Bombing of Amsterdam

The first bombing of Amsterdam in the Second World War, and the only attack on the city center, occurred on 11 May 1940 when a German Junkers Ju 88 bomber dropped four bombs on the Blauwburgwal neighborhood and completely destroyed seven buildings and a café near the Herengracht.

[1] Two other bombs exploded in the canals and a fourth landed in the water without exploding, where it remained.

[2] The bombing was an isolated event and did not have any apparent military goal.

Two possible explanations have been given:[3] Dutch newspapers reported the bombing at the time, but the major bombing of Rotterdam a few days later received more attention, and further coverage was banned by the German occupiers.

[4] In May 2020, a memorial plaque with the victims' names was unveiled in the neighborhood.