Bobsleigh icon André Lange donates his first World Championship gold to the reconstruction of the Neutorturm in Arnstadt

Bob icon André Lange is donating his first World Championship gold medal to the reconstruction of the medieval Neutorturm tower in Arnstadt. "I don't want to engage in disaster tourism and I don't just want to look affected, which is why I have decided to auction off my very first World Championship gold medal," said the 50-year-old. "It's the first World Championship gold of my career and means a lot to me. The tower is a piece of identity for the people of Arnstadt and that's why it's a matter close to my heart."

The four-time Olympic champion and eight-time World champion won gold in 2000 with his pushers Lars Behrendt, René Hoppe and Carsten Embach in Altenberg. "It was the beginning of February 2000 and I had narrowly missed out on gold in the two-man bobsleigh the previous week. In the 4-man, I just wanted to bring it home in front of 30,000 spectators," said Lange. The auction on ebay is due to start at 4 p.m. on Wednesday.

Amount of damage still unclear

The roof structure of the 15th century tower went up in flames on Sunday and was completely destroyed. Fire and black smoke from the dome of the gate tower on the historic city wall of Arnstadt could be seen for miles around. The remains of the dome and the spire have since been removed. The cause of the fire is still unclear, as is the extent of the material damage.

The city will commission an expert report on the extent of the damage. The tower, which is part of the historic city wall, is insured. It was last used by the ornithological association for exhibitions and meetings. The city is setting up a donation account for the restoration of the spire. On Sunday, an initiative had already spontaneously collected more than 2,000 euros.

The tower is one of the sights of Arnstadt - Thuringia's oldest town with its first mention in 704. The Neutorturm is located in the south of the medieval town center.