Der Dom: A Church Miracle

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I saw this photo recently in an article on the devastation of Germany during World War II.  In the photo is my favorite church in Europe, the Dom in Cologne, Germany.  It is by far one of the most grand and inspiring churches in the world.  One of the miracles of World War II was that this Cathedral, for the most part, was undamaged during the war.  Although you can see the destruction all around the Dom (Cologne was/is a major industrial center), the Cathedral was left intact.

I had heard stories that its survival was not a surprise since it was a landmark for pilot navigation.  However, those stories do not hold water due to the inaccuracy of weapons and from friends who lived during the time who say that during a bombing raid, the smoke was so thick around the city that it would have been obscured from view.  It was simply too big of a target to miss after so many years of war.

Needless to say, its survival during the war was a great gift and certainly a consolation for the civilians who lived in the area.  A sign of Gods presence, even in the most difficult of times.