THIS BELL inscribed in English & German with the word – PEACE FRIEDE was presented to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, by Richard von Weizsacker, President of the Federal Republic of Germany during the Service of Reconciliation on the 50th Anniversary of the bombing of Coventry. November 14th 1990~*
*Quoted from a sign beneath the bell
Why was the peace bell presented to the Queen Mother by Richard von Weizsacker, President of the Federal Republic of Germany. I understand the meaning of reconciliation and marking the 50th Anniversary of bombing Coventry. Nov 1990. But the President’s own nation did the horrendous bombing in the middle of a world war. Why didn’t they build a hospital or social housing blocks, instead of a small inscribed bell?
The bell was presented to the Cathedral, the Queen Mother was chosen to receive it on behalf of Coventry and the Cathedral.
The point of the presentation was because the presidents nation had caused the devastation. It was a peace offering.
Britain also created similar bombing devastation in German towns.
But why did they choose Britain?
Your (definitely not mine) current Royal Family members all share the same common German roots, right?
It’s not WWII but Anglo-Saxon War.
The roots of Royal family are quite diverse. You need to research the history and political connections (and Royal Connections) going back through time.
It is an interesting read
I like this bell and the spirit behind it. I note what you said in this post and the next about the Allied bombing of Germany. I must say I found my visit to Dresden to be moving too. There were aggressors and defenders in the wars but no denying that history and culture were destroyed along with innocents civilians and their livelihoods.
It is a sobering thought and it should be a lesson for such things to never be repeated. But sadly the same mistakes seem to keep on happening throughout the world.