▁towns ▁and ▁cities , ▁until ▁it ▁was ▁merged ▁into ▁Kar ls ru he ▁( d istrict ) ▁during ▁the ▁district ▁reform ▁of ▁ 1 9 7 0 . ▁On ▁the ▁afternoon ▁of ▁March ▁ 1 , ▁ 1 9 4 5 , ▁Bru chs al ▁was ▁bom bed ▁by ▁the ▁Al lies . ▁At ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁the ▁attack , ▁the ▁war ▁was ▁essentially ▁over , ▁with ▁the ▁front ▁line ▁only ▁ 2 0   km ▁from ▁the ▁city ▁limits ▁and ▁nearly ▁no ▁one ▁left ▁to ▁defend ▁it . ▁To ▁this ▁day , ▁that ▁particular ▁attack ▁ups ets ▁residents ▁as ▁the ▁cons ensus ▁is ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁unnecessary ▁and ▁incon sequ ential ▁to ▁the ▁outcome ▁of ▁the ▁war . ▁There ▁are ▁alleg ations ▁that ▁the ▁attack ▁by ▁U . S . ▁bom bers ▁was ▁conducted ▁in ▁ret ali ation ▁for ▁the ▁killing ▁of ▁a ▁par ach uted ▁pilot ▁by ▁far mers . ▁In ▁addition ▁to ▁the ▁ 1 , 0 0 0 ▁lives ▁that ▁per ished ▁that ▁day , ▁the ▁entire ▁inner ▁city ▁and ▁the ▁bar o que ▁château ▁were ▁destroyed . ▁On ▁April ▁ 2 , ▁ 1 9 4 5 , ▁al lied ▁forces ▁took ▁Bru chs al ▁without ▁resistance . ▁▁ 1 9 4 6 ▁to ▁the ▁present ▁Starting ▁from ▁ 1 ▁April ▁ 1 9 5 6 ▁Bru chs al ▁was ▁awarded ▁the ▁Gro ße ▁Kreis stadt ▁ ▁status , ▁as ▁its ▁population ▁had ▁passed ▁the ▁ 2 0 , 0 0 0 ▁mark ▁in ▁ 1 9 5