Commemoration after the attack: “Munich stands for diversity, tolerance, respect and equal opportunities”

Munich police on the injured and the course of the crime

On Friday morning, the police provided information about the course of events and the current number of injuries.

According to the police, a demonstration of a ver.di event with around 1,500 people was on its way from Seidlstraße towards Königsplatz on Thursday morning. At the corner of Seidlstraße and Karlstraße, a man in a car, a Mini Cooper, drove into the group of people from behind, killing two people and injuring at least 37 others.

Numerous emergency services and civil protection teams were on the scene to provide medical care to the injured and care for those affected. Emergency psychosocial care teams were also deployed.

Mother and two-year-old child killed after attack

On Saturday evening, the Bavarian State Office of Criminal Investigation announced that a mother who worked for the City of Munich and her two-year-old child had succumbed to their serious injuries. Their condition was considered very critical after the attack. 

Lord Mayor Dieter Reiter was deeply saddened: “My thoughts are with the family of the victims and their relatives and friends. The pain is beyond words. In these dark times, we will offer the family all possible support.”

Municipal relief fund for attack victims

On February 26, the Munich City Council decided to set up a relief fund for people directly physically and/or mentally affected by the attack and their close relatives. City funds amounting to 500,000 euros will be made available for this purpose until December 31, 2029. It will also be possible to support projects to help those affected from the relief fund.

Lord Mayor Dieter Reiter: “The need for help will vary greatly from person to person. The extent of the consequences and burdens cannot be estimated at this point in time. The tragic events have caused a great deal of suffering for the family of the deceased, the injured and their relatives. The grief, the physical and psychological, but also the material and social consequences of the brutal event will accompany those affected for the rest of their lives. The City of Munich is committed to offering those directly affected by the attack all the help it can to alleviate this suffering.”

Book of condolence

The City of Munich had placed a book of condolences for the two victims on the second floor of City Hall from February 17 to 25, in which Lord Mayor Dieter Reiter signed with the following words: “Munich mourns. We are all deeply shocked. The brutal attack on the demonstration has struck us right in the heart. Our thoughts and sympathy are with all the victims and their families - especially the family of the two murdered men and their relatives and friends. Let us stand together in this difficult time!”

At the request of the family of the two victims Amel and Hafsa, the city has removed weather-sensitive expressions of sympathy, such as letters and cuddly toys, from the memorial site in Seidlstraße, as the family would like to keep them. The items will be handed over to the family together with the book of condolences.

Contact points for victims and witnesses: New crisis hotline from 20 February

The Social Services Department has set up a central contact point to which those affected by the attack and their relatives can turn. From there, concerns are coordinated with the responsible departments in the city administration.

The contact point can be reached by telephone and in person Monday to Thursday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Friday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on 089/233-774444, by e-mail at anlaufstelle130225@muenchen.de and in person at Orleansplatz 11, room 4.065.

The telephone counselling service of the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising has opened a crisis hotline for those affected by the attack. The telephone can be reached daily from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. on the number 127 18 590. From Thursday 20 February, the health department will be in charge of the crisis hotline. From 20 February, it will be available from Monday to Thursday from 9 a.m. to 3.30 p.m. and Friday from 9 a.m. to 12 noon on the new telephone number 233-47290.

Outside of these times, the telephone counselling service is available on 0800 111 0 222 or the Upper Bavarian Psychiatric Crisis Service on 0800 655 3000.

The Federal Victims' Commissioner, Roland Weber, and the central contact person for victim protection in Bavaria, Kerstin Altenbeck, are also there for those affected by the attack. Together they can arrange psychosocial, practical and financial help if required. In addition, a hotline for psychosocial counseling is available for those affected on the free telephone number 0800 0009546. More information on the website of the Federal Victims' Commissioner.

Memorial service with eulogy by Mayor Reiter

In memory of the deceased, an interfaith memorial service was held in Munich Cathedral on Monday evening. Cardinal Reinhard Marx, Archbishop of Munich and Freising, the Evangelical-Lutheran Bishop Christian Kopp, representatives of other religious communities, Lord Mayor Dieter Reiter and Prime Minister Markus Söder commemorated the victims.

Mayor Dieter Reiter gave a moving eulogy on behalf of the Bavarian capital. Here are excerpts:

“How are we supposed to respond to an act that hit our city right in the heart [...] ? How can we understand that a mother and her two-year-old daughter have been murdered? [...] February 13 is a black day for our city. [...] Senseless violence and inhuman terror suddenly descended on our city. It was an attack on our lives.

We came together in the name of humanity. I have the utmost respect for the relatives of Amel and Hafsa who, in their darkest hour, found the strength to send a message to the public: “We want to reaffirm that death and loss must not be used to stir up hatred and to politically instrumentalize it.”

If the relatives of Amel and Hafsa are able to find the strength to speak out so clearly against the instrumentalization of the crime, [...] how weak and pathetic would politicians be if we were unable to conduct the migration debate objectively, constructively and, above all, with humanity?

We will not be divided by terror and hatred. We stand together, more than ever, for our democratic society with people from many nations living together peacefully. [...] On behalf of the City of Munich, I would like to say: We are here for you. [...]

Munich mourns, but Munich stands together. Especially now.”

Memorial event “We mourn together” at Stiglmaierplatz

On Thursday afternoon, one week after the attack on Stiglmaierplatz, the ver.di trade union in Munich invited people to a memorial event at the scene of the crime. Under the motto “We mourn together”, citizens remembered the victims and those affected. Mayor Dieter Reiter and ver.di national chairman Frank Werneke as well as Claudia Weber from ver.di Munich also spoke at the event. Candles were lit and flowers were laid.

 

“We will carry Amel and Hafsa in our hearts forever”

Mayor Reiter said in his speech at the commemorative event: “This attack hit Munich in the heart. [...] It was meant to scare us, but it has brought us closer together. It was meant to stir up hatred. But it has made us determined to stand together right now. We stand and will always stand clearly against hatred and agitation. Right now - and always. People from so many nations live and work together peacefully in Munich. That was and is a great asset for this city. It is a benefit for us all. It is a true wealth. Munich stands for diversity, for tolerance, for respect and equal opportunities. No one can or will take that away from us. [...] The grief will stay with us for a very long time, perhaps even forever. But one thing can be said with certainty: the city of Munich leaves no one alone. We leave no one alone. And we will carry Amel and Hafsa in our hearts forever.”

In addition, an employee of the municipal drainage system read out a message from the relatives of the two deceased, Amel and Hafsa, in which they thanked everyone for their sympathy: “We want you to know that we hear and see you. We are very sorry for the loss of our friend, partner, sister and daughter and our thoughts are with all the other victims, colleagues, friends, acquaintances and family members who are also struggling with the terrible images and fearing for their loved ones. We would once again like to thank all the helpers who took action immediately after this incident and all the organizers of this meeting and especially the ver.di colleagues present here who are standing up for all victims and showing solidarity.”

Trade union ver.di: “We are deeply shocked and stunned”

Commenting on the death of a mother and her two-year-old child, ver.di Chairman Frank Werneke said: “We are deeply shocked and stunned by the death of a mother, our colleague, and her two-year-old child, who took part in a ver.di demonstration march on Thursday that was the target of an attack. The grief over the suffering of the victims of the Munich attack is almost immeasurable. We mourn with the relatives and the entire family, are with them in our thoughts and wish them as much strength as they now urgently need. As trade unionists, we stand together in solidarity at this difficult time. Cohesion and collective strength are needed so much right now.”

The current status of the investigation into the suspect

The Munich police were able to pull the driver out of the car on the spot and arrest him; a shot was fired, but the driver was not hit.

The suspect is a 24-year-old Afghan asylum seeker residing in Munich who, according to the information available on Thursday evening, had a valid residence permit at the time of the crime. He is known to the police from investigations in which he was a witness due to his previous work as a store detective.

The public prosecutor's office is investigating a possible Islamist motive for the crime.

An arrest warrant was issued for the accused by an investigating judge on Friday and pre-trial detention was ordered. Due to the particular importance of the case, the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office took over the investigation from the Munich Public Prosecutor's Office on February 14. 

Munich carnival parade canceled after attack

The Damische Ritter have canceled their carnival parade planned for February 23rd due to the attack. In close coordination with the City of Munich, the security authorities and the cooperation partner, the “Münchner Gesellschaft Narrhalla e.V.”, the Damische Ritter have unanimously determined that a carnival procession is possible, but cannot be organized in a cheerful and carefree manner under the given circumstances.