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The Lady of Dresden is Back

After being a pile of rubble for half a century the Church of Our Lady in Dresden has now been rebuilt and on Sunday was consecrated. Meanwhile, in Delhi police boost security in expectation of Tuesday's Hindu festival. And Joschka Fisher says "I do" -- for the fifth time -- in Rome.

At various times the Church of Our Lady in Dresden has been called either "the soul," "the crown" or "the heart" of Dresden. Its destruction in 1945, and the ruins left behind for half a century, became a symbol for the consequences of war. And now its reconstruction is being hailed as a symbol for hope, peace, reconciliation and a general boost to the mood of the country.

Weighed down as it is with such over-interpretation -- and its significant price tag -- the real wonder is that the project ever managed to get off the ground at all.

"What has been achieved here in Dresden should give the whole of Germany courage," was German President Horst Köhler's contribution to the symbol-creating frenzy -- courage to get over the current jittery nervousness about the dodgy economy, is presumably what he is talking about. Meanwhile, all over the country magazines and papers have been going supplement crazy about the church.

The Church of Our Lady, or Frauenkirche, was reduced to rubble by Allied planes on Feb. 13 1945, when devastating raids resulted in a firestorm thought to have killed some 35,000 people. The magnificent dome, which for 200 years dominated the Dresden skyline, was replaced by a pile of rubble which was left as a reminder of the consequences of war.

Work on re-building the church began in 1994 after the fall of the East German communist government and cost a total of €131 million, much of which was contributed by private individuals. Predictably enough, given all the symbols, myths and principles involved, the project was dogged by controversy: How authentic is a reconstruction? Is this not glossing over the consequences of Germany's Nazi past? Is it worth the money?

But incredibly, despite all the worthy discussions, the building is now standing. And whatever the church does or doesn't symbolize, the delight and euphoria which have accompanied its consecration is a welcome change from the economic news.

Security Stepped up in Delhi

A day before the Hindu festival of Diwali, India's bomb-struck capital is trying to get back on its feet. After three bombs exploded in Delhi on Saturday, killing at least 60 people, security has been increased in view of visitors coming to the city for the festivities -- although turn-out for Tuesday's festival is expected to be lower than usual. Later in the week the Muslim celebration of Eid ul-Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan, is also due to take place.

Extra armed police are on the streets and people have been warned to be vigilant to prevent further attacks. The authorities say they have made progress in their investigations and, because each of the attacks occurred within minutes of each other, they assume that one single organization is behind all three bombings. Various people have been questioned but as yet there have been no arrests. One group, called Inqilabi, has already claimed responsibility, a statement the police are investigating.

The possibility that the attacks were carried out by groups fighting Indian rule in Kashmir has not been ruled out. There are suspicions that the terrorist wanted to ruin the improving relationship between India and Pakistan. India has been congratulated for opening the Kashmir Line of Control just hours after the attacks so that aid could reach the victims of the recent earthquake.

Security forces have raided hotels and guest houses in their search for clues, and Home Minister Shivraj Patil told reporters on Sunday that the investigation is "going well" and that "lots of information" has been gathered, although he refused to give further details. In a televised address Prime Minster Manmohan Singh condemned the attacks as "dastardly acts of terrorism." The attacks were evidently planned to coincide with people of various different faiths out shopping to prepare for this week's religious festivals.

Joschka Fischer Gets Married -- Again

Joschka Fischer may have lost his position as German foreign minister, but he is not letting his reduced political standing threaten his alpha male status. At the weekend the 57-year-old politician proved his enduring vigor, and became the object of both envy and admiration, by marrying the attractive 29-year-old Minu Barati in Rome.

Despite being in the Green Party, Fischer has never been one to limit himself to a life of sandal-wearing, muesli-eating political correctness. He created a ruckus a few years ago when news of his stone-throwing revolutionary 1960s past hit the headlines. Perversely pictures of him fighting policemen actually gave his popularity a boost.

This is his fifth marriage, which leads one to suspect that either Joschka is very good with the ladies, or really quite bad. Either way, he is certainly not letting himself be put out to pasture. Which seems to be part of being a leading politician in Germany -- Chancellor Schröder himself is on round four in the marriage stakes.