Noch heute erscheint es wie ein Wunder: Der Kölner Dom hat den Zweiten Weltkrieg fast unbeschadet überstanden – zumindest auf den ersten Blick. Köln war eines der Hauptangriffsziele der alliierten Bomber im Zweiten Weltkrieg, 1945 lag der überwiegende Teil Kölns in Trümmern. Der Dom war durch seine Lage in unmittelbarer Nähe des Hauptbahnhofs und der Hohenzollernbrücke besonders gefährdet. Niklas Möring erzählt in seinem Buch 'Der Kölner Dom im Zweiten Weltkrieg' erstmals ausführlich die Geschichte des Kölner Wahrzeichens im Zweiten Weltkrieg. Er spannt den Bogen von der Machtübernahme der Nationalsozialisten 1933 bis zum 700-jährigen Domjubiläum 1948. Der mit teilweise unveröffentlichten Fotografien bebilderte Band zeigt die gewaltigen Anstrengungen zum Schutz des einmaligen Baudenkmals und seiner weltberühmten Kunstschätze, aber auch die großen Schäden, welche die Kathedrale im Krieg erleiden musste.

Contents Introduction The Protection of Monuments and Historical Buildings by the State under National Socialism Hans Güldenpfennig,Cathedral Architect in Cologne Cologne Cathedral under National Socialism The Pre-war Era The Affiliation of the Cathedral Workshop to the Reichsluftschutzbund Air-raid Protection and Fire Safety Measures The Remilitarization of the Rhineland and Early Cathedral Protection Measures Construction Work along the Siegfried Line and the First Art Protection Decree The Provincial Curator is Appointed Commissioner for the Protection of Art 1939 War Breaks Out Preparations for Protective Measures The Protection of the Cathedral's Windows The Protection of Immovable Works of Art 1940 The Procurement of Material The Removal of the Medieval Windows The Choir Pier Statues, Choir Stalls, Altar-pieces, and Sculptures The Removal of the Nineteenth-century Windows 1941 Hitler's Involvement in the Protection of Art The “Bell Campaign” of 1941–42 St. Peter's Bell 1942 The 1,000-bomber Raid The Birth of a Legend A New Fire-extinguishing System for Cologne Cathedral Art Protection Meeting in Berlin The Removal of the Choir Stalls The Evacuation of the Shrine of the Three Magi, the “Cathedral Picture,” and the Shrine of St. Engelbert Other Protective Measures A Series of Setbacks for the Fire-extinguishing System 1943 The Construction of a Bunker in the North Tower The Evacuation of the Remaining Cathedral Treasures A New Fire-extinguishing System The “Peter and Paul Air Raid” on June 29, 1943 The Propaganda Response The Threat to the Shrine of the Three Magi and the Altar-piece of the City's Patron Saints The Air Raid on November 3, 1943 and the “Cathedral Filling” 1944 The Cathedral Commission and the Protection of the St. Peter Portal The “Cathedral Picture” and the Shrine of the Three Magi on the Move Again The Defense of the City The Cathedral Architect Leaves Cologne 1945 A New Threat to the Cathedral Windows and Choir Stalls The Final Air Raid on Cologne, March 2, 1945 The Last Damage Inflicted on the Cathedral The Continuing Threat to the Cathedral Despite the End of Hostilities The Legend that the Cathedral was Intentionally Spared The Start of Reconstruction and Outlook References, Sources, and Literature Picture credits Imprint