Did Hitler really love the City Hall?

Alright?

Some news: I’m adding a Secret Section to each of these newsletters. It might be a fun fact, a food recommendation or an additional story etc. One thing is certain: it’ll be really juicy.

To be able to read it, you just need to get two of your friends/family/bemused strangers to subscribe to Secret Norwich.

Send your unique tracking link (in the section below) out into the world and, once two people use it to subscribe, you’ll get an email confirming you’re in.

On with the show.

Norwich’s favourite stories.

Walk around Norwich with a local, and two stories will eventually surface.

The first is an all-time classic:

“Norwich has 365 pubs and 52 churches. It means you can drink at a different pub every day of the year, then repent for your sins at a different church every week of the year.”

I’ll talk about why this one is false in a future newsletter, no doubt.

The second finds its way into tours, beer-fueled seminars and even Alan Partridge episodes.

“Hitler planned to do his WW2 victory speech from the balcony of Norwich’s City Hall. It’s why it wasn’t damaged by the bombing.”

But is this one true?

To find out, let’s first learn why Norwich was bombed in the first place.

The Baedeker Blitz.

Imagine you’re Gustaf Braun von Stumm for a second (you’ve likely already done this before at some point, but indulge me again).

You’re a propagandist working for the German Foreign Office, and your main task is to ensure that the German bombing of Britain is perceived as a purely retaliatory measure. The British are the terrorists: The Germans are the victims.

With this task in mind, it’s probably a mistake to admit, in a purely off-the-cuff remark, that your plan is to “bomb every building in Britain marked with three stars in the Baedeker Guide.”

The Baedeker Guide = The German equivalent of a Lonely Planet travel guide.

Through this comment, Gustaf had admitted that Germany planned to target cities in Britain based on their cultural heritage in a campaign designed to attack the morale of the British public.

Amongst their targets? The Fine City.

The spring of 1942.

Around this time of the year, 83 years ago, Norwich sustained most of its bombing.

The most intense attacks came between April 27th - 29th, 1942. Subsequent attacks in May and June meant that, tragically, 340 of Norwich’s citizens were killed by German bombing throughout the war. Thousands more were injured.

Despite significant damage to some of Norwich’s residential and city centre areas, most of Norwich’s cultural landmarks survived the Baedeker Blitz with minimal damage (the Anglican Cathedral being a notable exception).

That included the City Hall. At some point, a theory developed that Hitler intentionally spared it.

A conspicuous lack of evidence.

Strangely enough, Norwich isn’t the only place that claims Hitler admired its municipal hall. Rochdale, Liverpool, Manchester, London and Cambridge all have similar theories.

Norwich’s bid is perhaps bolstered by the fact that the City Council claims the balcony is the longest in the UK, and the rather suspect lions at the entrance (described by Alan Partridge as “Giant copper dogs…giving some sort of canine Nazi salute”) don’t help its cause either.

But there’s no evidence to suggest that Hitler had ever singled out Norwich. Indeed, the claim is utter hearsay.

It’s also fanciful to suggest that the Luftwaffe could’ve avoided specific landmarks with such precision. Nearby buildings were destroyed, and their aim was largely indiscriminate. That the City Hall was spared was almost certainly more luck than judgment.

Extra facts and resources

• The Coach and Horses on Bethel Street has a map printed on its wall of every site that was bombed in Norwich. You can view a digitised version here.

• Invisible Works is a remarkable resource for colourised images of the Baedeker Blitz. I haven’t included those images here because they’re protected, but you should visit their website if you’re interested.

• A true thing about the City Hall: the bricks are all custom-made. They’re two inches longer than a typical brick to better show off the proportions of the building.

Okay, I’m off to enjoy the weather. Which is code for, “I’m going to sit outside with a beer for about 15 minutes, before deciding it’s too hot and retreating back inside.”

Don’t forget that in the next newsletter, I’ll be including a Secret Section, only visible to those of you who share your unique link.

See you next Sunday,

Secret Norwich.