 |
||
|
Monument that Conveys the Tragedy of World
War II
 The Atomic Bomb Dome is a skeletal domed building in Hiroshima City which still stands to commemorate the dropping of the atomic bomb. The atomic bomb, dropped for the first time in history, exploded some 580 meters (1,903 feet) above Hiroshima City. The hypocenter was only about 160 meters (525 feet) southeast of this domed building. However, because the force of the blast came from almost directly above, part of the walls of the building and the steel frames of the dome on top survived and remained standing in the center of the burnt-out city area. The damaged building was intentionally preserved in the state immediately after the bombing, and eventually came to be called "Genbaku Dome (Atomic Bomb Dome)" and became famous as a symbol of the bombed city. In 1966, Hiroshima City Council adopted a resolution to preserve the monument for posterity, and the first preservation and reinforcement work was undertaken the following year, the expenses of which were covered by funds raised across the nation. A similar fund-raising campaign was organized in 1989 to finance the second phase of preservation work, which was completed in the following year. The dome was registered on UNESCO's World Cultural Heritage list in December 1996 as a monument that reminds us of the tragedy of the bombing. The Atomic Bomb Dome was originally built in 1915 as the Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall. Even before the bombing, the European-style building with its oval dome and wavy walls had long been a famous attraction of Hiroshima City. Photo: Genbaku Dome in Hiroshima City (Hiroshima Prefecture). Unauthorized reproduction of the
photos in this page is prohibited.
Related Links: |
|
