German city receives 1,400 bids for ‘Swiftkirchen’ signs in auction
The proceeds will go to a centre for girls, a food bank for children and a shelter for women in Gelsenkirchen.
Authorities in the German city of Gelsenkirchen, which was temporarily renamed “Swiftkirchen” before US superstar Taylor Swift played three concerts there, has received about 1,400 bids for signs featuring the name.
The new name was one of a flurry of changes made for the concerts on July 17, 18 and 19. An auction was then held for 20 original “Swiftkirchen” signs.
The highest offer was 3,000 euros (£2,500) and the 20 highest bidders will be informed by email, a spokesman said, adding that a total sum will be announced once all payments have been received.
It said one of the winning bids came from outside Germany.
The proceeds will go to a centre for girls, a food bank for children and a shelter for women in Gelsenkirchen.
Another “Swiftkirchen” sign is now on display at Germany’s museum of post-Second World War history in Bonn, the Haus der Geschichte.
A former coal mining city, Gelsenkirchen is one of Germany’s poorest. It is known for the soccer team Schalke, a traditional heavyweight currently in the second division, and its stadium, which sometimes attracts international entertainers like Swift.
