At its meeting of 14 November 2002, the board of trustees of the Foundation for the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe drew up a timetable for the construction of the memorial. The tendering process for the major building contracts connected with the field of stelae and the Information Centre is currently running. The deadline for submission is mid-December; the tenders will then be carefully scrutinized and the award of contracts should be able to go ahead at the end of February 2003. The plan is to begin construction work for the memorial as soon as the freezing period is over. The architect, Professor Peter Eisenman, who was present at the meeting, confirmed that the completion date for the building, currently scheduled for the end of 2004, will not be affected by the fact that the tendering process for the stelae has had to be repeated.
At its meeting, the board of trustees also discussed a TV spot by the »Association to Promote the Construction of a Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe,« in which Claudia Schiffer appeals for donations for the memorial. There had been differing opinions on the spot before it was broadcast. The board of trustees once more expressly welcomed the Associations commitment to eliciting civic support for the memorial, but made it clear that it would like to be kept fully informed about the Associations campaigns, so that any differences in views can be discussed in advance. The chair of the board of trustees, Bundestag president Thierse, welcomed the outcome of the discussions: »The debate conducted by the board of trustees was very helpful. The Association has its own ways of canvassing support for the memorial. What is important is that the board of trustees is informed of them and endorses them.«
