Eight years later: memory of the victims of the Breitscheidplatz attack

Eight years later: memory of the victims of the Breitscheidplatz attack

Breitscheidplatz, 10115 Berlin, Deutschland - On December 19, 2024, the Islamist terrorist attack on the Christmas market at Berliner Breitscheidplatz was a eighth time. Political representatives and relatives commemorate the 13 victims, including Anna and Georgiy Bagratuni, Sebastian Berlin and other innocent people who lost their lives on this tragic day. At a prayer in the memory church, Bishop Christian Stäblein noticed that "terror and brutality, in whose names, must not have power over us". In her speech, Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser complained about the persistent physical and psychological injuries of those affected, as described in an article in the daily mirror ( Tagesspiegel ).

memory at the scene

The Breitscheidplatz, now a place of commemoration, proves to be a paradoxical scene of mourning and celebration at Christmas. Mulled wine seller and survivors of the attack report on the permanent emotional scars that the terrible incident left. Agnes Guba, one of those affected, said: "It's like a film, it comes up every year." Together with Egbert Schmidt, who also deals with the consequences of the trauma, she put down flowers to commemorate the victim. Schmidt expressed his anger about the inadequate help of the state institutions after the attack, which is discussed in a report by the Berliner Zeitung ( Berliner Zeitung ).

The memories of that fateful day on December 19, 2016, when the assassin Anis Amri raced into the crowd with a stolen truck, are still present. Over 70 people were injured in this fig, and the survivors still carry the mental wounds with them. While the tragedy was reminded of the memorial event, many victims felt abandoned by a system that did not live up to their needs. The question still remains open how the security authorities could have prevented the disaster, and the calls after better support from those affected become louder.