Shortly after 6.00 pm last Thursday evening, Pope Benedict XVI entered the Olympic Stadium in Berlin through the marathon gate. Over 60,000 worshippers cheered as the ‘popemobile’ then made its way through the crowd on the blue track.
After signing the Golden Book of the City of Berlin, the Supreme Pontiff celebrated mass with the myriad visitors.
In light of the eminence of the visitor and the throngs of followers in attendance, it’s understandable that security in and around the stadium was extremely tight.
For their part, the police and security officers received support from a very special video surveillance technology: the Panomera multi-sensor system from Dallmeier, which allows a comprehensive overview of the stadium while simultaneously offering top detail resolution.
The system was recently installed and had already proved its top-level performance capacity during German national football league matches. It’s viewed by its developer as the ideal solution for large-scale events for which maximum security measures need to be in place.
For the papal visit, Panomera proved itself to be a valuable surveillance instrument, allowing the police an ‘all-round’ view of the entire scene. Panomera’s exceptional resolution quality permits the tiniest details to be recognised even at great distances.
Panomera uses a completely novel lens and sensor concept that allows objects in the distance to be displayed with the same resolution as objects in the foreground of the picture.
“Panomera is a brand new technology that’s unrivalled compared to conventional cameras. It opens up innovative options for the video security sector that couldn’t be realised in the past,” said company founder and CEO Dieter Dallmeier.
Transmission, recording, picture processing
Dallmeier has more than 25 years’ experience in transmission, recording and picture processing technology and is “an outstanding pioneer” of CCTV/IP solutions worldwide.
According to an official company statement, “profound knowledge” is used in the development of intelligent software and the production of high quality recorder and camera technologies. This enables Dallmeier to offer not only stand-alone systems but also complete network solutions up to large-scale projects with “perfectly co-ordinated” components.
From the very beginning the company always focused on its own innovative developments and highest quality and reliability. Dallmeier is the only manufacturer in Germany that develops and manufactures all components on its own. This includes the entire product range, from cameras to picture storage and transmission to intelligent video analysis and even individually adjusted management systems.
Dallmeier also offers continued impetus to the market via new developments and exceptional innovations. For example, the world’s first DVR emanated approximately 20 years ago from Dallmeier, paving the way for digital video recording for the entire industry.
In similar pioneering fashion, the multi-sensor system Panomera represents “a unique and completely new camera technology” which will “revolutionise the industry” and provide new opportunities across the video surveillance market.
Further detail on the Pope’s visit to Germany
On his arrival at Berlin’s Tegel Airport last Thursday, the head of the Roman Catholic Church was welcomed by Federal President Christian Wulff, Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel and Government and church representatives. The Pope was a guest in his German home until yesterday.
The Holy Father’s four-day visit was packed with appointments and events: a Holy Mass in Berlin’s Olympic Stadium, discussions with representatives of the Protestant and Orthodox Churches in Germany, the Jewish community and Islam, a meeting with the judges of the Federal Constitutional Court as well as numerous encounters and visits.
As one of a total of 17 planned Papal addresses in the visit, the speech before the German Bundestag was particularly well anticipated. On the invitation of the Bundestag, Pope Benedict XVI spoke to the German Parliament as a foreign head of state: the first Pope ever to do so.
In his short speech on the foundations of a free state of law, the Pope stressed Europe’s Christian heritage and described philosophical reason and respect for the law as defining elements of the continent’s identity.
An element of the 620 members of the Bundestag stayed away from the speech out of protest. Some 10,000 protestors demonstrated against the Papal visit near the Berlin Reichstag building. In the aircraft on the way to Berlin, the Pope had expressed his lack of concern about the planned protests. He said that they were normal in a free society.
Shortly after his arrival in Berlin, Pope Benedict XVI lamented people’s indifference towards religion. He said faith was the foundation for “successful harmony” in society.
In Germany, where 31% of the population is Catholic, the Pope’s visit was also viewed as an opportunity to discuss the current situation and future of the Roman Catholic Church, which has recently been the subject of much criticism.
The first day of the visit ended with a Mass in the Olympic Stadium attended by 70,000 devotees.
Pope Benedict XVI was the first head of the Catholic Church to visit eastern Germany after the fall of the Berlin Wall.
