Commemorating victims of the 2016 Islamist attack

Created: 12/19/2022, 7:18 p.m

The Christmas market at Breitscheidplatz has been devastated after an attack in Berlin.

© Bernd von Jutrczenka/dpa

The victims were commemorated on the sixth anniversary of the Islamist terrorist attack at the Berlin Christmas market.

Berlin's Mayor Franziska Giffey (SPD), other politicians, victims and relatives attended a memorial service in the Memorial Church on Breitscheidplatz near Ku'damm on Monday evening.

Berlin - The evangelical bishop Christian Stäblein assured the victims and their relatives that they would never forget the suffering.

"We will not forget that, nor the solidarity that arose at that moment - for the wounded, for the murdered, for those who have had to live with the loss ever since.

Berlin doesn't forget," said Stäblein, according to a previously published sermon.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) wrote on Twitter on Monday evening: "Our thoughts are with you and your survivors today."

After the service, people wanted to gather at the memorial at the back of the church where the attack happened.

There the names of the 13 fatalities are attached to the steps.

These will be read out by General Superintendent Ulrike Trautwein.

The commemoration is to end with 13 chimes at the time of the attack at 8:02 p.m.

On December 19, 2016, an Islamist terrorist drove into the Christmas market in a hijacked truck.

A total of 13 people died as a result of the crime, one of them years later as a result.

About 70 people were injured, some seriously.

The assassin fled to Italy, where he was shot dead by police.

dpa