St. Paul's & The Blitz
Contributed by Lauren Rullo

Some Facts:
-The first cathedral to sit on the current site was built in 604 AD.
-The current cathedral is the fourth.
-Designed by Sir Christopher Wren and built between 1675 and 1710 after its predecessor was destroyed in  the Great Fire of London in 1666.
-The Blitz occurred from September 7, 1940 to
May 11, 1941.
-On September 7, 1940, the bombs fell from 4 pm until 6 pm.
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The reason this building is so important is because (during WWI and mainly during WWII) the building survived all the bombing.
It became a symbol to the British that if St. Paul's could withstand the attacks, then they
could do the same.



In WWII, Germany executed air strikes via the Blitz and destroyed
one-third of the city. 
During the Blitz, 17 of Sir Christopher Wren's buildings were badly damaged, but (strangely) St. Paul's suffered only minor damage.  Many accounts from people who survived the Blitz recall volunteer firefighters, both men and women, risking their lives to protect the beloved cathedral. Buildings such as the House of Commons, Buckingham Palace, Ford Motor Works,
and 130,000 homes
were not as fortunate.
For sources and more information:
http://www.britainexpress.com/London/modern-london.htm
http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/blitz.htm
http://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/frames.shtml?http://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/MOLsite/exhibits/blitz/
http://www.stpauls.co.uk
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