A Choir Concert

As my readers know, Red Baron is a Münsterpfleger (Caretaker of the Minster).

Shortly after the Duke of Zähringen Bertold V (1186-1218) ascended to the throne, he initiated an ambitious rebuilding of Freiburg's original parish church, which dated from the city's founding phase.

Since the new Minster Church's start date is unknown, the year 1200 is frequently quoted. Later, the Counts of Freiburg cared for the cathedral that was "finished "in 1513, although as early as the 14th century, the reins were in the hands of the citizens of Freiburg. Guilds and Freiburg families were among the generous donors, and a so-called cathedral factory fund maintained the building under the control of the city council.

Every year, the council appointed three Münsterpfleger, respected members of the city's society, who usually served for many years. These caretakers regulated the finances and were responsible for the building work. They managed the income of the cathedral factory, lent money and purchased interest, and supervised the expenditure, e.g., for building materials and wages, but also for the furnishings and the necessary "operating resources" inside the church building (candles, vestments, etc.). There was, and there is always something to repair.

The caretakers had to report to the city council on all construction and financial decisions concerning the cathedral. The end of the municipal caretakership of the cathedral came in the 19th century when the city of Freiburg fell to Baden. In 1890, the Münsterbauverein (Freiburg Minster Building Association) was founded. Private civic involvement to preserve the Minster is of the utmost importance.

So, instead of being just a Freiburg Minster Building Association member, you can become a Münsterpfleger for as little as 10 euros a month.

We, the caretakers, are especially spoiled by the Münsterbauverein with social events.

Last Tuesday, the Cathedral Choir gave a one-hour concert for us, the Minster Caretakers.

With the choir in her back, Martina Feierlig-Rombach, CEO of the Münsterbauverein, welcomed the assembled Münsterpfleger sitting in the pews.

The choir in action.

Occasionally, I looked furtively over at the Madonna in the candlelight.

In the end, as we left the church, we were offered a bedtime sweet that was too good to eat.

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The CFA-Franc

The CFA Franc!
Understanding the rejection by the African population:
A question of independence and sovereignty.

On December 25, 1945, President de Gaulle signed the decree of independence for the francophone African colonies.

This was also the birth of the money of the French colonies in Africa (CFA). Decree number 0305 was published in the Official Journal of the French Republic on December 26, 1945.

Here are the countries ...

... and here are their currencies

Originating from Kamerun, Dr. Robert Tchitnga gave an emotional lecture on this topic and showed a triangle with the requirements of a democracy.

A sovereign state has a constitution, must be able to decide on its defense, and has a national currency.

However, additional secret protocols restricted the independence of the former French colonies from the outset. The speaker presented eleven points.

1. The newly independent states must repay the costs of the infrastructure built by France during the colonial period as debt.

2. Automatic confiscation of national financial reserves. The African countries must deposit these with the Banque de France.

3. France has the right of first access to all raw materials or natural resources discovered in the country. The former colonies may only offer these to other countries if France is uninterested.

4. French interests and companies have priority in public contracts and tenders.

5. France has the exclusive right to supply military equipment and train military officers of the former colonies.

6. France may station troops and intervene militarily in the country to defend its interests.

7. The former colonies are obliged to make French the official language of the country and the language of education.

8. The CFA-Franc is the currency of the former colonies

9. The Banque de France requires an annual report from the central banks of the former colonies and a report on the available foreign exchange reserves.

10. France must authorize any military alliance with other countries.

11. In the event of war or international crisis, the former colonies must ally themselves with France.

Rarely has Red Baron been so upset during and after a lecture. I had not thought my beloved France capable of such gagging in particular as the British treated their former African colonies much better.

In January 2001, at the France-Africa summit in Yaoundé, Cameroon, the then French President Jacques Chirac surprisingly stated: "We bled Africa dry for four and a half centuries. Then we plundered its resources; then we said they (the Africans) were good for nothing. We destroyed their culture through religion,  and now that things have to be done more elegantly, we are stealing their brains with the help of scholarships. Then you realize that unhappy Africa is not in a brilliant state and is not producing elites. After we have enriched ourselves at their expense, we teach them lessons."

France's colonial trickery in Africa revolts African youth (©France Soir).

In the article A Cannibal France Eats Africa; A Horror Story, Dr. Gary K. Busch wrote, "France is estimated to hold roughly 500 billion in foreign exchange from African states, and would do anything to fight anyone who wants to shed light on this dark side of the old empire."

August 7, 1960. I solemnly declare you independent.

"African states do not have access to that money. France only allows them access to 15% of that money per year. They would have to borrow an extra amount from their own 65% of French Treasuries at commercial rates if they needed more. To make things worse, France imposes a noose on how much money countries can borrow from that reserve. The noose is 20% of the previous year's government revenues. France has veto power if countries want to lend more than 20% of their own money."

All trade of the former French colonies passes through the Banque de France.

In a video interview at the end of his term of office in 2008, President Jacques Chirac said, "... We only forget one thing. A large part of the money in our wallets comes from centuries of exploitation in Africa. Not only. But a lot comes from the exploitation of Africa. So, we should have a little common sense. I'm not saying generosity. Common sense and justice, to give back to Africans, I would say, is what has been taken from them. Especially as this is necessary if we want to avoid the worst convulsions or difficulties, with the political consequences that this will entail in the near future."

President Macron is touring Africa,
"You know, France has changed enormously."

What do the Africans realize?

• France enriches itself effortlessly at the expense of Africans.
• When African countries get into debt with other countries, France takes all this foreign currency and replaces it with useless CFAs.
•The CFA-Franc is an instrument for controlling the policies of African countries.
• France is indebting African countries with their own money.

So, Africans look for other ways to survive.

A picture says more than a thousand words.

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