Breslau has endured many battles over time; including, name changes, changes of nationality, changes in population (at one time it was the 3rd largest JEWISH city under German territory, and changing of the guard -- literally. Chancellor Adolf Hitler wanted the city of Breslau very much; he even gave the order that it must be defended at all costs. By the summer 1944, the city of Breslau to be a fortress (Festung), and the last major battle point between Germany and Russia.
Wikipedia notes that, "The Battle of Breslau, also known as the Siege of Breslau, was a three-month-long siege of the city of Breslau in Lower Silesia, Germany (now Wrocław, Poland), lasting to the end of World War II in Europe. From 13 February 1945 to 6 May 1945, German troops in Breslau were besieged by the Soviet forces which encircled the city as part of the Lower Silesian Offensive Operation. The German garrison's surrender on 6 May was followed by the surrender of all German forces two days after the battle."
After WWII, Breslau was transferred to Poland and has remained Polish with much of its German identity stripped away and long-forgotten.
Interestingly, another familial city of mine is Petersburg, Virginia, where it was the place of the last battle of the Civil War, before General Robert E. Lee surrendered at Appomatox Courthouse, VA. I wonder what the spiritual connection is that my ancestry lived in both cities during both battles? Hmmm...
