
Hull was one of the most blitzed cities in Britain in World War 11. The bombing was so sustained and severe that in 1941 the government sent a secretive team of scientists northwards to test whether the traumatised citizens were reaching ‘breaking point’ (including the notorious school children’s essays on their experiences)
This presentation outlines the nature, the duration and the impacts of the Hull blitz, especially the incendiary bombs which caused enormous fires. It also explores how the science- led government search for a civilian ‘breaking point’ contrasted with the City Council’s attempts to develop more supportive, community-centred strategies. Finally this will discuss the fleeting presence and the long shadow of the bombing and their memory in contemporary Hull.

Professor David Atkinson is a cultural and historical geographer. His recent research has centred on the intersection on place, memory, sense of identity and landscape. He advised the Vice Chancellor of Mariupol University, after that city was devastated by Russian attacks, and emphasised the importance of memories as people plan their city’s possible future.
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