The Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church in the centre of Berlin is a stark reminder of the horrors of war. This church was built between 1891 and 1895 in honor of the then Emperor Wilhelm II’s grandfather. But during the extensive bombing raids of 1943 the church was virtually destroyed. The only thing left standing was the belfry. Between 1951 and 1961 a new church was rebuilt next to the ruins, and the ruins were kept intact as a reminder of the destruction of war. The church was actually opened on the same day as churches rebuilt after war damage in Conventry England and Stalingrad (now Volgograd) in Russia as a symbol of reconciliation between the three countries which were once at war.
