Der Michel in Hamburg

Last week, in our walk around St. Pauli, we passed next to Der Michel, or the St. Michaelis Church. It is the most representative building of Hamburg. I will be visiting it several times, as the inside is beautiful and the view from the top of the tower is supposed to be fantastic.

The book I am reading, Inferno: the devastation of Hamburg, mentions that this is one of the few buildings not destroyed by the British and American air raids during the second world war. This picture here, I was not able to find more, can show that perhaps it is true.

However, in wikipedia and in the website of Der Michel, they do mention something about the church been partially destroyed by the raids. What called my attention is that there is few information about it - what happened in the 1940's to the church - in both websites. I do not think this is good.

Here is a closer look at an statue they have over the entrance to Der Michel. I am not very religious, but I guess it is the Archangel Michael.