Cologne Cathedral During WWII

Hindenburg Bridge

St. Maria Himmelfahrt

the new bridge is called "Severinsbridge"

central station

Rheinau-Hafen Zollgebäude

Stapelhaus-Turm (still standing!)

Cologne Cathedral During WWII by The Rocketeer.

I found this photo along with 19 others tucked inside a book that was sold for $1 at a library booksale, where people donated books for the sale. I'm sure the original owner didn't realize that these photos were left inside.

This is currently the most "interesting" photo on flickr tagged with "war".

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Comments

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(140 comments)

KJones1975 says:

Interesting pictures... any idea what city that is? It looks like it might be London.
Posted 54 months ago. ( permalink )

The Rocketeer says:

On the back of the photo it said "Cologne", which is in Germany.
Posted 54 months ago. ( permalink )

BombDog says:

It is Cologne (or Kölne) - that's the cathedral. Great pic.
Posted 54 months ago. ( permalink )

jurvetson says:

I visited it several years ago. It was spared the not-so-precise bombs, but at ground level, the stone walls are pock-marked with conical divots from bullets and shells.
Posted 54 months ago. ( permalink )

smuda says:

Greetings from Cologne and thank you for the pictures.
Posted 53 months ago. ( permalink )

The Rocketeer says:

Thanks for the comments. I was hoping not to offend anyone with this set. It is offered as historical reference only, no malice or judgement is meant with the presentation of this set.
Posted 53 months ago. ( permalink )

Brave Heart says:

What a find, well at least you placed then in an area where they will be seen. The owners might have just tossed then in a drawer. I see the bridge has been blown or bombed out. I wonder how many years old it was?
Posted 53 months ago. ( permalink )

smuda says:

Cologne was destroyed in WW2 by 89%
in a night we call "The night of the 1000 Bombers" at May 30th in 1942.
by the Royal Airforce.

I was born in this town at 1968 and live there still.
So, this is part of my history. In this year we celebrate the 60th anniversary of liberation from the Naziregim by Americantroups.

@Brave Heart,
I think the bridge was the "Hindenburgbridge". It wasn't build up after the war.
It was build in 1915.
I have load it up for you, it's an historical picture also.
www.directupload.net/images/050326/2Y87repA.j pg
:)

Thank you for sharing Rocketeer.
Posted 53 months ago. ( permalink )

The Rocketeer says:

Thank you for your comments, Witwe. Also, thank you for the link to the bridge photo. It is very interesting.
Posted 53 months ago. ( permalink )

smuda says:

Your welcome,

but I have to say, and I hope you understand that, for me the remakable item in this picture is the cathedral in this scene of destruction.

The start of construction was in 1248 and it took over 600 years to build it up (no joke).

Happy Eastergreetings from Cologne
and put your sound on, if you click the link below.

www.willkommeninkoeln.de/media/sound/dom.htm
;)
Posted 53 months ago. ( permalink )

C-Monster says:

This is an incredible photograph. I was in Cologne in the 80s and it would have been difficult to imagine this scale of devastation.
Posted 52 months ago. ( permalink )

Miss Plum says:

this is really amazing. i went all the way to the top of the cathedral in '94. sure looked a lot different at that time, than in this photo. it's incredible that it was spared!
Posted 51 months ago. ( permalink )

Helena-Reet says:

Very great picture!!!!
Thanks for sharing! :))
Posted 50 months ago. ( permalink )

1an says:

nice
Posted 50 months ago. ( permalink )

yukoner says:

This photograph is very similar to a quite famous photograph of the same scene in Cologne taken from the air, as has this one. I would check the origin of your photograph as it may just be one and the same
Posted 49 months ago. ( permalink )

The Rocketeer says:

If you happen to find a link to that photo, let me know, please. I'd like to compare them.
Posted 49 months ago. ( permalink )

opyretta says:

WOW, I never knew that you found these historical photo's. How great it is to discover a large part of history. I hope that you would bring them next time you visit. I would love to learn more about them. Does Dad know about these photo's?
Posted 49 months ago. ( permalink )

Seth Gaines says:

Funny that the only building of any possible military value, the railway station at bottom left, is mostly undamaged. I'm sure the bridge, which is just to the left of this picture, was destroyed.
Posted 49 months ago. ( permalink )

jdraiders says:

Should be rolling through Cologne on R&R. I'll try to get an updated photo for you.
Posted 48 months ago. ( permalink )

jurvetson says:

jdraiders: if you get a shot, the combo would be a good submission to flickrcaching.

Also, I think this is a near-tie for the tallest cathedral in the world, with Ulm being the tallest by 13 feet. (for 380 years prior, Estonia had set the medieval record.... =)
Posted 48 months ago. ( permalink )

max.favilli says:

Great great great picture.
Posted 48 months ago. ( permalink )

ToBNot2B says:

wow..
Posted 48 months ago. ( permalink )

alexismex1 says:

Very great historical picture, quite at this time a very good precision bombing to not damaged the cathedral without the technology of laser beam, quite this photo show how history is made...to never forget the past...for the memory of many mens.
Posted 47 months ago. ( permalink )

PandemicSoul says:

These are just amazing. Thank you for sharing with the world.
Posted 47 months ago. ( permalink )

laura1834 says:

These are incredible - like the iconic photos sold in Koln as postcards. You perhaps ought to consult someone who knows - a historian or antique expert. It is possible you ought to insure them and museums might be interested in receiving copies.
Posted 47 months ago. ( permalink )

gordonr says:

I saw the link on BoingBoing and having looked at the pics, forwarded the URL to my Dad. He sent me back six very similar pics which belonged to my grandfather. He was RAF ground crew and was taken over Germany in 1945 to see some of the sites. These pics may very well have been taken on the same day even. Here's another shot of the Cologne Cathedral in 1945.
Posted 46 months ago. ( permalink )

mimbrava says:

Thanks for adding this to the Interestingness pool.
Posted 43 months ago. ( permalink )

<danielle> says:

this is stunning!!
Posted 42 months ago. ( permalink )

The Rocketeer says:

love_life_live_love, where did you hear about this photo? Suddenly, in the last 24 hours, it has received a lot of attention with people adding it as a favorite.
Posted 42 months ago. ( permalink )

jurvetson says:

hmmm... I only see one new blog entry...
Posted 42 months ago. ( permalink )

The Rocketeer says:

Thanks, Steve. I didn't think about looking at technorati.
Posted 42 months ago. ( permalink )

Pepius says:

It's curious hoy the cathedral seems out of scale with the rest of the city. I've been to a completely restored, beautiful Cologne, and this is still the case..
Sad history, beautiful photo.
Thanks for sharing.
Posted 42 months ago. ( permalink )

ocherdraco says:

The attention is coming from the photo being on the "Explore" page as the most interesting photo from a year ago today.
Posted 42 months ago. ( permalink )

StrudelMonkey says:

amazing find!
Posted 42 months ago. ( permalink )

<danielle> says:

hi rocketeer! it was on the interestingness page - but may have been from last year? like a retrospective look back? i can't remember exactly. i just read the story behind the photo(s) - awesome.
Posted 42 months ago. ( permalink )

schnitzeljagd says:

Nice shot, people forget to fast sometimes.
Posted 40 months ago. ( permalink )

frischmilch says:

great! this would be wonderful for our new wiki about cologne.

you publicated this photo under the cc license. would it be possible for you that we link directly to this flickr site in our historical articles about cologne?
Posted 40 months ago. ( permalink )

Dario Traveso says:

buena toma
add to www.flickr.com/groups/catedrales/
un saludo
Posted 39 months ago. ( permalink )

Neanderthal_online says:

what a loss
Posted 39 months ago. ( permalink )

PDR says:

And what a find. Great photo.
Posted 39 months ago. ( permalink )

Ginger Sarah says:

What a lovely photo; I think the reason the cathedral was left standing during the bombing may be for the same reason that St. Paul's cathedral and Battersea power station in London were left by the bombers - large and easily recognisable buildings helped pilots to orientate themselves when flying over.

It really is an incredible cathedral - I climbed up it last year and nearly had a heart attack (well, not quite, but...:)). Apparently it was the tallest building in the world when they finished building the towers!
Posted 39 months ago. ( permalink )

The Rocketeer says:

Ginger Sarah, thanks for sharing that! I think you're right about why they left it standing.
Posted 39 months ago. ( permalink )

Blikcr says:

I wonder how many of the people who lived through that night, lost most of their hearing...
Posted 38 months ago. ( permalink )

jonnie-reimer says:

Stunning photo. Thanks for sharing.
Posted 37 months ago. ( permalink )

walterbruehn says:

Hi all,
thank you for sharing this photo and all the others.
Let my put one or another comment to it.
As far as I remember, the American troops sent immediately during the last days of and after WW ii aircrafts to film the aeria.
These films (partly in color) are still deposited in Washington and Cologne (in the WDR, the TV and radio station).
The directors of photography were professionals. Look at the pictures!
In these aircrafts also were "normal" photographer of several newspapers.
So let me presume: your photographs are made AFTER WW ii.
You don't see any smoke of bombing or burnings of phosphorus. These photos are all very sharp (is that the right word?), the aircrafts could fly very low, that means: no enemy reactions from the ground is mentioned. And it's daylight.
May the Britons bombed Cologne, but the US filmed the result.
What I want to say is: your Photos must be american, maybe takes from a journalist and /or Warphotographer.
And at last @ alexismax1 " for the memory of many men{s}." AND WOMEN. Some of my aunts died in these bombings.
Posted 36 months ago. ( permalink )

severin_4_Venus says:

Very sad... Cologne it is... but could be many cities ... an egsample of the disgusting things we do in war... in the name of what is "RIGHT" some of which are "WONG" on both sides... Londg live peace, negotiation, common sense and liberalism.... NO MORE EXTREMISTS... and no nore black and white agrguements... life is about the greys...
Posted 36 months ago. ( permalink )

poseidiae says:

This set is very interesting!! Remember history.
Even former history of the cathedral is very interesting. They took more than 600 years to complete! Hard to imagine.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cologne_Cathedral
Thank you for sharing.
Posted 36 months ago. ( permalink )

aroid says:

A view from the cathedral in 1953,

Posted 36 months ago. ( permalink )

Alexander Yates says:

Congratulations! Did you know that this is the most interesting photo tagged with War? Please consider posting it to The Most Interesting **Blank** Picture
Posted 35 months ago. ( permalink )

mmeiser2 says:

Wow. Spectacular find. I've seen this photo before. Don't know where at.

The churches were spared at least in part because they made such excellent landmarks for lining up bombing runs. Fascinating picture with a fascinating history.
Posted 35 months ago. ( permalink )

FrizzText says:

Sometimes we find something,
we didn't search for.
(Arthur Schopenhauer, German Philosopher)
FAVEd by
www.flickr.com/photos/frizztext/212022710/
Posted 35 months ago. ( permalink )

dan.cruice says:

My grandfather was awarded the Bronze Star during WWII for bravery (I believe). He was in the bell tower of the Cathedral of Cologne throwing out hand grenades at the German soldiers below during the ground battles. Supposely he scratched in his initials plus his wifes initials in tower. I visited the Cathedral about 10 years ago but was unable to go up.
Posted 35 months ago. ( permalink )

The Rocketeer says:

What a cool story, Dan.... thanks for sharing it!
Posted 35 months ago. ( permalink )

maxzmaxz says:

amazing! thanks for sharing it
Posted 34 months ago. ( permalink )

Leviathor says:

This is remarkable beyond words.

You are invited to post this image to Spectacular Objects - Invite Only.
www.flickr.com/groups/spectacular_objects/

Posted 33 months ago. ( permalink )

Frank Foran says:

Civilisation's lowpoint. You are invited to post this photograph to the new Economic and Social History Group - People and their Industry.
Posted 33 months ago. ( permalink )

h a n g i n g p i x e l s says:

wow...awesome find
Posted 33 months ago. ( permalink )

arndalarm says:

Great find! Thanks for sharing this view.
Posted 33 months ago. ( permalink )

*The Boy From Cerrado says:

--
Found in a search. (?)
------------------------------------------
You are invited to post this image to "Spectacular Landscape, invitation only"
http://www.flickr.com/groups/spectacular_land scapes/
Please read the instructions on page one.
Please add the tag "specland".
-------------------------------------------
[?]
Posted 33 months ago. ( permalink )

bldterror33 says:

Really good shot with great historical value. I've been there myself a couple of months ago, that cathedral is huge!
Posted 33 months ago. ( permalink )

therealsadmonkey says:

libe der koelner Dom
Posted 33 months ago. ( permalink )

therealsadmonkey says:

liebe, sorry.
Posted 33 months ago. ( permalink )

Erin Butler says:

Fascinating and sad... I do not think so-called 'precision bombing' spared the cathedral... what precision bombing in WWII(ever??)? Other cities were leveled. Just luck ...
Posted 32 months ago. ( permalink )

The Rocketeer says:

That's not true. There was precision bombing in WWII. Bombardiers said that with a Nordon bombsight, they had enough precision to drop a bomb in a pickle barrel from several thousand feet, some said as much as 15,000 feet. I don't think it was that precise, but it was good enough to allow them to NOT bomb the Church building so that they could use it again as a landmark.
Posted 32 months ago. ( permalink )

Seth Gaines says:

The Norden was much less accurate under combat conditions, and when we started doing BTO (bombing through overcast) it was useless. The British would come at night, and basically just decide that they must be over their target somewhere, and drop the bombs. Certainly there were other large churches that were almost completely destroyed.
Posted 32 months ago. ( permalink )

Buglugs says:

Amazing historical image & luck having that photo!
Posted 31 months ago. ( permalink )

rynegold says:

I was in Klon this summer. This picture as well as several others of yours were on postcards sold everywhere in the city. Indeed they were among hundreds of recon pix done by the allies. Of course, the people of Klon were very interested in them as well, hence your find.
Posted 31 months ago. ( permalink )

BamaWester says:

This is an exceptional find. It vividly tells the tale of destruction that much of Europe faced during WWII.
Posted 31 months ago. ( permalink )

Axel Chaulet says:

wow
Posted 31 months ago. ( permalink )

2composers says:

My hometown! Luckily, or on purpose, the cathedral survived. That would have destroyed many a Koelner's heart...
Posted 31 months ago. ( permalink )

bugg_girl_68 says:

I am stunned. I was just surfing the web to find out the church in my pictures of Cologne from All Saint's Day 2005 and found this. Needless to say it was St. Maria Himmelfarht and I have spent several minutes crying over it. My family is stationed here as part of NATO and went to the Christmas market in Cologne just a month ago. You hear people say that the bombing in WWII demolished 80 to 90% of the city but it just doesn't sink in till you see it. I think the next time I go I will hug the Dom....just the thought of it not being there for future generations make me very emotional.....Thank you so much for posting these pictures! Susan
Posted 31 months ago. ( permalink )

bolbshine says:

Wonderfoul...
Posted 31 months ago. ( permalink )

Just Back says:

Fantastic.
Posted 30 months ago. ( permalink )

ralvieh2000 says:

First of all:my believes have been definately been upgraded towards the wisdom of todays youth.As a rather older person of 47 years, and a native American, who has been living in Germany the past 30 years, I thought that the interests have not gone past I-pod and x-Box.However, after seeing the comments that have been made for these set of photos, I have learned a whole new part of todays youth.Very accurate in evaluating past history, and aware of the things that have happened since.Thank you very much for correcting my point of view!
Ralf
Posted 30 months ago. ( permalink )

richngermany says:

I have been to this cathedral twice, livining in germany (us army) it is my favorite place to visit. It is truly breathtaking! This cathedral is a must see when coming to Germany. It is the most beautiful city to, on the sidewalks outside muralist do chalk portraits of the most amazing things! There is also a life size replica (or originals?) of the spire that are on the top (in front of the church) and they are enormus! My husband was brave enough to hike to the top of the cathedra. I think he said it was over 300 steps to the top. He was very winded once he got back! The whole city is wonderful, the trainstation is beautiful too!
Thanks for the picture, makes me want to visit again :)
Sarah
Posted 30 months ago. ( permalink )

imago says:

I found your photograph not through flickr but simply by googling 'Cologne Cathedral not bombed' and it was the first link. I was very interested to see that it has received sustained interest since you posted it. I wanted to add some information about the 'story' beneath an old photograph of my own taken on a field trip (landscape architecture/environmental planning) which I made as a student in 1979.

I am currently reading Mark Kurlansky's book 'Non-Violence' Which I would recommend to anyone interested in an alternative view of government's continual efforts to vindicate their 'just wars'.

Would you mind if I posted a link to this picture under mine? Thank you.

On a slightly different note, my uncle worked at Farnborough during WW2. He was a mathematician, and investigated bomb trajectories, his work including a contribution to the development of the 'bouncing bomb' used in the 'Dambusters' raid. He suggested that even in the last stages of the war accuracy was poor. That is how I remember his stories, anyway.
Posted 30 months ago. ( permalink )

The Rocketeer says:

Thanks, Imago. Yes, you may post a link to it under your photo.
Posted 30 months ago. ( permalink )

imago says:

:-) thanx
Posted 30 months ago. ( permalink )

Guido Jan says:

Ashame for those folks who destroyed stupidly one of the most superb city's in western Europe, ashame, ashame, ashame////
Posted 30 months ago. ( permalink )

calon says:

Hi, I'm an admin for a group called Art of Light, and we'd love to have your photo added to the group.
Posted 29 months ago. ( permalink )

flickrgilles says:

Unbeleavably super cool.
Posted 29 months ago. ( permalink )

Aveen L♡ve [away] says:

Koln! what a beauty place..
such a historcial place to been in
i love it.. it's amazing there. so old, and so
rich.....

love it there...
Posted 29 months ago. ( permalink )

pingnews.com says:

Hi, I'm an admin for a group called War and Peace, and we'd love to have your photo added to the group.
Posted 29 months ago. ( permalink )

[ f e l i c i t a s ] says:

I lived near Cologne some years ago and it really hurts to see this...
Posted 28 months ago. ( permalink )

pebe says:

wow-great, lovely and intersting... another picture of british- american war crimes
Posted 28 months ago. ( permalink )

Seth Gaines says:

pebe - Ours were much more photogenic than piles of skinny bodies. Served them right for starting it.
Posted 28 months ago. ( permalink )

Just Back says:

Oh, boy. Looks like WW2 hasn't ended!
Posted 28 months ago. ( permalink )

dragon caiman says:

Thanks for sharing!
(currently also the most "interesting" tagged with "cathedral")
Posted 27 months ago. ( permalink )

Rob Roy 06 says:

Thank you for the details in the description.

Found in a search. (?)
Posted 27 months ago. ( permalink )

CD-Christiane says:

The new bridge ist NOT called Severinsbridge, as said ( this ist hte latest from 1957, 300 meters south), but Deutzer Bruecke (Deutzer Bridge). The former was a chainbridge, the new is a normal bridge. Enlarged 1955 (?)
All in all Cologne has 7 Bridges incl. the 2 Autobahnbridges in the far north and the far s.outh.
Posted 26 months ago. ( permalink )

Enchanter of Camelot says:

Hi, please add your photo to Impressions & Expressions, and feel free to join us..
Posted 26 months ago. ( permalink )

worldwidewandering says:

You are invited to post this and any other photos you have of Germany to worldwidewandering - a travel atlas. Post comments
and thumbnail photos to the Germany discussion thread.
Posted 25 months ago. ( permalink )

rsnakecharmerb says:

Awesome!
Posted 25 months ago. ( permalink )

evil_willow_pillow_13 says:

wow this is beautiful.
Posted 25 months ago. ( permalink )

Diane66 says:

What a fascinating find.
Posted 25 months ago. ( permalink )

FrizzText says:

Hi, I'm an admin for a group called top20germany, and we'd love to have your photo added to the group.
Posted 25 months ago. ( permalink )

FrizzText says:

Hi, I'm an admin for a group called Cultural Boxes, and we'd love to have your photo added to the group.
Posted 24 months ago. ( permalink )

FrizzText says:

+
your excellent photography is an interesting example
for different "CULTURAL BOXES" in our world -
thanks for your contribution
...and we are honored to present your work in our gallery
"ARCHITECTURE" (34) at
www.flickr.com/groups/cultural-boxes/discuss/ 721576006404...
+
Posted 24 months ago. ( permalink )

Rita Crane Photography returning soon says:

i was just looking at my photos of the Dom of Cologne yesterday and wondering about the damage around it since i knew it was considerable and it was incredible that the Dom had survived.

it IS incredible. thanks for posting this photo. i lived nearby in 1953 because my father was a photojournalist working out of the Bonn office of Life magazine, so we saw the destruction as children. i remember seeing the rubble everywhere when we went to a carnival in Koln. our parents explained it was "the war". something we didn't understand.

one day human beings will be evolved enough to settle their differences via communication rather than violence.
Posted 24 months ago. ( permalink )

Coen Meerbeek says:

Nice one! Beautifull black & white!
Posted 24 months ago. ( permalink )

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