Mayor Biber unveils a peace symbol in front of Troisdorf town hall

Troisdorf –

Oxana Georgieva is visibly moved when she begins to speak. And her voice breaks several times when she quotes in Ukrainian what women who have fled and who have found refuge in Troisdorf have told her: “Everyone has a story of war, blood and tears” – at the regular meetings of a women’s discussion group in the multi-generational house House International they are topic.

Around 620 refugees from Ukraine have been housed in Troisdorf so far; A number of people had come to the city center for the unveiling of a “peace pole” in front of the town hall. They had brought baked angels of peace, the former pastor Heinz Kieseier brought the tireless Spicher Corona singers.

Wish for peace in four languages

“May peace be on earth” is written in German, English, Russian and Ukrainian on the stake, which is part of a worldwide initiative. Since 1976, around 250,000 such wooden posts have been set all over the world, for Mayor Alexander Biber “a memorial and a silent prayer”.

Topics such as climate protection, energy and economic growth have been discussed intensively in Europe in recent years, said Biber. As “completely self-evident” it was assumed that peace prevailed.

“Everyone must do something for peace”

It is now evident that “peace is not a matter of course in Europe either”, that “everyone has to do something for it”: the wooden pole is a sign like the flag of the “Mayors for Peace” (mayors for peace), which are now constantly in front of the town hall blows. The city and many private individuals actively supported the people fleeing the war.

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