As the guns fell silent, most Central European cities had turned to barely recognisable heaps of rubble, which renders their renaissance thereafter a feat of endurance and persistence
What happened to Captain Gerhard Klinkicht? Was he Roman Catholic or just a man who did not want to see senseless destruction? This would have been a very dangerous order to disobey.
"Gerhard Klinkicht died in Bavaria on 14 March 2000 at the age of 86. A few months before his death, he presented Dr Christoph Cardinal Schönborn with a cheque worth around 70,000 euros for the restoration of St Stephen's Cathedral. Klinkicht donated a total of 150,000 euros to ‘Our St Stephen's Cathedral’."
"A memorial plaque at the foot of the high tower commemorates the saviour of St. Stephen's Cathedral:"
'Captain Gerhard Klinkicht in gratitude. Through his decision of conscience, he saved St Stephen's Cathedral from destruction in April 1945.'"
Imagine, Mr. Klinkicht didn't merely save the cathedral--but decades later, he donated 70K euros for the upkeep of the church.
You're very much welcome; while I can't know for sure, I suppose Mr. Klinkicht was a Catholic or an otherwise devout person. He was rewarded for this with a memorial plaque in St Stephen's where he's cherished as the saviour of the church.
What happened to Captain Gerhard Klinkicht? Was he Roman Catholic or just a man who did not want to see senseless destruction? This would have been a very dangerous order to disobey.
He survived the war and died in 2000, as per this website:
http://www.stephansdom.at/restaurierung_zweiter_weltkrieg_gerhard_klinkicht.htm
"Gerhard Klinkicht died in Bavaria on 14 March 2000 at the age of 86. A few months before his death, he presented Dr Christoph Cardinal Schönborn with a cheque worth around 70,000 euros for the restoration of St Stephen's Cathedral. Klinkicht donated a total of 150,000 euros to ‘Our St Stephen's Cathedral’."
"A memorial plaque at the foot of the high tower commemorates the saviour of St. Stephen's Cathedral:"
'Captain Gerhard Klinkicht in gratitude. Through his decision of conscience, he saved St Stephen's Cathedral from destruction in April 1945.'"
Imagine, Mr. Klinkicht didn't merely save the cathedral--but decades later, he donated 70K euros for the upkeep of the church.
May he rest in peace.
Wow. Thanks for the information.
You're very much welcome; while I can't know for sure, I suppose Mr. Klinkicht was a Catholic or an otherwise devout person. He was rewarded for this with a memorial plaque in St Stephen's where he's cherished as the saviour of the church.
Wow. Armies in flight can be a destructive force.
What’s always amazed me is that so many of the old buildings survived. Many destroyed, but many left standing
Well, some of the reconstructed ones are quite…less than appealing, to tell you the truth.
Once they modernize, the charm is gone