Baedeker Raids
Preserved but no longer current.
A phrase first used in Britain April 29th, 1942, to describe German air raids which, in reprisal for damage done to Cologne and Lubeck, were deliberately directed on historic monuments (e.g. Bath, Canterbury, Norwich) listed as such in Baede- ker's guide.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Baedeker Raids” mean?
A phrase first used in Britain April 29th, 1942, to describe German air raids which, in reprisal for damage done to Cologne and Lubeck, were deliberately directed on historic monuments (e.g. Bath, Canterbury, Norwich) listed as such in Baede- ker's guide.
Is “Baedeker Raids” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.