Doves of peace

German artist Justus Becker has painted a giant dove of peace on the outside wall of a building in Frankfurt. The dove is carrying an olive branch in the Ukrainian national colors of blue and yellow. With the mural, the Frankfurt resident wants to offer a sign of hope and solidarity with Ukraine. It took him three days to paint the dove on the wall.

Since ancient times, special powers have been attributed to doves. They were symbols of innocence as people assumed the bird did not have a gall bladder and therefore was free from bitterness and evil. In classical antiquity, the dove personified femininity because of its softness. The white dove is the companion of the Greek goddess of love, Aphrodite.

After spending 40 days in his arc, Noah sent doves to look for land amid the floodwaters. Together with an olive branch, the dove not only signified the end of the floods but also the return to peace with god.

Picasso's dove became a symbol of the peace movement in the 1950s and also made its way into world history. The famous painter used the motive several times in different paintings and also christened his daughter "Paloma," the Spanish word iconic bird.

Picasso's representation of a dove inspired artists like Swiss-French architect Le Corbusier, who created this sculpture in the northern Indian city of Chandigarh. The sculpture shows the palm of a hand merging with the image of a dove, symbolizing India's independence from British rule in 1947.

The dove has been a symbol of the peace movement for over half-a-century now. Every peace demonstration features blue flags with white doves on them, signifying the hope for peace. This logo was created from a photograph of a dove by the Finnish graphic designer Mika Launis in the 1970's.

The practice of setting birds free has a metaphorical significance not only in politics, but also for private events and weddings. The white birds attract a lot of attention and also symbolize loyalty. In some sporting events, flying doves are sent as messengers of peace from one team to another.

In the summer of 2021, more than 15,000 paper doves floated inside the Liverpool cathedral. The art installation symbolizing peace was designed by artist Peter Walker. Visitors were encouraged to expand the work by writing their own messages of peace.

As a reaction to the events in Ukraine, the Berliner Ensemble displayed this famous flag with Pablo Picasso's famous illustration. The flag had been first installed by Bertold Brecht as an emblem of freedom in the 1950s. The theater wants to revive Brecht's appeal for peace and show solidarity with Ukraine.

This year, the traditional Rose Monday parade in the German city of Cologne was transformed into a peace rally. 25,000 people participated in the march. One float featured a sculpture of a bleeding dove with a Russian flag pierced through it.