"Good journey back home, King Ferdinand" - under this title, the press service of the German city of Coburg reported about the solemn farewell church service, with which the residents of the city said goodbye to their fellow citizen. The remains of the Bulgarian Tsar Ferdinand I are being returned to Sofia 76 years after his death in exile in Coburg in 1948. In this way the king’s wish to be buried in Bulgarian soil is being finally fulfilled. The Bulgarian ambassador to Berlin, Grigor Porozhanov, was also present at the church service on Monday in the St. Augustine church.

Tsar Ferdinand not only lived in Coburg for 30 years, but also felt connected to the city and did a lot for it. He generously sponsored the Natural History Museum, supported the construction of a new Trade School and from the mid-1920s made annual donations to the city's poor.

• Tsar Ferdinand’s remains to be transported to Sofia