Papal Bank

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People on the Pope's bench during Holy Mass on September 25, 2011
Papal Bank in Karlsruhe

The papal bench is a wooden bench that was erected on the occasion of the 21st apostolic journey of Pope Benedict XVI. on behalf of the Archdiocese of Freiburg at local sawmills in the Freiburg im Breisgau area as seating for participants in the celebration of Holy Mass on Sunday, September 25, 2011. About 5,000 benches were produced.

Dimensions of the Papal Bank

The papal bench is made of untreated spruce and fir wood from the Black Forest . It weighs about 150 kilograms, is 5 meters long, 35 centimeters deep, 40 centimeters high and is 16 centimeters thick. The raw wood was planed after the sawing process and rounded at the edges. The width of the bench of 35 centimeters arose from the idea that you can sit back to back on the bench, in contrast to a beer bench that is only 18 to 20 centimeters wide . The thickness of 16 centimeters should guarantee good stability of the bench and a durability of about twenty years.

Wood as a raw material

The wood required came from forests within 100 kilometers around Freiburg in order to keep the transport routes short. A total of 2,000 trees were felled. According to the archdiocese's press service, the total amount of wood required for the benches grows again within a day in the Black Forest.

Sale of the benches

For the sale of the benches after the Pope's visit, each Pope's bench received a certificate of authenticity and a numbered stainless steel plaque. The archdiocese donated 30 euros to the Benedict East Africa Fund from the proceeds of the sale of a bank . The retail price for a bank excluding transport costs is 410 euros including sales tax . On October 12, 2011, the bank with the number 0002 was set up in the garden of the Archbishop's Palace in Freiburg. The bank with the number 0001 is to be placed in the Pope's summer residence in Castel Gandolfo .

By the end of October 2011, around half of the benches had been sold. The remaining wooden benches are to be processed into works of art by six wood sculptors, painters and media artists on behalf of the diocese, so that they can be exhibited and auctioned for a good cause. Around six weeks after the visit, around a third (1662 pieces) of the benches were still unsold. At the end of January 2012, 700 benches were still for sale. Up to this point in time, the Archbishop's Office in Freiburg had turned over more than 1.2 million euros from the sale of the benches. The sale of the benches ended at the end of February 2012.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Badische Zeitung : Every papal bank will be unique from August 13, 2011, viewed on September 25, 2011
  2. ^ Archdiocese of Freiburg: Wooden benches for a natural visit from Benedict XVI. dated September 6, 2011, accessed September 25, 2011
  3. ↑ Konradsblatt: How the Papst Bank is created ( Memento from December 16, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) from August 17, 2010, viewed on September 25, 2011
  4. ↑ a b c d Badische Zeitung : Final spurt for the Papstbank sale - 700 are still available from January 26, 2012, viewed on January 26, 2012
  5. ↑ Papal benches from Freiburg are to become objects of art ( Memento from February 6, 2013 in the web archive archive.today ) . In: Deutschlandradio Kultur. Cultural news. October 26, 2011. Retrieved October 26, 2011.
  6. ↑ Archdiocese of Freiburg: POPE BANK 2011 5 m Contemporary History - 5000 unique. Archdiocese of Freiburg, accessed on November 13, 2011 .