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11:05 GMT, Tuesday, 18 November 2008

In pictures: German stained glass

Handover ceremony at Church of Our Lady, Frankfurt/Oder, 17 Nov 08

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Russia has handed over to Germany the final six panels in a set of 14th-Century stained glass windows seized during World War II. The six were only rediscovered in 2005.

Close-up of one of the returned stained glass windows

Close-up of one of the returned stained glass windows

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The panels - grimy after decades in storage - need restoring before they can join the other 111 panels in the Church of Our Lady in Frankfurt/Oder, near the German-Polish border.

Part of stained glass window set in Church of Our Lady

Part of stained glass window set in Church of Our Lady

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Plain white windows serve as place holders for the six panels until the restoration is finished. They show Old Testament scenes. Russia returned the other panels in 2002.

View of stained glass windows in Church of Our Lady

View of stained glass windows in Church of Our Lady

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The windows had been removed to protect them from bombing. Soviet soldiers found them in a basement in Potsdam - then they went into storage at Moscow's Pushkin Museum.

Handover ceremony at Church of Our Lady, Frankfurt/Oder, 17 Nov 08

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Russia's ambassador to Germany, Vladimir Kotenev (2nd from left), attended the ceremony. War booty remains a sensitive area in German-Russian relations. Both warring sides stole much priceless art.

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