Crime: After a church fire in Saxony: the community builds a new church

crime
After church fire in Saxony: congregation builds new church

The congregation of the town church in Großröhrsdorf, Saxony, which was largely destroyed by the fire, will be rebuilt on the same site build a house of worship. The church council decided that, said the pastor of the Protestant parish of Kleinröhrsdorf-Großröhrsdorf, Stefan Schwarzenberg, the German Press Agency. “There will be a church on our Kirchberg for the future, we want to build a new church.”

Whether new construction or reconstruction will be decided when it is clear what is left of the old church and can be included.

The 18th-century Protestant church was largely burned out on the night of August 4th. The flames destroyed the roof structure, only the outer walls of the nave remain, and the bell tower, which was once 50 meters high and can be seen from afar, has been cut down. Many of the historical art treasures and parts of the wooden architecture have been lost.

A week after the fire, it was clear that the fire had been set. A man from the area around the small town around 25 kilometers east of Dresden is in custody for serious arson. The 40-year-old has confessed to the crime, but the authorities have not yet provided any information on the course of events and motive, with reference to the ongoing investigation.

Meanwhile, the ruins are about to be demolished. A company has been commissioned to do this and can start immediately if the police release the scene of the fire. The fundamental decision of the church council is a signal that “we are looking ahead after going through a vale of tears,” says Schwarzenberg. “We still mourn the loss, but in a few years we will heal this wound.” Willingness to help and solidarity with the community is still not waning. Your donation account continues to fill up, almost a quarter of a million euros have now been received.

dpa