Coventry (United Kingdom) (AFP)

If there is a city that can understand the emotion aroused by the destruction of the German city Dresden during the Second World War, it is the British Coventry who still bears the stigma of a similar attack that deeply marked the memories .

Several hundred German bombers dumped their cargo on this city in the center of England for more than eleven hours on the night of November 14, 1940, particularly targeting factories manufacturing aircraft and ammunition so crucial to the effort of war in the United Kingdom.

But not only that: more than 550 people were killed, more than 41,000 houses were destroyed and around two-thirds of the city's buildings were damaged.

It is one of the most destructive raids in the Luftwaffe.

St Michael's Cathedral is one of many historic buildings razed to the ground by Nazi incendiary bombs. Its ruined skeleton is still visible today, offering a strong symbol of memory and the devastating power of war.

Right next to it stands the new cathedral, also dedicated to St Michael. The centerpiece of the high altar is a cross made up of three nails from the roof of the old medieval church.

Dresden will be at the top of Coventry’s thoughts on Thursday, said John Witcombe, dean of Coventry Cathedral.

The bombing of the German city in 1945 was seen as retaliation for the fate of the English city five years earlier. Since then, the two bruised cities have forged very strong ties.

The bishop of Coventry Christopher Cocksworth also made the trip to Dresden for the commemorations planned for Thursday. And in Coventry, in solidarity, candles will be lit and prayers recited at Vespers.

For Witcombe, it is crucial to leave a legacy of peace and understanding of what happened as the Second World War slowly fades from living memories.

"I consider that it is up to us to keep this history alive but so that it serves as a springboard for a work of reconciliation carried out together," he explained to AFP.

- "Heal the wounds of history" -

The rapprochement began the day after the war, when delegations from Coventry visited German cities and throughout the rest of Europe, having suffered the same destruction as it.

The ties between Coventry and Dresden were further strengthened from the 1960s, first in the area of ​​technical assistance and then as part of an international group promoting peace in conflict zones around the world.

The Community of the Cross of Nails at St Michael's Cathedral now has more than 200 international partners - including churches, charities and educational centers - in forty-five countries. Three German churches plan to join later this year.

One of its main precepts: "Heal the wounds of history".

Work continues and has even intensified before and after the recent exit of the United Kingdom from the European Union, and after several terrorist attacks in Europe.

A replica of the studded cross was recently sent to Southwark Cathedral in south London after two nearby attacks in 2017 and November. Others went to the main Anglican church in Belgium, located in Brussels, as well as to Bergen in Norway.

Witcombe insisted that there was "never a time" when peace and reconciliation were not important, but with the discord sowed by Brexit and the rise of the extremism is more topical than ever.

"As relationships take directions that tend to suggest that the distance is increasing or, certainly, that relationships need to be reorganized, I think maintaining close commitments to each other and partnerships is extraordinarily important," he noted.

And to add: "We see that people are still turning to us for inspiration in matters of reconciliation".

© 2020 AFP