Uruguay will replace the Graf Spee ship’s Nazi eagle as a symbol of peace and unity

Uruguay It announced this Friday that it would be replacing the celebrities Ship’s Bronze Eagle Admiral Graf Spee One of the most feared ships of the Nazi Navy- the A dove“Symbol of Peace and Union”.

President Luis Lacalle Pou He announced the decision at a press conference after what was described as a legal dispute The piece belongs to a South American country.

“This A symbol of violence and war May undergo a virtuous transformation A symbol of peace and unity”, announced the President – he assures – he has been thinking about this project for more than three years.

The eagle is made of bronze and weighs 300 kg and is 2 meters tall. Swastika on its claws Its wings spread.

It was part of a German ship Sunk in 1939 depth Silver River By Captain Hans Langsdorf Before the fear of capture and after the collision with the British ships Exeter, Ajax and Achilles. Ten years later, in 2006Officers The Uruguayan Navy reclaimed the area From the bottom of the water, it was in their custody, closed, in a warehouse.

Meanwhile, the legal dispute over who owns the property has finally begun to settle in favor of Uruguay at the end of 2022.

As soon as the judgment of the judiciary was known, Lacal Poe did not hesitate to offer the project to the sculptor. Pablo the printerWHO “Accepted Instantly”. The only condition imposed by the artist is that a Honorary workHe commented.

The printer explained that the work was discussed and that it would be about A “long and complicated” processIt will have many levels – even abroad.

The first step is to create a preparatory drawing as a sketch. Later, the sculptor would travel to Italy, where he would create the first model in marble, and then, another concrete one in the same material.

The latter will be 170 cm long And it will be a piece that travels to Uruguay, so that through a foundry, traces are made to replicate it in bronze. These works are expected to be completed November.

“I decide to accept this challenge, I think Everything that can be done for peace is small. We have to have peace in our hearts, we have to imagine it, we have to propose it,” he said of his decision to lead the project.

Where the final piece will be exhibited is currently undefined, although the executive estimates it will be in the coastal town of Punta del Este. Punta de la SalinaIn the department of Maldonado, coincidentally the Río de la Plata ends and the Atlantic Ocean begins.

“Every symbol that contributes to peace is a welcome symbol of humanity”, The President concluded.

(with information from EFE)

Continue reading: