The City of London around St Paul's played its full part in the Second World War, and in the VE Day celebrations on 8 May 1945 that marked the end of the war in Europe. Our Museum of London and nearby London Metropolitan Archives have important national collections that tell this story of war, destruction and, ultimately, rebuilding. This video to mark this day also shows how St Paul's stood almost alone in escaping destruction in this part of London - and why our Barbican estate and arts centre was built on the bombed-out ruins. Today visitors and City workers here enjoy peace, culture or just a great place to work - but once this part of London was at the heart of war. Lest we forget.
