According to Mayor Wolfram Leibe (SPD), the rampage in Trier has changed the city. “The sympathy is immense,” said Leibe via the German press agency one week after an SUV was used as a weapon to mow down pedestrians in Trier’s historic city.
The fact that so many have come together in this sad time is testament to the character of the Trier people. Many citizens feel that they too could have been victims. “That welds you together,” said Leibe.
There have been thousands of condolences via social media and 330 letters sent in from around the world, reports Trier based news site Lokalo.de.
On Tuesday 1 December, a 51-year-old gunman raced through the pedestrian zone in an SUV, killing five people and injuring at least 24 other people, six of them seriously. “Some are still fighting for their lives”, said Leibe.
More than 420,000 euros has so far been received as fundraising is underway for victims and relatives. “I am speechless about the great amount sympathy on display,” said Leibe.
Last Thursday (3 December) a vigil and moment of reflection was held at the Porta Nigra and a larger memorial service is still planned.
Candles and lights burned for the victims at many memorial sites as the pain of loss is remains keenly felt. “The rampage happened in the heart of our city and the effects, directly or indirectly, were felt by almost every citizen of this city,” said the Trier bishop Stephan Ackermann. “Such an act is burned into the collective memory of a city.” The grief and processing of this event “will accompany us for a long time - even if not as publicly visible as it is at the moment”.
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