Norway commemorates the July 22, 2011 attacks with memorial ceremonies in Oslo and on Utøya

At the summer camp on Utøya on July 22, 2011, there had mainly been young people between the ages of 14 and 19. The right-wing terrorist Anders Behring Breivik killed 69 participants of the camp after crossing over by ferry, before he was arrested by the police. A few hours earlier, he had killed eight other people in a bombing in the government quarter of Oslo and injured numerous others. In total, 77 people died.

Course of the attack and victims

Breivik was sentenced in a later trial to the maximum penalty available at the time of 21 years in prison. The Norwegian judiciary justified the sentence by stating that preventive detention beyond the prison term was possible if the convicted person continued to be considered dangerous. The debate over the appropriateness of this sanction continues in Norway to this day.

On the anniversary, the focus is usually not on the perpetrator's personality, but on the memory of the victims and the remembrance of the survivors. At the ceremony on Utøya, which was broadcast live on Norwegian television, relatives read out the names of the dead. The event was accompanied by music and minutes of silence.

Memorial ceremonies on Utøya

Prime Minister Støre described July 22 as a day that had profoundly changed Norway's sense of identity. He called for keeping the memory of the victims alive and at the same time opposing all forms of extremism. Democracy was not something to be taken for granted, but had to be defended every day.

King Harald V addressed words to the families who had lost relatives 15 years ago. He also thanked the rescue workers, police officers, and helpers who had been on duty on the day of the attack and in the weeks that followed. Society had shown a remarkable solidarity at the time, which had to be preserved.

Political messages

Among the participants of the memorial ceremony was also a representative of the youth organization of the Social Democratic Labour Party, which continues to hold summer camps on Utøya to this day. After the attacks, the camp had resumed following a one-year break, accompanied by a comprehensive security concept and psychological support for participants.

The Norwegian government announced that the memorial sites on Utøya and in the government quarter would be further expanded in the coming years. A new learning center is currently being built on Utøya, which is intended to provide information about the history of the camp, the attacks, and the significance of democratic values. Schools from across the country regularly visit the memorial site.

Memorial sites and coming to terms with the past

The anniversary falls at a time when concern over politically motivated violence is once again growing in Europe. In Norway as well, authorities have in recent years observed several right-wing extremist structures that authorities classify as security risks. The memorial ceremonies are therefore also understood as a warning to remain vigilant.