Dresden (dpa/sn) - Saxon congregations of the Evangelical Church on the Elbe, Mulde and other rivers commemorate the flood of the century in August 2002 in their services Message from Thursday in Dresden. This is a double challenge for the Church. "We have the task of preserving creation and - in the event of such extreme situations as the fires of this year are again - to support the people affected with our pastoral care and with active help, as was provided by the Diakonie at the time."
On August 13th a memorial concert in the Frauenkirche Grimma. Thanks are also due to those who helped with donations and the clean-up work in the days of need. The flood had devastated the entire old town, including the Frauenkirche, the superintendent's office, the rectory and parish hall, recalled Superintendent Christian Behr, who was the pastor there at the time. After the water was gone, the church became a place of worship and a help center at the same time. And in Dresden-Laubegast, which the Elbe surrounded for days, an island festival service will be celebrated on August 21st - a tradition since then.
According to the announcement, damage totaling a good 13.5 million euros was caused to 108 objects in the area of the regional church, especially in the Elbe valley from Bad Schandau to Riesa and in the valley of the Mulde near Grimma. Donations, funds from the Foundation for the Preservation of Church Monuments (KiBa) and funds from the EKD, from partner churches and government grants enabled most of the churches, community centers and social facilities to be quickly renovated. A Sunday collection raised 604,000 euros for the emergency aid fund of the Diakonie - a record sum.
