A man wearing a respirator walks past Notre-Dame in Paris. One year after the catastrophic fire in Notre-Dame in Paris, Germany has reaffirmed its willingness to support the restoration of the cathedral. “It is a matter of the heart of Germany to continue to support France in this huge task,” Minister of Culture Monika Grutters said on Wednesday in a joint communication with the Franco-German representative for culture, NRW Prime Minister Armin Laschet, and the President of the German Unesco Commission, Maria Bohmer (all CDU).
Grutters cited glass workshops of German cathedral huts as an example. “”France could rely on our support and technical expertise.” From Bohmer’s point of view, “this project of Franco-German solidarity can be realized through the Cologne cathedral building hut”. This is predestined to support French colleagues. Laschet called the project a symbol of Franco-German friendship. France’s Minister of Culture Franck Riester thanked and called the proposal “a strong symbol of solidarity” in the communication. President Emmanuel Macron stressed that he would stick to his recovery plan within five years.
Notre-Dame went up in flames on April 15, 2019. Large parts of the cathedral were badly damaged. The cause was either an electrical defect or an unexpressed cigarette during construction.
