The Cloth Hall in Ypres is a large 13th-century building complex that once housed a textile trading center. It was one of the largest and best-preserved Gothic buildings north of the Alps.
During World War I, Ypres was the site of fierce fighting. In the process, the German army almost completely destroyed the building, with no military purpose. St. Martin’s Cathedral (on the right in the picture) was also left almost completely in ruins.
After the war, the Cloth Hall was rebuilt as faithfully as possible to the original. Today, it houses a museum dedicated to the city’s history and World War I (the In Flanders Fields Museum). At the same time, the cathedral was rebuilt - with a tower slightly taller than the original one.
The Cloth Hall in Ypres is a large 13th-century building complex that once housed a textile trading center. It was one of the largest and best-preserved Gothic buildings north of the Alps.
During World War I, Ypres was the site of fierce fighting. In the process, the German army almost completely destroyed the building, with no military purpose. St. Martin’s Cathedral (on the right in the picture) was also left almost completely in ruins.
After the war, the Cloth Hall was rebuilt as faithfully as possible to the original. Today, it houses a museum dedicated to the city’s history and World War I (the In Flanders Fields Museum). At the same time, the cathedral was rebuilt - with a tower slightly taller than the original one.