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“Thank You” to Donors for Frauenkirche Dresden Restoration
The reconstruction of the Baroque Frauenkirche in the heart of old Dresden decades after it fell victim to World War II bombing became an international symbol of restoration and reconciliation out of the devastation of war. Re-consecrated in October 2005, the sandstone church with its distinctive dome is once again the crown of the Dresden skyline. Now the Society to Promote the Reconstruction of the Frauenkirche Dresden is using an international billboard campaign to say “thank you” to supporters in the US and around the world who helped fund the painstaking restoration of the landmark church. Placed at major airports—including New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport, Berlin-Tegel, London’s Heathrow and Aéroport Charles de Gaulle in Paris—the billboards read, “in the beginning it was an idea... thanks to your donations a magnificent effort has been realized.”
For Society Chairman Prof. Ludwig Güttler, the campaign is an important follow-up to the international call for donors early in the reconstruction effort. “The project is not finished for me,” Güttler said in announcing the campaign, which began on January 1. The majority of the donations for the restoration were raised by the Dresdner Bank and the Society to Promote the Reconstruction of the Frauenkirche Dresden e.V. The international commitment for the reconstruction exceeded by far the expectations and hopes of the initiators and the people in charge. The sum of 179 million euros was covered by donations from businesses and private individuals worldwide and also by the contribution of the city of Dresden, the Free State of Saxony and the German Federal Republic. Construction costs were paid for in full a few weeks before the church was re-consecrated. “Having been able to turn the apparently impossible into reality, is perhaps the most important message and realization of this reconstruction,” Güttler said. “The campaign is to stress the social significance that the act of giving and donating in solidarity has for the future.” January 14, 2008 Links
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