German shellfire during the opening engagements of the First World War on 20 September 1914 burned, damaged and destroyed important parts of the cathedral. Scaffolding around the north tower caught fire, spreading the blaze to all parts of the carpentry superstructure. The lead of the roofs melted and poured through the stone gargoyles, destroying in turn the bishop's palace. Images of the cathedral in ruins were used during the war as propaganda images by the French against the Germans and their deliberate destruction of buildings rich in national and cultural heritage

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Photo credit: © Photo12/Ann Ronan Picture Library / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: 20th, cathedral, century, destruction, france, german, reims, shelling, war, world, wwi