The heart of grief: Villach sets moving signs of love

The heart of grief: Villach sets moving signs of love

On Sunday, February 23, a significant event will take place in Villach, which marks the end of the official grief week after the tragic terrorist attack. Under the motto "A heart, a city. Villach holds together" swimmers of the fire brigade and water rescue at 6 p.m. an illuminated heart with a diameter of three meters in the drau. This symbolic gesture is supposed to show the imperishable love and the cohesion of the population, while the heart floats under the Draubrücke and then under the Congress Center-Steg before it drives down the river, as ORF Carinthia reports.

The entire ceremony will take around 15 minutes and accompanied by musical performances. A special highlight will be the address of the actress and poetry slammer Estha Sackl, who will write a short text especially for this occasion. However, it is planned not to keep any further speeches in order to preserve the simplicity and dignity of the moment. The Draubrücke will be closed to traffic from 5 p.m. to make room for the mourning ceremony, which underlines the importance of this event, such as Kleine Zeitung communicated.

This silent but powerful ritual aims to commemorate the victims and give the community a voice in this difficult time. With this act, Villach not only shows grief, but also the strength to continue together and symbolize hope of a safer future.