Jan Rüger Archives

Heligoland, 18 April 1947; how Britain carried out one of the biggest non-nuclear detonations

By Jan Rüger

‘Blow the bloody place up.’ There was nothing ambiguous about the instructions which Commander F. T. Woosnam had been given. Woosnam was the naval engineer in charge of preparing Heligoland for Operation ‘Big Bang’, the destruction of all Germany’s military installations on the small island.

Brexit and the Anglo-German relationship

By Jan Rüger

As Britain embarks on its journey towards the exit from the European Union, the Anglo-German relationship is bound to play a central role. No other country is likely to matter more for the outcome of the negotiations than Germany, one of the UK’s most reliable partners in recent years. So how should we now think of this relationship which has defined modern Europe?

Author: Jan Rüger