(kus) "All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should meet one another in a spirit of brotherhood."
220 battery-powered pig lights bathed St. Paul's Church in blue light on the evening of Sunday, December 10. The occasion was the anniversary of the UN Declaration of Human Rights, Article 1 of which is quoted here. It was adopted on this day in 1948. Blue is the colour of the United Nations.
The Paulskirche was thus the only building in Germany to set a sign for human rights, humanity, for peace and solidarity. It was thus part of an international concert along with the Empire State Building in New York, the CN Tower in Toronto, Taipei 101 in Taipei, the Opera House in Sydney and many more.
Ulrike Klinke-Kobale of the Human Rights Watch Committee Frankfurt initiated the spekrakel. "What better building for this than our Paulskirche?" She quickly found partners to make the idea a reality. It didn't take her long to convince Lord Mayor Peter Feldmann to let Paulskirche shine.
"Our Paulskirche is the landmark for democracy in Germany. It makes me proud that it is the only building in Germany to be bathed in blue on Human Rights Day to commemorate 10 December 1948 and what is no less important today: human rights, which are the basis for peaceful coexistence. They apply to all people and yet are ignored in many places. We should be aware of this - on Human Rights Day and every other day," said the Lord Mayor. "I thank the Frankfurt Committee of Human Rights Watch and all supporters for this great action."
