Thalidomide Monument

Yesterday the German company Grünenthal unveiled Bonifatius Stirnberg's pathetic Bronze Monument to the Contergan katastrophe (thalidomide disaster) and issued its first apology in 50 years. One would like to think that the huge reproduction of Marc Quinn's Alison Lapper Pregnant in the London 2012 Paralympic Games opening ceremony on Wednesday (CLICK) finally shamed Gruenenthal into making this belated apology, but it was obviously planned to mark the 50th anniversary of the katastrophe. The scientist who created thalidomide was a member of the Nazi Party under Adolf Hitler (CLICK). It seems Grünenthal inherited at least some of the Führer's disposition toward birth defects. Fifty years is a hell of a long delay in apologizing and the firm still hasn't paid adequate compensation to its victims (CLICK).