In Dresden, 15,000 people demonstrated against the bridge

Dresden - In the Saxon capital of Dresden, today 15,000 people demonstrated against the controversial construction of a bridge over the Elbe at the Forest Lodge and demanded a change in the project to a tunnel option. They reacted to Friday's statement from the expert team of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), which recommended the tunnel variant. It also hinted that if the bridge were built, the Elbe riverbanks in Dresden would be removed from the UNESCO World Heritage list.
    Demonstrators under the slogan "come forward" urged the Saxon authorities to reconsider the advantages of the tunnel option, despite numerous decisions and the formal commencement of construction last November, which would keep Dresden aligned with the world cultural organization. The chairman of the German UNESCO World Heritage Committee, Horst Wadehn, warned the city not to risk its status on the prestigious World Heritage list. "Those who support the construction of the bridge need to learn more about the significance of World Heritage status," he said.
    UNESCO criticizes the planned bridge for disrupting the character of the riverbank and thus the inclusion of the banks on the World Heritage list. According to the expert team, a possible tunnel construction would have a significantly smaller impact on the surrounding landscape. The city leadership had previously rejected the tunnel option as unsuitable for the location and continues to advocate for the bridging of the river. They attempted to comply with the demands of the global organization by preparing a slimmer version of the original massive bridge project, which was sent to UNESCO headquarters in Paris.
    According to project advocates, Dresden needs the bridge to divert a significant portion of traffic from the overloaded historic center, which is also a protected monument. Dresden insists on the construction of the bridge, citing a referendum decision made in 2005. Currently, the Elbe banks in Dresden are on the list of "endangered UNESCO sites," which is the highest warning before removal.
    UNESCO will discuss the planned bridging of the Elbe in Dresden at its July session in Quebec. A decision on the removal of the Dresden banks from the list could also be made there. UNESCO Secretary-General Koichiro Matsuura expressed hope that the organization could still negotiate a suitable compromise with the Dresden city hall. "I am convinced that constructive negotiations will take place that will allow us to preserve the cultural landscape of the Elbe Valley around Dresden," he said.
    Germany also faces problems with other sites listed on the UNESCO list. This includes the bridge over the Rhine in the area of the famous Loreley rock, where experts from the world organization acknowledge that the transportation issue can be resolved primarily with a ferry. The debate about a permanent crossing of the Rhine in this region has been ongoing for decades and is becoming increasingly urgent. In this stretch of the river between Mainz and Koblenz, about 100 kilometers long, there is currently no bridge over the Rhine, which causes problems not only for citizens but also for the economy, unnecessarily congesting traffic elsewhere. Local authorities here also want to resolve the issue through a referendum and hope that people "will not want to jeopardize the UNESCO listing" and reject the construction.