Tsar Ferdinand’s mortal remains will be transported to Sofia

The mortal remains of Tsar Ferdinand will be transported from the city of Coburg to Sofia by military plane, which will land at Sofia Airport around 2:00 PM on May 29.

The coffin will be solemnly taken down and placed in a hearse, which will depart for Vrana Palace around 3:00 PM, the Tsar Boris and Tsaritsa Joanna Fund announced.

The funeral ceremony will take place in front of the main entrance of Vrana Palace, after which the coffin will be placed in the central foyer, where a brief farewell in a family circle will take place. After that, the palace doors will be open to members of the public wishing to pay their last respects to the coffin of Tsar Ferdinand.

The return of Tsar Ferdinand's remains comes 76 years after the monarch's death. Until now, the remains were laid to rest in the crypt of St. Augustine Church in the German town of Coburg.

After his death in exile in Coburg in 1948, his wish to be buried on Bulgarian soil has now been fulfilled. A solemn service in Coburg honoured the former Tsar before his remains were brought to Sofia.

On Monday, Coburg bade farewell to the famous citizen with a church service at St Augustine's Church, which was also attended by Bulgarian Ambassador to Berlin Grigor Porozhanov.

"I am glad that today, so many years after his death, his great wish is being fulfilled and his remains are finding their way to Bulgaria. Today, we once again thank King Ferdinand I for everything he did for Coburg, we wish him a safe last journey to his homeland and a permanent resting place in his second homeland Bulgaria, in his beloved Vrana Palace in Sofia," said Mayor Dominik Sauerteig.

Tsar (King) Ferdinand not only lived in Coburg for 30 years, but also felt connected to the town and did a lot for it. For example, he saved the court kindergarten, richly sponsored the Natural History Museum, supported the building of the new Trade School and, since the mid-1920s, made annual donations to the town's poor.

In 1942, he was named an honorary citizen of Coburg. Although this honour came from the National Socialist Party, King Ferdinand opposed the Nazis. As a devout Catholic and regular visitor to St. Augustine's Church, he maintained close relations with members of the Jewish community in Coburg. He long resisted being named an honorary citizen and did not accept the title personally. The certificate of his appointment was delivered to his home.

Ambassador Grigor Porozhanov thanked the people of Coburg for preserving the coffin for 76 years.

The Governor of the church, Prof. Dr. Helmut Kolo, said with sorrow that King Ferdinand will be missed by Coburg and St. Augustine's Church, but will always be present in Coburg through his good deeds. "We will always honour his memory," Kolo said.

Source and images by BGNES