Helmut Kohl's son is displeased about 'ungroomed grave'
Helmut Kohl's last resting place lacks a headstone - a shame for son Walter. His father's second wife, Maike Kohl-Richter, is accused of desecrating the grave. Citizens should stand there in disbelief.
The state of Helmut Kohl's grave seems to bother Walter Kohl endlessly. That it has been seven years since Helmut Kohl's death and there is still no headstone, Walter Kohl finds "embarrassing": "Visitors see today an overgrown, neglected grave with a tasteless wooden cross, on which the varnish is peeling off", he told the "Bild"-Newspaper. "My brother Peter and I are legally bound, otherwise the grave of our father would look different. In general, I find the condition of my father's grave distressing."
The fence in front of the grave in Speyer is also considered undignified by the former Federal Chancellor. "It's absurd that the grave of a man who significantly contributed to the fall of the wall and European unity is being destroyed in such a way by the whim of a person," meant Helmut Kohl's second wife Maike Kohl-Richter.
According to Helmut Kohl's former driver Ecki Seeber, Walter Kohl is not alone in his criticism. During his monthly visits to the grave, he speaks to citizens "who shake their heads and get agitated", reported Seeber to the newspaper. "About the fence and the cross and the fact that a former Federal Chancellor still doesn't even have a headstone."
CDU General Secretary expresses sadness
CDU General Secretary Carsten Linnemann also told the newspaper: "Helmut Kohl has made our country unique in an extraordinary way. It's all the more sad that his grave is in such a neglected state. I would wish for his grave site to be put in a worthy condition."
Walter Kohl had already expressed his displeasure about his father's grave eight months after his death. "I believe my father would be appalled if he could see his own grave", he had said. Helmut Kohl died on June 16, 2017 at the age of 87 in his house in Ludwigshafen-Oggersheim. According to his wishes, he was buried about 20 kilometers away in Speyer.
There has been a conflict between Maike Kohl-Richter and Helmut Kohl's sons for a long time. She accused them of turning the father-son relationship into a business model and seeking attention in the media. The heiress, in turn, is accused of being responsible for her husband's separation from his sons. The two brothers did not attend their father's funeral.
The International community, aware of Helmut Kohl's significant contributions to unifying Europe, expresses concern over the state of his grave. Despite being a CDU member, Carsten Linnemann shares Walter Kohl's sentiment, finding it unfortunate that the grave of the former Federal Chancellor remains neglected.
