The Strategic Bombing of German Cities during World War II and its Impact for Germany
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Publication date
2003
Authors
Brakman, S.
Garretsen, Harry
Schramm, M.C.
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DOI
Document Type
Working paper
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Abstract
We construct a unique data set in order to analyze whether or not a large temporary shock has an impact on city growth. Following recent work by Davis and Weinstein (2002) on Japan, we take the strategic bombing of German cities during WWII as an example of such a shock, and analyze its impact on post-war German city growth. If the war shock has only a temporary impact, then there will be a tendency towards mean reversion. Our main finding is that the bombing had a significant but temporary impact on post-war city growth in Germany as a whole as well as in western Germany separately (FRG), but that this is not the case for city growth in eastern Germany (GDR).
Keywords
city-growth, mean reversion, WWII bombing of German cities
Citation
Brakman, S, Garretsen, H & Schramm, M 2003 'The Strategic Bombing of German Cities during World War II and its Impact for Germany' Discussion Paper Series / Tjalling C. Koopmans Research Institute, no. 09, vol. 03, UU USE Tjalling C. Koopmans Research Institute, Utrecht.