Shortly before the first anniversary of the knife attack on Barbarossaplatz, the Würzburg city council decided by a large majority to set up a “memorial for all victims of violence” in Würzburg. A working group chaired by Mayor Christian Schuchardt should find a suitable location before the end of this year.
On June 25, 2021, a man stabbed passers-by with a knife on Barbarossaplatz in Würzburg – first in a department store, then on the street. Three women died and several people were seriously injured. The perpetrator, 32-year-old Somali Abdirahman J. at the time of the crime, was arrested shortly after the crime.
The memorial should not be realized near the crime scene
As early as July 2021, a few weeks after the terrible events of June 25, the city council decided, after an inter-party motion, to set up a memorial for the victims of the knife attack. After discussions in the Council of Elders and a consultation in a non-public meeting in the autumn, it was then clear that it should become a memorial for all victims of violence.
The memorial should not be realized near the crime scene. There was already broad agreement in the Council of Elders that “it is difficult to design a worthy memorial site at the Barbarossaplatz,” reported culture officer Achim Könneke. He presented the city council with four possible locations on the banks of the Main, which will form the basis for the discussions in the working group after examining numerous alternatives (see info box).
According to Könneke, the location of the memorial should be within walking distance from the city center and not already occupied by another memorial thematically. The artistic design should only be discussed after the location has been determined. “Work of art or commemorative plaque – both are possible,” said Könneke. It is planned to realize the memorial in the coming year.
There was no discussion in the city council about the decentralized locations, only the nine representatives of the parliamentary groups in the working group were determined. The city’s culture department, the garden department and the civil engineering department are also involved. Mayor Schuchardt suggested that the social department and a psychologist, who has been accompanying the victims of the knife attack for a year, be included in the consultations.
Green City Councilor Matthias Pilz raised the question in a personal statement before the vote, “whether we need such a memorial at all and whether it gives us added value”. After the knife attack, the city society was able to deal with the crime and its consequences in a dignified and appropriate manner, even without a permanent memorial.
“That too is something that the working group needs to give some serious thought to,” the mayor replied. “This option is definitely there if you can’t find a suitable location or design.”
The AfD will not be involved in the decision-making process in the working group because, with two seats on the city council, it has no faction strength. “This is also a very important issue for our electorate,” said AfD city councilor Ludwig Mechler. His application to join the working group was rejected by the rest of the city council. As a result, the two AfD city councilors refused to vote for the fundamental decision to set up the memorial.
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Possible locations for the memorial
Felix Freudenberger Square: The Felix-Freudenberger-Platz is in the inner city area and is easily accessible and barrier-free, according to the meeting proposal. The square offers a high quality of stay, and large, public commemorative events could also take place here. However, there is considerable traffic noise and there is a certain risk of flooding.
Green space opposite Dreikronenstraße 13: “Directly opposite Dreikronenstraße 13 towards the Main is a green area on the bastion walls, which is currently apparently little used,” says the administration’s description of the second possible location. The area not only offers a panoramic view of the city center, but also a very calm and protected atmosphere thanks to the old stock of trees. The lawn offers space for medium-sized commemorations. However, the area is not barrier-free and has so far only been accessible via two side stone steps from the street.
Meadow area below the bastion wall of the Leonhard-Frank-Promenade: The third possible location is in a wall triangle, also along the Leonhard-Frank-Promenade. “The promenade is a well-developed, popular and quiet recreational area that can be reached relatively easily and barrier-free via Dreikronenstraße or via the Viehmarkt car park,” the template says. The quality of stay in this place is “excellent”, the corner location offers a certain intimacy, at the same time there would also be space for medium-sized and large commemorative events. However, this square, like the entire promenade, is exposed to a fundamental risk of flooding.
Big Tower, Leonhard-Frank-Promenade: The fourth possible location is the so-called thick tower on the Leonhard-Frank-Promenade, which is somewhat hidden behind trees. The tower belonged to the city wall fortifications of Würzburg, its stump was reconstructed after 1945, according to the administrative document.
This place is easily accessible and barrier-free. The quality of stay is very high: On the one hand, the traffic noise of Dreikronenstraße is shielded by the trees, on the other hand, the location offers a panoramic view of the city center due to its slightly elevated location. The delimitation given by the stump of the tower offers space for small and medium-sized commemorative events.
Source: tsc/City of Würzburg
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