The corpus deliciti is 8.40 meters tall and stands in a meadow in the tranquil village of Ostro (Bautzen district). There, in the spring of 2023, Konrad Schkoda’s family erected a pole with a stork’s nest on their private property. It was occupied shortly thereafter. The Schkodas sought advice from independent members of the Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union of Germany (NABU), who had already successfully installed many nests in Upper Lusatia.
“We did it for the whole village.”
“We did it for the whole village. People are happy—only a very few aren’t,” says mother Monika. “When I used to drive through the villages in our area and see stork nests, I felt that Ostro needed one, too.” The family’s three children gave their parents the stork’s nest as a gift. Konrad Schkoda kept a record of the breeding activity in the meadow across from their home. From the kitchen window, he could rejoice every day at the fruitful success of his efforts.
Shortly before Easter, Konrad Schkoda died at the age of 68. His wife Monika is convinced that the growing controversy surrounding the stork’s nest took a toll on him. This is because three objections were filed against the building permit for the nest—which was granted retroactively by the relevant authority—from private individuals as well as from the municipality. The municipal council is opposing the permit because the municipality’s concerns were “insufficiently” taken into account, according to the municipal office.
