Wounds of the past: St. Foillan Church

​​In the shadow of the UNESCO World Heritage Aachen Cathedral is St. Foillan City Church. From the 12th century onwards, this was the church for the citizens of the city, and throughout this time it was repeatedly affected by fires. During the Second World War, however, the building was almost completely destroyed.

St. Foillan  was quickly rebuilt in the early post-war years, and by 1958 the shape that is visible today had been created. However, on the front of the church, directly on the narrow lane leading to the cathedral, there is still visible damage that was caused by violence during the Second World War. The building damage, which was inflicted during bombardments and fighting during the liberation of Aachen, was deliberately left unrepaired.

​Today, they are wounds of the martial past. Chipping on the plinth shows how badly the church was damaged in the fighting. However, because most of the damage is at ground or knee level, most people no longer notice these traces of the Second World War.