First built as a chapel in 1195 dedicated to the patron saint of sailors, the St. Nicholas church was damaged three times by lightning and fires before the 19th century neo-gothic structure was damaged by bombs and fire in 1943. The church was left as an impressive memorial to the destruction of war, with just the battered tower standing. When finished in 1874, the 147m-high tower was the highest building in the world (it's currently the 4th highest church tower), and recently a glass elevator has been installed, zipping visitors up to the viewing platform at 76m high. The exhibition in the crypt details the history of the church and the wartime destruction of Hamburg.