Bombing of Frankfurt am Main by the Allies of World War II killed about 5,500 residents and destroyed the largest half-timbered historical city centre in Germany (the Eighth Air Force dropped 12,197 tons of explosives on the city). In the 1939-45 period the Royal Air Force (RAF) dropped 15,696 long tons of bombs on Frankfurt. Post-war reconstruction generally used modern architecture, and a few landmark buildings were rebuilt in a simple historical style. The 1st building rebuilt was the 1789 Paulskirche (English: St. Paul's Church).