Wetzlar is a town in the German federal state (Bundesland) of Hesse, capital of the Lahn-Dill district. Located at 8° 30′ E, 50° 34′ N, there are (as of 2002) approximately 54,000 inhabitants. The town is situated on the Lahn river. Notable architectural features include the Eisenmarkt and the steep grades and claustrophobic street layout of a medieval town. The sandstone cathedral of St. Mary was commenced in the 12th century as a Romanesque building. In the later Middle Ages the construction was continued under a masterplan in Gothic style. The church was never finished, as one steeple still is uncompleted. The cathedral suffered heavy damage in the Second World War by aerial bombing, but was restored in the 1950s. On the outskirts of town exist the ruins of several masonry towers arranged along the river.