Peace rose for Ukraine with the help of the PEACE rose.

Peace rose for Ukraine: The raindrops represent the tears of millions of people in Ukraine since February 24, 2022.

All over the world one hopes for the end of this war. A symbol for it could be the flag with the PEACE rose.

Peace in Ukraine with the help of PEACE roses in our garden

This marvellous rose was already a world sign of peace many decades ago. Cultivated as Hybrid tea rose by French rose grower Francis Meilland (1912-1958), it received the name PEACE in the United States on April 29, 1945. Being granted with numerous awards before, the PEACE rose was selected in 1976 as the first „World‘s Favourite Rose“ and included into the „Rose Hall of Fame“.

PEACE rose – a sign of peace since 1945

„When the 49 delegates to the inaugural conference of the United Nations assembled on June 22, 1945 in San Francisco, a few days before they would sign the UN Charter, they each found a PEACE rose in their hotel room with a card from the American Rose Society which read,

‚This is the Peace rose, christened in Pasadena on the day Berlin fell. We hope the Peace rose will influence men’s thoughts for everlasting world peace.‘“ (United Nations: A rose for peace)

PEACE rose, in Germany called GLORIA DEI – The „Friedensrosen“ shown here all come from three rosebushes in the small garden of our house in Stuttgart. About 70 years ago they were planted by the former owner Fritz Steinle.

The most beautiful rose in the world

„The most beautiful rose in the world – The inaugural conference of the Universal Rose Selection took place in June 1939. Among the members were buyers and sellers from the US, Spain, Italy and France, as well as representatives of the Meilland family. Francis Meilland invited them to his house in Tassin-la-Demi-Lune near Lyon.

One of his guests was the German-born buyer and friend of the Meilland family, Paul Pfitzer, who belonged to one of Stuttgart’s most famous horticulturalist families.“ (United Nations at 75: A rose for peace)

Paul Pfitzer (1883-1962) was a member of the Rotary Club Stuttgart since 1931, exactly 60 years before my admission.

PEACE rose for Ukraine: the colours of the flag

The blue of Delphinium and the yellow of the PEACE rose correspond with the colours of Ukraine.

„No other rose caused such excitement to those gathered than the yellow rose with the crimson tinged edges. – But just three months later, World War II broke out. Francis Meilland had little time to disseminate his new variety of rose. He managed to get one batch to Germany and one to Italy just before borders closed. … A few rose cuttings were shipped to America shortly before France was invaded by Nazi Germany. …

„So the rose was cultivated in France, Germany, Italy, and the United States — but in each location, it got a different name. Francis Meilland called it ‚Madame A. Meilland‘ after his mother. The rose grew well in Italy too and was named ‚Gioia‘ (joy).“

PEACE rose = Gloria Dei = Ruhm Gottes

„Stuttgarts horticulturalist Paul Pfitzer was opposed to the Nazi regime and considered Adolf Hitler a satanic monster, a veritable anti-Christ, so in response, Pfitzer gave Meilland’s new cultivar the name ‚Gloria Dei‘ (Glory of God) in 1942.“

The PEACE rose or GLORIA DEI or GIOIA or MADAME A. MEILLAND may be a sign of hope for a fast end of the Ukraine war. And also for the end of any war wherever. This was the intention of the Assembly of the United Nations in 1945, June 22nd, just 77 years ago.