World War I photos overlaid on modern day Europe

It’s hard to believe that these buildings and streets are still around.

  • Moeskido

    Not hard to believe at all. We’re looking at cultures that try to preserve their history, because they have a lot more of it.

  • Shawn King

    Huh? What’s hard to believe about it?

  • Awax

    I know it’s hard to believe but all houses do not melt down when summer arrive.

    • Awax

      Statue of Liberty was built in 1875 and it is still around. In Montreal and Quebec you can find buildings from the XVIIth century.

      My house was built 1.5 century ago and my parents’ house is 3 to 4 century old (FR).

      When something is working and pleases you that way, what’s the point of tearing it down? A lot of France infrastructure was built/created during the industrial revolution between 1850 and 1900 and majors cities were demolished and rebuilt from their middle age foundation to meet “modern” criteria (sewage system, wide streets, …). We are still living in the infrastructure built by our fathers (usually, only the building front wall is all that remain from the original building, the interior being rebuilt from the ground up).

      There is also a special case about the aftermaths of WW1 and WW2. After so many destructions and deaths, to help overcome the shock, people rebuilt the cities and buildings in the exact same aspect they had before the war. This is the reason you can see churches in perfect condition while they were completely destroyed in WW2.

      • JohnDoey

        Not much of France was destroyed in World War 2 because France surrendered. That is why you can see so many pre-WW2 buildings in France but not in the UK.

        • Awax

          Yeah yeah, whatever.

          The 1st pic is : “The town hall and belfry of Arras, France” And Caen was detroyed at 70%. But France did surrender not this did not happen.

          And it is a fact that most of Scotland and Northem Ireland (both part of UK) building pre-WW2 were all destroyed during the war because they didn’t surrender.

  • alj_disc

    Hum ? I worked at a time in a company whose plant was in a village where about half of the buildings (including the plant) were from around the 1200-1600 era. They were modernized inside, while keeping a preserved outside appearance.

    That was sometimes problematic, like not being able to temp tear down roofing carpentry to install new machinery with a crane, but preserving historical remains is important. When your country is a tourist destination because of those remains, it is even an income generator and there is a whole incentive system around that. Classified buildings and areas get grant money for staying preserved in order to ofset the additional costs

    It helps when houses are build in stone and brick, not mostly wood like in the USA

  • Eric Klein

    You should check out this UK site which has been around for awhile. They have done some tremendous work showing the before and after.

    • Moeskido

      Excellent images.

      Also, a fellow I know by the name of Shawn King interviewed a chap who has a whole collection of NYC before/after comparisons.

  • SaffronWalden Waldo

    Why is it hard to believe?? There’s a pub / hotel in my town that’s been an inn since the 15th Century and is still running today. WW1 didn’t flatten the entire European continent.

  • JohnDoey

    I know you are Canadian, but there are buildings even in Canada from the 1600′s that are still standing today.