13 February 2015 Last updated at 09:54 ET

Germany marks 70th anniversary of Dresden firebombing

Commemorations are taking place in Germany to mark the 70th anniversary of the bombing of Dresden.

An estimated 25,000 people died in the British and American attack, which created a firestorm that left 33 sq km (12 sq miles) of the city in ruins.

German President Joachim Gauck is due to attend a service at the Church of Our Lady, which has been rebuilt since it was destroyed in the WW2 raids.

The city was believed by allied forces to be a vital Nazi command centre.

It was used by German forces to defend the country against Soviet forces approaching from the east.

Friday's events include an afternoon service at the Church of Our Lady, or the Frauenkirche, where President Gauck is due to speak, and ringing of the church bells.

Anti-fascist campaigners, joined by church dignitaries, are also due to form a human chain to pay homage to the victims of the massive bombing, as they have done in past years.

Thousands of people are expected to gather in the city centre on Friday evening to remember those killed.

Dresden Mayor Helma Orosz has said that the events would be an opportunity to demonstrate the city's core values of "openness to the world and tolerance".

Far-right supporters have previously sought to exploit the anniversary of the bombings, although marches have dwindled in recent years.

The attack left Dresden's Church of Our Lady and Martin-Luther-Memorial in ruins

The statue of Martin Luther and the Church of Our Lady have since been rebuilt

Dresden has become the hub of Germany's "anti-Islamisation" Pegida movement, which has brought thousands onto the streets for weekly protests since October 2014.

Starting on 13 February 1945, British and US planes unleashed a massive 37-hour bombing, sparking a huge inferno that engulfed the city's old town.

By the time it was over, tens of thousands of Dresden's buildings had been turned to rubble, including its famous opera house and a number of museums.