German city renamed ‘Swiftkirchen’ for Taylor Swift concerts gets 1,400 bids for the signs

BERLIN (AP) — The German city of Gelsenkirchen, which temporarily renamed itself “Swiftkirchen” before the American superstar played three concerts there in mid-July, says it received about 1,400 bids from Germany and abroad for signs it put up with the name. The new name was one of a flurry of fan attractions around the concerts on July 17, 18 and 19. The city then held an auction for 20 original “Swiftkirchen” signs. It said in a statement that the highest offer was 3,000 euros, and the 20 highest bidders will be informed by email. It added that a total sum for the auction will be announced once all payments have been received.