How many people were left homeless after the bombing of…

How many people were left homeless after the bombing of Rotterdam?

Short answer

Between 78,000 and 85,000 people, depending on the source, were left homeless after the German bombing of Rotterdam. The highest count also gives at least 1,150 dead, 711 of them in the attack of 14 May alone; others speak of 800 to 900. The bombing began on 10 May and razed the historic centre on the 14th.

Published: November 2, 2026 · Updated: November 2, 2026 · Edited by Above Ten Thousand · Editorial policy

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From the first hours of the invasion to 14 May

The bombing of Rotterdam began on 10 May, with the very outbreak of hostilities, and culminated in the destruction of the city's entire historic centre on 14 May. Around 10:30 on that 14 May, General Rudolf Schmidt presented an ultimatum. In it he argued that continued opposition to the advance of German troops in the open city of Rotterdam obliged him to take whatever measures he considered appropriate. The purpose of the attack was to support the German troops fighting inside the city, break Dutch resistance and force the surrender of the Netherlands army.

The air raid

Two groups of Heinkel He 111 bombers approached the city: 36 aircraft from the south and 54 from the north-east. Over Rotterdam, 1,150 bombs of 50 kilograms (110 lb) and 158 of 250 kilograms (550 lb) were dropped.

Casualties and a devastated city

Casualty figures vary by source. According to one count, the bombing killed at least 1,150 people, of whom 711 died in the attack of 14 May alone, and another 85,000 people were left homeless. Other sources speak of 800 to 900 dead and more than 80,000 people homeless, or of 78,000. The Dutch surrendered in the late afternoon of 14 May and signed the capitulation early the next morning.