The city of Kiel on the north German coast had long been a major port for the German navy. During World War 2 it was one of the major naval bases and centres of submarine production. As a result, Kiel was heavily bombed and huge parts of the city were destroyed.

A British officer from Coventry named Williams was stationed in Kiel and returned there after the war as a construction commissioner. He realised Kiel had suffered from distress similar to that suffered by his own home town. He encouraged the mayor to propose a friendship link with Coventry. In 1947, Coventry’s civic and religious leaders presented the first Cross of Nails to the people of Kiel and, following this first act of friendship and partnership, many more relationships have been built with other cities.

This global candle-stand is one more token of that relationship. It was made by a group of students and staff from Kiel vocational training college and presented to the Cathedral in 2016.

The stand holds 57 candles, which is the number of victims of the London bombings that took place on the 7th of July 2005, including the two bombers.

The candle stand is a symbol of the cathedral’s enduring commitment to sharing together in building a community and future for us all.

Today, Kiel is once again an important maritime centre of Germany, with high-tech shipbuilding and submarine construction. It hosts one of the three leading institutions in the field of marine sciences in Europe.