Bats, German unity building’s nightmare

London: For over a decade attempts to build a monument to German unity have been hampered by technical problems, spiralling costs and huge disagreement over its purpose, the Guardian reported.

The latest hurdle is a colony of 60 rare bats that took up residence in the pedestal of the planned 50metre-long seesaw steel bowl, which will rock from side to side when people climb on to it.

On the advice of nature conservationists, the Daubenton’s bats — Eurasian species recognisable by their small ears —

will have to be rehoused near the planned site of the monument. Their careful removal and the construction of a new home for them are likely to further delay the monument and add considerably to the final costs of a project that is already hugely over budget and behind schedule.

The budgetary committee of the Bundestag recently approved extra funding for the monument, bringing the costs up to €17m from an original sum of €10m.

The decision to build the monument to freedom and unity was made by the Bundestag in 2007. It was supposed to be completed in time for the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall next month, but there is now considerable doubt as to whether even a later date — 3 October 2020, 3 decades after the reunification of East and West Germany took place – can be met.

Bowl of the winning design, by architects Milla & Partner, is to be inscribed with the words, “Wir sind das Volk, wir sind ein Volk”, echoing the rallying cry of demonstrators in former East Germany in months leading up to Wall’s fall.

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◗ A colony of 60 rare bats that took up residence in the pedestal of the planned 50-metre-long seesaw steel bowl, which will rock from side to side when people climb on to it, is the latest hurdle