Bergen’s traditional Christmas decoration – a gingerbread village – has been crushed, literally, by vandals who covered the crumbled ruins with paint and foam from a fire extinguisher.
Local police have appealed to the public to help them sniff out any cookie-scented criminals after the 650-house town was toppled inside its massive tent in the city centre. “The people who did this must be full of gingerbread dust, they will smell a long way,” said police inspector Erik Sveaas.
Norway News reports that residents of the picturesque North Sea city were shocked by the doughy destruction, with the efforts of hundreds of children who decorate the gingerbread, reduced to rubble.
However, the festive exhibit will open sometime next week after running repairs to the tiny township according to Steinar Kristoffersen from the Bergen Sentrum, the foundation that runs “the world’s largest and greatest gingerbread town”. Kristoffersen lamented the actions of the vandals but added that the local community were rallying around the confectionary crisis.
“We are rebuilding the whole landscape and are receiving a lot of gingerbread houses. Many want to lend a hand,” he told reporters.
The biscuit breakers had faced calls for public pillory in an online campaign in which some sought retribution for the loutish display. In an attempt to quell rising public sentiment, local Bishop Halvor Nordhaug attempted to calm protestors through the local media. “We must not lynch anyone over a few gingerbread houses,” the Bishop stated.
[…] a less sweet note, a gingerbread village of 650 houses in Bergen, Norway was destroyed by vandals. Bah […]
Important news story. Glad you covered it.
simply: burning a Stavkirke, perform human sacrifices [and so on] were already accomplished by some people in the past.
Not that I approve this kind of vandalism *thumbs down*
What does this vandalist act mean? Youngs aren’t happy with the world we have created for them… A world full of hypocrsy, where millions die of hungry while other worry about their biscuit houses… This society needs to wake up
“The people who did this must be full of gingerbread dust, they will smell a long way,” said police inspector Erik Sveaas.
A classic quote. He’s should join CSI.
The good news the it is opened. Today – here are some photos.
http://www.bt.no/nyheter/Pepperkakebyen-endelig-aapnet-976789.html