Vandalism Strikes Historic Cleeberg Church
A historic village church in Cleeberg, dating back to 1355, has been targeted by vandals, leaving the community in shock. The occurrence, discovered on the evening of August 1, involved the destruction of property and the desecration of religious items, including damages to the Bible on the altar.
The perpetrators vandalized the church by destroying canned food donations intended for the local food bank, muddying kidney beans, and spilling fish cans in the hallway and front of the altar. Additionally, water bottles provided for pilgrims were opened and spilled over pews and hymnals, while entries in the guest book were rendered unreadable. Furthermore, a page of the Bible laid out at the altar was torn out, and that page was found scribbled. Police later found the paper crumpled up in the locked sacristy area where it had been thrown.
Despite the damage, the church remains open to visitors.
The act of vandalism has not only affected the local community but has also drawn widespread condemnation from officials, including Mayor Marius Reusch. The police are investigating the case. The identity of the perpetrators behind the vandalism remains unclear.
Source: giessener-anzeiger.de, giessener-allgemeine.de
Image: kirche-cleeberg-espa.de