Although heavy bombing in 1945 destroyed much of the city, Magdeburg today is a glorious example of a lively German town. The former seat of an archbishopric in 968 A.D., and later a member of the Hanseatic League, Magdeburg reveals its historic roots in its surviving architecture, from the 11th-century Church of Our Lady to the Cathedral of Marie and Catherine. The town also boasts the famous 1240 A.D. statue of Magdeburger Reiter (Magdeburg Rider), the oldest equestrian statue in Germany.