Footsteps of WWII · Berlin & eastern Germany
St Nikolai Memorial, Hamburg
Ruins · 24 Jul–3 Aug 1943
The story
In late July 1943 RAF Bomber Command, flying by night, and the US Eighth Air Force, by day, attacked Hamburg in Operation Gomorrah. On the first night the RAF used 'Window' metal strips for the first time to blind German radar. On the night of 27/28 July 787 RAF aircraft created a firestorm across the working-class districts of Hammerbrook, Hamm, Borgfelde and Rothenburgsort. Around 37,000 people died and about a million fled the city. The 147-metre spire of St Nikolai, then among the tallest buildings in the world, served the bombers as a landmark and was badly damaged; the ruined church was kept as a memorial against war.
What to look for
The blackened tower and fragments of the nave walls stand in a small park. A glass lift climbs inside the spire to a platform at 75 metres with views over the city and port. The crypt holds an exhibition on the raids and on Coventry, Warsaw and Rotterdam.
Plan your visit
Exhibition and lift are charged; opening times vary by season. The official site could not be read in October 2026, so check the website before you go.
Things change, so check opening times before you travel.
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