeting civilians and about the need for the attack in February 1945 when the war was almost at an end. Soviet troops were only a few miles from the city which was crowded with refugees.