Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church

This church was built between 1891 and 1895 by Kaiser Wilhelm II, a symbol of Prussian unity and a mark of honor for his grandfather, Kaiser Wilhem I. The neo-romanesque structure was unusually ornate for a protestant church. It was decorated with a large mosaic depicting the history of Prussia.

On the night of November 18, 1943 the church burned down after it was hit by an allied bomb; only the broken west tower of the church was still standing. Local opposition saved the structure - which had become known as the 'hollow tooth' - from demolition in the 1950s and in 1961 a new, octagonal church was built alongside the existing tower. The church is a reinforced concrete structure with blue-colored glass bricks.

Inside the church is a figure of Christ which is suspended above the altar. This is made from tombak. The cross on the altar is made of gilt silver with 37 rock crystals.

The entrance hall in the base of the damaged spire has a floor which contains a mosaic of the Archangel Michael fighting the dragon. The vault shows a procession of Hohenzollern princes, early and more recent. At the opposite end of the hall are three items which symbolize the history of the church. In the middle is a damaged statue of Christ which originally stood on the altar of the old church. To its right is the Cross of Nails which was made from nails in the roof timbers of Coventry Cathedral. This cathedral had been severely damaged in a German air raid on 14 November 1940.

This was an impressive building to see, with each stained glass panel having a unique design and blue color. It was another reminder of Germany's past wars, and now a hopeful future.