The Grote of Sint-Laurenskerk is the only surviving medieval building in the city center of Rotterdam. Its heavy stone tower dominates the skyline, built from limestone shipped all the way from the Ardennes. During the air raid of May nineteen forty, the church took severe hits and gutted the interior, leaving the walls charred. For years afterward, the ruins stood as a stark reminder of the destruction. Engineers eventually debated tearing down the skeleton, but the city chose to restore it instead.
St. Lawrence Church
religious