The anniversary of the death of Helmut Kohl is controversial

Five years after the death of the former chancellor, crowds still visit his grave. His widow went to court for the memorial and a biography.

Helmut Kohl’s tomb remains a magnet for five years after the former chancellor’s death. People are standing nearby, some are photographing, the noise from the surrounding streets just reaches this part of the cemetery in Adenauer Park in the city of Speyer. The municipality, however, has opened a front of confrontation with the widow of the former chancellor and demands the removal of the fence and the camera that were placed to prevent vandalism in the tomb of Helmut Kohl.

Widow Maike Cole-Richter’s wishes for the installation of a closed circuit television and fencing “were understandable”, says a representative of the municipal authority: “But now it is time for them to leave”. For her part, Maike Kohl-Richter stressed in March that the remembrance of Helmut Kohl’s wish was fulfilled, as recorded in the will: “Shortly after the burial, the interest of the people was very great. It goes without saying that it was limited. “Nevertheless, my subjective impression is that people want to visit the grave.”

He is considered the father of German Reunification

Helmut Kohl was born on April 3, 1930 in Lutvichshafen and died on June 16, 2017 in the Ogersheim district. In 1969, Cole, who had studied political science, took over as prime minister of the Rhineland-Palatinate state. From 1982 to 1998, Helmut Kohl served as Chancellor. He is considered one of the architects of modern Europe. It promoted European integration, played a key role in the founding of the EU in 1993 with the implementation of the Maastricht Treaty, and the introduction of the single European currency. In late 1999, Cole admitted that he had not included more than 2 million marks in the mandatory report on financial donations to the Christian Democratic Party (CDU). He was strongly criticized inside and outside his party for refusing to name the donors, as he claimed he had given his word of honor.

Meanwhile, about 280 kilometers from the city of Speyer, another trial continues in Cologne between the widow Maike Kohl-Richter and the biographer of former Chancellor Heriberd Schwann. Apple excerpts from the book “Legacy. The Col protocols”, which the widow claims were published without her husband’s approval. According to a decision of the competent appellate court, the evidentiary process will be restarted without excluding the possibility that the sons of the former chancellor will be called to testify in court. The legal dispute between Kohl’s widow and his biographer is expected to occupy German justice at least until next spring.

Two Helmut Coll

And as if the public controversy over the design of the tomb was not enough and the court for the biography began to operate in Berlin after a decision of the German Parliament the Helmut Kohl Foundation against the will of Kohl-Richter. The widow of the former chancellor has created her own Helmut Kohl Foundation in order, as she announced, to ensure that what will be written about the former chancellor will correspond to reality.

Maike Kohl-Richter states that she is looking forward to the day when the focus will be on the life and work of Helmut Kohl. “It takes authentic sources of information and a genuine interest. That’s why I set up the foundation by transforming my husband’s will,” said Mike Cole-Richter. And for this reason he appeals to the courts and against the creation of a federal institution.

Wolfgang Jung, dpa Edited by: Stefanos Georgakopoulos

Source: Deutsche Welle