Berlin Wall victims deserve memorial, says German church spokesman

Published: 2005-07-08

WARSAW, Poland (CNS) -- A German church spokesman said the church supports the construction of a permanent monument for those killed while trying to escape communism by crossing the Berlin Wall. An unofficial memorial of crosses near where the wall once stood was removed to make way for development. The church believes communist-era victims deserve a "more fitting, permanent monument," said Stefan Forner, spokesman for the Berlin Archdiocese. "It's clear to us that these victims deserve to be commemorated in a pure and simple way that can be understood by everyone," he said. On July 5 workers pulled down 1,065 crosses commemorating citizens of the former communist-ruled East Germany who were shot trying to escape across the wall during the nearly 30 years that it divided Berlin.

Copyright (c) 2005 Catholic News Service /U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The CNS news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed, including but not limited to such means as framing or any other digital copying or distribution method, in whole or in part without the prior written authority of Catholic News Service .