Situated at the meeting point between the Rivers Ouse and Foss, York has seen settlement since the Stone age. Named Eboracum by the Romans, Jórvík by the Norsemen and Everwic by the Normans, York has felt the mark of foreign conquerors beyond count. For York, the Germans are simply the latest in a long line.

The pre-war years had seen the city eclipsed in prominence by Leeds and Hull, kept largely relevant by its railways and confectionaries. Unlike Hull, York was relatively lightly touched by the bombs of the blitz and the post-war years have seen those railways expanded by the keen interest of Krupp Thyssen AG. From this junction, York remains a key connection to places further north, York station being a vital stopping point between London and the Scottish border.

The walls of York tell a story, one of empires come and gone. Krupp logos may dot the city between its beautiful architecture today, but so too did Roman standards and Norman banners. Empires may come to York, but so do they go.